NaBloPoMo is a b-scratch

Okay, this was so much harder than I thought it would be.  Sure, I got thirty posts up in thirty days...but I did not post every day and sometimes I posted more than once a day.  I had this fantasy that I would write posts a couple of days ahead and always schedule them to post at the same time every day.  HAHAHAHA.  All the posts weren't interesting (one could argue NONE of the posts were interesting)...it was a struggle.  But it's OVER!

Here is my favorite NaBloPoMo post...enjoy and rejoice with me that November is OVER!

I will still write here as often as I can...simply because I must, but daily?  HAHAHAHA not bloody likely.

Tangerine Bath Salts

With Thanksgiving behind us, it's time to turn our attention to Christmas.  Looking for an easy handmade gift?  Look no further.  Bath salts is a quick, easy, and inexpensive one.

You can buy a half gallon of epsom salts at Target for a few dollars.  You'll need these, a container of baking soda and some essential oils.  I spent waaaaay too long at the essential oil counter at PCC. 

I had a cold at the time and couldn't smell anything properly.  They have charts that tell you scents that mix well together and their uses.  For example, are you looking for calming or energizing?  They come in small vials in a variety of price points from around $5 to around $15.

You will want to mix these in a glass bowl with a metal spoon as you don't want any scent remaining in tools or bowls you use for food.

The ratio is 1 c. epsom salts to 1/4 c. baking soda, then as much or little essential oil as you like.  Mine are tangerine and I used about 20 drops in my mix.  Then all you need is some pretty packaging and you're off!

I sliced oranges and dried them in a low oven for a few hours to tie to the top of mine and made labels on the computer.  The entire enterprise took about an hour not counting the orange drying time in the oven.

Questions?  Other low cost quick and easy handmade gift ideas?

That's a Wrap

Well, we can stick a fork in another Thanksgiving, because it's done.  We had a truly wonderful day of family.  Everyone came early and stayed all day.  Dinner turned out quite well, I thought, and I had lots of help in the kitchen.  The only dark spot was the low grade migraine that I nursed the entire day. 

We left cut out paper leaves and a pen out in the living room and everyone wrote on them what they were thankful for and left them around the dinner table.  During dinner, folks read whatever leaf happened to be in front of them.  We are still eating leftovers...

Today I am Thankful

Okay, well, not today, because I am writing this a day ahead of time...sneaky little bugger Suddenly Sahm.  I will be thankful tomorrow which is today now that you are reading it.  Okay, that was fun, but enough.

Some of you may be taking a break from the fam and need a little pick me up internets style, so this post is for you.  This is a gratitude list.  The boys and I will also make construction paper leaves and leave them out with pens for people to write what they are grateful for on them before dinner.

• I am thankful for my husband who takes care of me in every sense of that phrase and is still the most amazing man I've ever met...eleven years after I met him.
• I am thankful for my beautiful, healthy children for whom I strive to be a good enough mother.  I read once and subscribe to the opinion that you don't have to be a perfect mother, you have to be good enough, and good enough for your kids, nobody else's.
• I am thankful for my extended family and friends who support me and love me even when I am hard to support and love.
• I am thankful that my mother and I seem to be reaching a deeper level of connection the older I (we) get.
• I am thankful for my sister who is always, always there for me.
• I am thankful that I have a warm, safe, comfortable home.
• I am thankful that eleven people are letting me make them dinner today, my favorite holiday and I am thankful that I have the means to do it.
• I am thankful that I have this time at home, my with kids, to explore this life.
• I am thankful that I have this place to write what I'm thinking, doing, feeling and that some of you read it and it might inspire you, amuse you, or make you think about something in a new way.  Thank you for listening to me.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Love,
Jen

And the Winner is....

Katy.  On the button.  12.  How did you know???  You are like six thousand miles away.  If you can also guess them all, then I will feel horrifically staid and boring.

Putting it in the mail, dahling.  Anything else you want from stateside?

