The holiday season has begun

It seems to get increasingly hard to find the energy to blog as we roll into the holiday season. I say energy because I can find the time, but as I sit down with my laptop perched in my lap, the next thing I remember is my head hitting the downside of a bob and ssssssssssssssssssssssss running across the screen. I love the holiday season but it is hard to believe that it is already here. Hard to believe that a turkey is cooking as I speak. This year I'm responsible for three things including a dessert which I have now made twice. Not twice in my life. Twice this morning. I had gotten inspired and decided to shoot for Paula Dean. The instructions were simple enough, but the not noticing the vanilla had expired in 2007 was not. I knew I remembered us having vanilla extract but that is probably because I must have seen it in the cabinet for the last 4 years. I thought it smelled funny and yet poured it anyway. Sometimes I wish I could go back and tell myself "THINK!". So, with bad vanilla mixed in my bowl and not enough corn syrup for another batch, I call to John who jumps out of the bath and makes a scurried Walmart run. I had gone myself the night before to pick up ingredients and upon reflection, I should have thought in advance about the certain pecan shortage. I literally got the last bag in the store, though not enough for the recipe. John comes back with syrup, vanilla and corn flakes for the hash brown casserole. The casserole that just came out in time for the pre-cooked turkey from the local rib joint to go in. Perhaps buying your turkey isn't in the spirit of Thanksgiving but it is in the spirit of reducing the cooking time from 8 hours to 1 and it tasting tender and flavored and not at all like the last turkey I tried to cook in a bag. The memories of being awake at two in the morning, trying to pull a bag of frozen gizzards out of a half thawed turkey are still crystal clear. Somehow my gravy turned yellow and the potatoes soggy but I had a platter in the shape of a turkey and the common sense to know that I would never repeat that again. To add insult to injury, my mother has decided to take her Christmas card pictures today. A wonderful idea as a day full of cooking always affords time for attention to appearance. Perhaps I will go in my current unshowered state and just hold the dessert as proof as to why. Yes, my hair is sticking up on one side but do you see the homemade caramel and toasted pecans?? So, your holiday greetings include me looking a little greasy. Just chock it up to a commitment to cooking and serving desserts with no expired ingredients.

Happy Thanksgiving!