Very Tired

I am going to bed now, but had to post today...house is cleaned, table is set, shopping is done (well, almost)...tomorrow is cooking day - hooray!  This afternoon I added a last minute item to the menu...why?  Because I love danger, that's why.

The table is on the simple side and that's the way I like it.  I mixed up our everyday dishes with the china and put a stripe of brown craft paper down the center of the table over the linen.  There are tiny white votives and the tray in the middle is fresh cranberries.  This is one of the place settings up close.

You will notice as I failed to do while taking this photograph that there is a spoon missing.  The ginormous spoon in the background is actually a sterling silver stuffing spoon and it belonged to my paternal grandmother.  It was given to me as a wedding gift by my older sister.  Cool. 

My grandmother's name was Stella.  She died when I was ten.  I don't remember or know much about her except that one of her signature moves was when shown to a table by a restaurant host she often would smile and say, "you can do better than that."  I might have a teensy bit o' Stella in me.  I will always ask for the booth.

Ah, it also occurs to me that Noelle was looking for Thanksgiving dessert.  My mom is making a pumpkin pie and a pear kuchen.  This is an old German family recipe.  I'll see if I can get the recipe and I'll post it with a pic.  I realize I am too late for this year for you...sigh.  There will be other Thanksgivings.  I am also making a pecan tart with chocolate in the filling.

Thanksgiving Timeline

Okay, Katy.  Keep your pants on.  It's going to be okay.  I promise.  We are T minus three days.  Today you should be here:

• headcount finalized
• menu finalized
• cookbook assembled
• shopping lists completed
• perhaps initial shopping completed

From here your timeline depends on a couple of variables.  How many ovens do you have?  How many fridges do you have?  I have a double wall oven that I swear was made for Thanksgiving and a refrigerator/freezer in my garage.  In any case, you want to use everything in your arsenal.  That means, in my case, chafing dishes, crock pot, and microwave.

I will make the following items on Wednesday:

• Mashed potatoes
• stuffing
• sweet potatoes
• stock for gravy

Mashed potatoes.  You've had them left over, right?  It's the same principle.  Make them.  Make them a teensy bit on the wet side.  Chill them completely in the fridge at a depth of no more than 4" partially covered.  When they are completely cool, seal them up.  I like to put plastic wrap directly on the surface to keep them from drying out, but you shouldn't do that when they are still hot.  When you are ready to serve them, microwave them or put them in a slow oven. Or, heat them in the microwave and then put them on warm in your crock pot and serve them out of the crock pot.  This can be done a few hours ahead and it's one less thing to think about.  I'll probably do this, then put stuffing and sweet potatoes in my divided chafing dish.

Stuffing.  I don't stuff my turkey.  I make the stuffing and if, like me, your last step is baking it in the oven, then stop there and put it in the fridge.  Having lots of 9 x 13 pans makes all this much easier.  Again, keep it covered with plastic and make it a teensy bit more moist than you would if you were going to bake it right away.

Sweet potatoes are the same principle as above. 

For the gravy, I've saved backs from chickens for the last month or so in the freezer.  Thaw them out, and make a really rich stock from them using packaged chicken or turkey broth as the base and lots of browned vegetables.  I can do a whole tutorial on this if anyone is interested (but my backs are still thawing).

I do not make rolls from scratch for Thanksgiving.  There is just so much good bread out there, this isn't a time you probably want to hassle with it.  I buy Rhodes frozen roll dough (Texas rolls this year!) and they sit and thaw all day Thursday in their muffin tins out of my way.

One more note.  You need to let the turkey rest for twenty minutes after it comes out of the oven, so you have some time to make sure everything is hot and ready when it comes time to carve.

More questions?  This isn't exhaustive, just the high points.

My Cranberry Sauce

I was an adult before I realized that cranberry sauce does not only come from a can...in a can shape...with the indentation of can rings.  When I was growing up, we always had it sliced cleanly on a serving platter.  Pristine little disks of dark cranberry jelly reclining on their backs.  And I could take it or leave it.

When I was 23, I started working at Pasta and Co.  My first job was front of house in the downtown Seattle location.  I made espresso and omelettes and served caesar salads and diet cokes to skinny office workers.  But, this was also my introduction to a commercial kitchen (however tiny!), moist, perfect carrot cake, and real cranberry sauce...among other things.  I was home.

Pasta and Co.'s cranberry sauce has been a holiday staple in my life ever since.  My family has come to think of it as Jen's Cranberry Sauce and so have I.  I agree with Katy that when you make something enough, it becomes yours.

As you have no doubt put together by now, I am not a measuring kind of cook or a clock watcher.  It's done when it's done.  How much salt?  Until it tastes right.  Cranberry sauce is no different for me.  There are all kinds of variations and I probably never make it the same way twice.  This year I made a big batch and canned enough to give as gifts to my Thanksgiving guests (cranberries are quite high in pectin and are an ideal candidate for canning).  Here are the proportions for this year's batch:

3 bags fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
2 c. sugar
2 ea 10 oz. jars red currant jelly
2 c. water
2 c. dried sour cherries
1 c. port wine

The recipe calls for a smallish amount of rum at the finish, but I was out, so I changed it up (I've been known to do that) with port added during the cooking. 

Place all ingredients in a pot (yes, that's my new dutch oven!!).  Bring to a boil over medium heat, and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally.   Feel free to substitute cranberry juice for the water in the recipe above.  I might also increase the port and add it a little later as it is a bit lost in the finished sauce. You get to hear the marvelous sounds of the popping berries as it simmers away.  Remove from heat and cool in the fridge when it reaches a consistency and flavor you like. 

I was going through some recipes in the paper the other day and ran across this.  I guess P and Co. cranberry sauce is a Seattle tradition!

Pasta and Co. has new owners and different locations now and I cannot bear to set foot inside.  I cooked and helped customers at five different P & Co. shops for over four years while I attended culinary school and then finished my bachelor's.  My boyfriend during that time was the head pasta maker.  The team made fresh pasta six days a week on big Italian machines with brass dyes that were forever breaking down, like little Fiats.  I think they outsource it now...cost savings or something like that.  There was something special about the staff, the customers and the owners that's gone now. 

Thankfully, we'll always have the cranberry sauce.  My cranberry sauce.

Thanksgiving To Do List: Part II

Katy, I'm so glad you need the help, because I LOVE this topic.  I've been hosting Thanksgiving for nine years (one off year) and I like to think I get a little better at it each time and also enjoy it more the more organized I am.  The first year, we were in an apartment and I was early in my pregnancy with Tank.  I kept having to go lie down and feeling like I was going to throw up!  Now that's a happy family memory.

Okay, let's get going.  Next step is menu planning.  Each year, I put together what I like to call my Thanksgiving cookbook.  I take a sheet of paper and write the menu on it.  If I am using recipes, I make photocopies of them and staple them to the menu in the order I am going to need them.  This is not the time when you want eighteen cookbooks sprawled on your counter getting crap all over them or random recipes cut out of magazines getting lost.  I don't make the same meal every year.  I like to switch it up.  I also tuck the cookbook away and next year I can look and see what I did and how I did it.

Before I make my shopping list, I figure out everything I can make ahead and write down the order.  For example, I will make cranberry sauce on Monday.  Tuesday, the house is being cleaned, mashed potatoes and setting the table on Wednesday, etc.  It can also be a good idea to factor in things on a countdown list that are not food related, like do you have guests arriving Wednesday night?  When are you going to make up beds for them?  What are you going to serve them for dinner on Wednesday?  Do you have stuff for their breakfast?  When in the process will you have help and what tasks are you willing to parse out.  Will you need to buy ice to have enough?  Do you have a place to store it so you can buy it in advance?  Do you need to allow time for dough to rise?  Will you make a signature cocktail or have wines?  Beverages are not something I care much about, so I'm happy to outsource that to a guest and my husband to coordinate.  Also, we usually have my in-laws on Wednesday night and I've been cooking all day, so traditionally we get Chinese or Thai takeout.

It's also helpful to work backwards.  What time are you serving dinner?  2pm?  4pm?  I am not a fan of the super mega early dinner.  I'm a 4pm gal.  But this is an important piece of information to nail down.  I like to tell guests to start arriving around noon.  I have noshes out, they watch football on tv, they might go in the backyard and play a little football (okay, this is my Kennedy family Thanksgiving fantasy where my rugged boys with their mussed hair and ski chiseled features are getting all ruddy faced playing touch football in rugby shirts on a sunny Thanksgiving afternoon...but I digress) (although I did just manage to use rugged, ruddy and rugby all in one run-on sentence).

Once you decide on the menu, are you going to ask anyone to bring anything?  Despite my previous post, I think Thanksgiving can be a potluck-y holiday and many people want to bring something.  It can also be a very expensive holiday and everyone knows this.  Are you just going to ask them to bring sweet potatoes or are you going to give them a specific recipe you want them to use?  You can ask someone who doesn't cook to bring bread or rolls or pretty paper napkins for dessert.  I ask people to bring the following things:

beverages: alcoholic and non (sister in law)
cheese and crackers (sister in law)
pastries and fruit for Friday morning (my mother in law)
pie (my mom)

Other than that, I prefer to do it myself.

Okay, now take the back of your cookbook and start writing your shopping list.  I will go to the store more than once, but I try to keep it to two trips, maybe three.  The first is the trip to Fred Meyer. and it will happen in the next day or two.  I need pecans and FM sells them in bulk, so I think they are fresher and cheaper and I can get them ahead of time.  That's the kind of thing I am buying now.  However, I won't buy salad stuff and the like until Tuesday and I will buy it at QFC where I think the product is better.  Look at your shopping list and the order you need to make things.  Think about what you want to get at which stores.  Think about when your grocery store circular comes out.  Then, using all that information, divide your list into the trips.  At this point, I've already purchased things like flour and butter and the jelly I use in my cranberry sauce.  Shelf stable pantry items and frozen foods are good to stock up on a few weeks out as it helps distribute the cost and your brain.

I personally refuse to go to the store on Wednesday.  Every grocery store in America will be a complete madhouse.  I will do my final shopping on Tuesday and Wednesday is reserved for cooking and setting the table.

I have more on this subject and may get to it later today...questions?

Thanksgiving To Do List: Part I

Okay, kids, we're a week out.  Let's get cracking.  This is the list of stuff that I like to have done by this point in the game:

• determine guest list, issue invites, get rsvp's
• once you know the size of your gathering, you can order your turkey (if you are of the turkey ordering persuasion)  I get mine from the good people who deliver my milk each week.  They will leave my fresh turkey on my doorstep before dawn the day before Tday
• clean oven(s)
• sharpen knives or get them sharpened (you DO NOT want to do all that work with dull knives)
• organize pantry
• wash glassware and dusty serving dishes
• choose linens and clean if needed
• decide when you will do your house cleaning and make a plan
• start thinking centerpiece and/or other decorations
• begin menu planning

 Tomorrow I'll show you how I put my work plan together and organize my linens

Life Is Fragile

Say a prayer; send a good thought for Anissa.

Hello, Lover

Hubby surprised me with this tonight.  Exactly what I wanted.  I am so spoiled.  He knew I was meal planning for T-day, thus the timing...some women want shoes or jewelry or vacations...not me.  I wanted this.  For about the last sixteen years. I don't know what the color is called.  I call it "French Blue".  Le Creuset.  Accept no substitutes.

Rain City Family Day

On Sunday, we decided to venture into Seattle to ride the light rail.  It's so exciting that it's finally here.  I think voters approved the light rail about thirteen years ago when we were all still flush.  Soon it will go from downtown all the way to the airport.  When it connects downtown with the University of Washington, that will really be time to celebrate.  I don't know if you can be a real city without a good train system.

We drove to South Seattle (Columbia City) and rode round trip to downtown and back. 

When we got downtown, we came up out of the station and I had a reminder of how weird it is to be sahm sometimes.  This used to be my stomping grounds.  I used to be one of those women in high heels scurrying through the city.  But no more.  I felt like a gawky bumpkin.

When we got off the train it was time for lunch and we were lucky enough to be in close proximity to the best fried chicken in Seattle.  I did not photograph it as I was pretty busy inhaling it.  Oh, those rolls.  I could eat about six of them, I think.  (that would be my PRQ - personal roll quotient).  They have no seating so we drove to the arboretum and ate in the car.  We were like a pack of lions on a carcass.  Good, good stuff.

Then it was time for a rainy walk through the arboretum. 

I could spend hours here.  There are so many cool pictures waiting to be taken by a better photographer than me!  I thought this was the coolest canopy of leaves. 

A good family day.  A classic rainy Seattle day.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Workhorses of My Kitchen

Marissa asked for the top ten items I can't live without in the kitchen. It's hard to reduce to ten, but I'll share my opinions on what you really need.

If you take a look at my lemon butter post, you'll see pictures of my ancient food processor. I don't know how anyone cooked before the advent of the food processor, but it's a can't live without item for me. Ditto for the Kitchenaid mixer. Mine is a pretty stainless steel and was a wedding gift from my mother.  The other item that's a can't live without is the cast iron skillet.  Mine is on the small side.  I'll probably get a bigger one at some point.  Lodge now sells them "pre-seasoned" so it is a completely idiot-proof proposition.  One more thing not pictured below is the half sheet pan.  I think the brand is Lincoln and this is something you want to pick up at Restaurant Supply.  Don't waste your time with the goofy cookie sheets they sell at big box retailers.

I have an entire drawer devoted to the following items.  They are the workhorses of my kitchen.  I have little patience for specialty hand tools, when this small cast does just about everything you need to do.

The superstars:

• rubber spatulas in a couple of sizes
• whisks in a couple of sizes AND a balloon whisk
• assorted wooden spoons
• tongs (short and long) buy the heavy ones that can be clamped closed for storage. 

The supporting cast of hand tools here.  I'm not going to catalogue them.  Questions?:

At some point it's time to cut it up.  You don't have to spend a lot of money on knives, but you need the right knives.  I don't believe in sets.  Buy them one piece at a time.  I've had many of these for around fifteen years and they were mostly purchased at restaurant supply stores when I was starting culinary school.  Personally, I'm not a fan of Henkels.  If you want to spend the money, buy Wustof.  If you don't, buy Forschner.  I also like Messermeister.  Quality knives should be balanced, heavy for their size and they will last a really, really long time.

I already mentioned the cast iron skillet.  Additionally, I have two small sets of cookware.  One is copper and one is All-Clad.  One of the most important things to look for when you shop for these are that they should be heavy for their size.

There are two major items missing from my kitchen at this time.  An enameled cast iron dutch oven and a large (12 qt) stockpot.

Part of the fun of fitting out your kitchen is that you are never done!  I always see things I want and that would presumably make my life easier, but if you start with the basics and avoid the silly things, then you can still put just about anything together.  Not having every gadget in Sur La Table hasn't stopped me yet!

Chevre

The cheesemaking continues. This was my first batch of chevre. It was remarkably easy and seemed very impressive. Mostly it required time and patience.

One of the harder parts was finding the milk. I finally located it at PCC. They even had local, raw goat milk. The only problem is that it's twenty dollars a gallon! I bought a half gallon for this first try and it made around eight ounces of cheese which was plenty. I had never been in contact with goat milk before. It was quite thick and almost had a very slight yellow cast to it. Lovely. I am going to look into visiting this dairy.

The packet of culture/rennet powder was for a gallon of milk, so I had to very carefully try to judge dividing it in half. This is what the milk looks like after gently heating it and adding the culture/rennet powder. At this point you let it sit, covered and undisturbed at 72 degrees for 12 hours.

After it has set up for around 12 hours, it is a single disk, floating on the surface of the whey. Mine was about an inch thick.

This is what the curd looks like when you are ready to drain it. It goes in a butter muslin (not cheesecloth!) lined colander, then you tie it up and hang it to drain. I discarded my whey.

The only mistake I made was draining it too long, so the texture was drier than I would have liked. They recommend draining it for 6-12 hours. I was closer to the 12 hour side and should have checked it at 6 as it was probably ready then. Ah, well...

At this point you want to blend in some cheese salt.  I then rolled a couple sides of my finished cheese in chives and black pepper then drizzled it with olive oil.

You can buy cheesemaking supplies here. It's so easy, give it a try.

I just finished reading Goat Song which was a lovely companion to my first goat cheese adventure. I highly recommend it.

How to Host a Successful Dinner Party: Conclusion

Okay, let's get to the meat of the matter. I only have a couple of general tips. At any dinner party I host these days, there are some number of children. Generally, those children are between the ages of three and eight. Feed them first. Feed them food they will eat: chicken strips, potstickers, pizza, macaroni and cheese, muffin tins, WHATEVER...and have a dessert for them. If the dessert is different from the adults, this can cause havoc. Play it by ear.

I am about to say something controversial...then put them in front of a cartoon or movie. Get them all to agree on something and then put them in front of it. The adults want to talk to other adults and not their children. The dinner party is like the playground for the adults. Unless you have a nanny at your house or some kind of magical wonderland inside an attic wardrobe, the "video" is your best bet. That's my opinion.

I like to then bring everyone back together for dessert.

I used to be one of those fluttery, apologetic, harried hostesses, but now I am a laid back hostess who tries to plan as much ahead of time as possible. Do not put yourself in a position where you are trying to poach fish or saute something while refilling wine glasses. This is a no win situation. For winter parties, make heartier dishes that you put in the oven or your crockpot hours ahead and all you have to do in the presence of your company is toss the salad.

If you entertain with a partner, like I do, agree ahead of time on what everyone's job is. Hubby and I have eased into this pretty seamlessly. He does coats, drinks, early banter, getting the kids' playing, introducing the appy...I plan/shop/cook and we both clean up. He is usually the first one up from the table, staging coffee and dessert, and since I'm still sitting there, it helps keep everyone relaxed. They seem to think if the hostess is giggling and telling stories with an Irish wine tan, then what do I have to fret about?

I am also a HUGE fan of Sunday brunch, particularly in the Spring when it's an asparagus/strawberries kind of affair. I try to do brunch instead of dinner in the Spring and early Summer.

I also like to serve new things and sometimes have a single, special festive cocktail. If I know a particular guest is fond of something like pistachios or a certain dip or dessert, then I will probably have that item every time that person comes over. Katy, I'm not sure what you think I do well. These things now seem so routine to me that it's hard for me to pull them out and articulate them.

Over time, my entertaining has become more elaborate, but I am very particular about which things I am willing to spend time and money on.

Start simple and as you become more skilled and comfortable, expand your repertoire. Try to relax and remember that they are there for the company and not the food.

If any of you has specific dinner party questions, fire away. I'm all ears.

How to Host a Successful Dinner Party Part II

WOW - I guess I hit a nerve. Everyone seems to have an opinion on this one. Let's go in order:

• Marissa, who are you kidding, you always bring something ;)
• Katy, now that I have it off my chest, I feel much better, and I might actually be over it. It feels great.
• Delilah, welcome to the party.
• Noelle, huh, a southern thing, that hadn't occurred to me...ditto for you, Soggy. BTW, I like just calling you "Soggy".

And that's not counting the truly verbose opinions on Nancy's blog. I truly hope I haven't offended anyone. It was meant in good fun. Back to the dinner party questions:

Mona: what to serve 10 mommies and 10 kids for lunch. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy (thank Tank for that one). Mac and cheese. Big batch, creamy, lots of shredded cheese on top. Put out a dish of peas so those worry wart mommies (you know who you are) can jack up their kids on nutrients if they are so inclined. You won't offend the vegetarians, it's easy and you only have to make one thing. For the mommies, have some "add-ins" like crab, jalapenos, green onions or sauteed veggies or more exotic shredded cheese for sprinkling - anything else "adult" you can think of. Let them add it in!! Put it all on a tray. People love to have something to do. The alternative for the kids? Muffin tins.

I realize this may be out of vogue in the age of swine flu, but try a kids' muffin tin buffet (with the hand santizer at the first stop). The first 100 times you do this with your kids they go nuts and think you are Hannah Montana...then they just start complaining again.

BTW, I saw Barbara for highlights this afternoon and have to hate you a tiny bit for having naturally perfectly colored hair.

Okay, y'all. How to host a successful dinner party is now a three part series. Part III tomorrow.

I used to think I would have a cooking/entertaining advice line, an 800 number, and call it "jeny from the wok"..huh huh...get it? Jeny from the WOK. See, it's a play on words thing. Oh, never mind. ;)

All I Can Eat

Whoa.

"What Can I Bring?" Successful Dinner Party Part I

Okay, as it seems I have the floor, I am going to expound upon my least favorite dinner party question..."What can I bring?"

Where did this come from? I was raised to bring a hostess gift when invited to someone's home, but unless the occasion was expressly labeled a potluck, I do not remember my mother ever bringing a dish to someone's home or vice versa.

Thus I felt ill prepared about a decade ago when I fell in with a crowd where this was the norm. I found it so strange and disturbing. There were several occasions where I showed up at an event with a hostess gift and everyone else had brought a dish...but it was not a potluck. weird. I also didn't know how to respond when I extended an invitation, planned a meal and everyone wanted to bring something. What the hell was going on here? It was like bizarro superman world. It took me a long time to become acclimmated and still it sticks in my craw (obviously).

As a guest, you should assume that the host(ess) who extended the invitation has the means and the inclination to serve you an entire meal. If you as the guest must ask this question and the answer is some form of "I think I'm all set" THEN YOU SHOULD RESPECT THAT. Bring a pretty dishtowel, bottle of wine, pound of coffee, box of tea, bottle of liquor, candle, flowers or some other suitable hostess gift.

I'd bet my boiling water canner that if you look this topic up in an etiquette book, it would back me up.

There are women (and I know quite a few) who are incapable of coming to your house without bringing a dish (or several). You have to let them fly their freak flag and be done with it.

Now, I have to admit, I have been infected with the virus. It is hard for me to come to someone's house and not bring a dish. I satisfy my need to bring something by bringing something I've canned. I'm still bringing food and yet not intruding on the hostess' turf. If you make candy, cookies, etc. and can package them prettily, then this is a good way to wean you off the crack of having to bring something to someone's else's thoughtfully planned dinner party (or brunch or lunch or whatever).

ALL of that said, your primary job as the hostess is to put your guests at ease and do what you can to ensure that everyone has a good time and feels welcome.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Stay tuned for Part II tomorrow...

You asked for it...

And I will do my best to provide.

WasSoggy wanted Halloween party pics...check

She also wanted to know the difference between jam, jelly, and preserves. The following definitions are from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. (I'm paraphrasing).

Jam - cooking crushed or chopped fruit with sugar until the mixture will round up on a spoon. Made from one or more fruits; firm but spreadable.

Jelly - Made from juice strained from fruit. Gelatinized to hold it's shape, yet soft enough to spread easily.

Preserves - Fruit preserved in sugar so it is transparent, shiny, tender and plump. Thickness of soft jelly.

Butter - fruit butter is made by cooking fruit pulp and sugar to a thick consistency that will spread easily. Spices may be added.

Noelle is looking for a Thanksgiving dessert. Me too. I make something different every year and though I've ordered my turkey, the serious meal planning will occur on Monday of next week. Stay tuned.

Tatum wants to know what to do with beets. I really only like beets juiced with carrots, so I'm the wrong person to ask. BUT, god bless him, burning pasta has a beet and blue cheese terrine you might want to check out.

Two more questions require longer answers...perhaps tomorrow I'll answer Katy's question about hosting a dinner party and Marissa's (offline!) question about the ten things I can't live without in my kitchen. Good luck shutting me up!

A few Apple Butter Notes

Regular readers of this blog know that I make apple butter in my crock pot.

This joint is getting ready to shut down for the season, so I got a ton of apples at a monster cheap price there on Sunday. As I've mentioned before, it's a rather pastoral fifteen minute drive from my home, so I go there over the Spring-Fall-Summer months for fresh produce.

Anyhoo, I made the last batch for the year yesterday. I've fine tuned the process to put them through the food mill not once but twice, which makes the texture smoother and less applesauce-like. This round I also omitted any lemon, threw in a cinnamon stick and again relied on the dark brown sugar.

I'm pretty sure the key though is the second run through the food mill. If you have a chinois, that would do the trick too.

mmmm...apple butter.

Ten Random Things About Me

1) I am a fourth generation Seattle native (over 100 years!) who has always fantasized about living in NYC.

2) I cannot jump into water. at all.

3) I am an excellent parallel parker. There should be a competition somewhere. I would wipe the floor...

4) I have always wanted to be a librarian.

5) My top five favorite foods are:

• popcorn
• crab cakes
• steak salad
• fresh raspberries
• chips and salsa (the #5 spot shifts occasionally)

6) I am often mistaken for an extrovert when what I am is an introvert who cannot handle uncomfortable silences.

7) I plan to learn knitting and photography in 2010

8) reading is my favorite Friday night activity

9) I really, really want to guest star on Mad Men as Joan's best friend, Roger's secretary, or a woman Don is having an affair with.

10) I've decided my personal logo is going to be an owl. I feel a kind of kinship with them.

Halloween in Pictures

I've had a hard time putting the party into words, so here are some photos of the day with commentary.

My sister and her family on "laundry day"! Awesome effort.

Our little trick or treaters...three sets of brothers. Pretty precious to watch. Treat bags. I made treat bags for the kids with small toys in them and then my mom and I made treat bags consisting only of popcorn balls for the adults. Next time, I would only make the popcorn ball treat bags for all guests.

This is the pinata queue. That pinata was the star of the party. That's also a punching bag disguised as a ghost in the background. Did I mention we have boys?

The pinata had a day of the dead quality that I LOVED. Don't go takin the spook outta the day, now! No harvest party here, my friends. Ghouls and goblins abound.

Yes, I ordered four dozen fresh cake donuts. Um, we had leftovers...but cake donuts and cider is a Halloween family tradition!

I love this guy. Mea culpa for the late Halloween post. (That's my orange dining room in the background. Actually, it's called buttered yam.)

Luke Skywalker, aka Tank. Handsome devil, ain't he?!

As with all testosterone driven parties, it eventually devolves into football. For those as girlie as me, this particular activity is known as "flyers up".

Han and Leia (yes, that's me.) Later in the party I had a hard cider in one hand and a chick sized blaster in the other. I am embracing my mother of boysness.

The food. I didn't take very good photos but there were "mummy dogs" and "monster meatballs" and "devilish dumplings" as well as a pumpkin shaped cheese ball among the offerings. I also worked my mother like a dog for about 24 hours and she decorated all the cupcakes. One of the big hits was caramel dip and sliced apples with skewers. A little sprinkle of sea salt made it heaven. I love every opportunity to use my Little Dipper tiny crock pot.

One of my favorite costumes. I think it caused a stir among some of our more conservative partygoers. I love something controversial to get things going! Yay, Dave!

Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross (my parents). They should look exhausted here from all the work we made them do in party prep as well as escorting their grandsons to soccer that morning! What great sports and cool costumes (that my mom made!) My family rocks.

Ever see The Natural? They did. ;)

My little Anakin Skywalker. We got used to the creepy mask.

I think a good time was had by all. Maybe we'll do it again next year!