Texas Toasty

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Okay, so it was 89 degrees when I snuck out at lunch Wednesday to buy some yarn to get me through the long weekend. By the time we woke up Thanksgiving the temperature had dropped 51 degrees, I’m serious. I was so thrilled to have a gray, rainy, chilly weekend!

We had about 13 people for dinner and had the chiminea stoked out back and a DVD of this crackling fire inside. . . Texas toasty.

I did get quite a bit gift knitting done.

Time for a Break

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from scouring Getty for images of "old folks being happy and active", for the project I am working on. I am sooo excited that I have absolutely no freelance work this weekend! I don’t know the last weekend I didn’t have to work on.

Egad, my grammar, Oh this reminds me of a joke . . .

A lost man is walking in Harvard Square and stops a very professorial looking man and aks him, "Excuse me Sir, where’s the library at?"

The other man says to him, "Here at Harvard we don’t end our sentences in a preposition."

The lost man then says, "Oh, I’m sorry, where’s the library at Asshole?"

I have given up on knitting Gretel, just way too much undivided attention needed to knit it and undivided attention is something I very much lack these days. I did however finish my scarf for my scarf exchange, yay! I bought some beautiful Noro Kochoran to knit something for K.

Yesterday I wore flip-flops to go shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. When I got home I had to turn on the AC before I could unload the groceries. Seriously, I have kinda sorta gotten used to the no snow thing for the holidays but puhleeze crank down the sun so a gal can feel warm and buzzy from the holiday spirit and not  not just plain hot. I’m a knitter people, I wanna wear my hand knits. Okay, I’m feeling a bit better now. But first I must take off my cardigan and tilt up my blinds because the sun is blinding me.

I have a clear hands down favorite in the stuffing department, it’s from The Silver Palate Cookbook  I think I have had this copy for near 20 years.

Corn Bread-Sausage Stuffing With Apples

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onions
3 tart apples (I use Granny Smith), cored and chunked; do not peel
1 pound lightly seasoned bulk sausage (breakfast sausage with sage is best)
3 cups coarsely crumbled corn bread
3 cups coarsely crumbled whole-wheat bread
3 cups coarsely crumbled white bread  (I toast a baguette)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1 1/2 cups shelled pecan halves

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Melt half of the butter in a skillet over medium
heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, partially covered, until tender
and lightly colored, about 25 minutes, Transfer the onions and butter
to a large mixing bowl.

3. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet.
Add the apple chunks and cook over high heat until lightly colored but
not mushy. Transfer the apples and butter to the mixing bowl.

4. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook
over medium heat,stirring, until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon,
transfer t1he sausage to the mixing bowl and reserve the rendered fat.

5. Add the remaining ingredients to the ingredients
in the mixing bowl and combine gently. Cool completely before stuffing
the bird; refrigerate if not used promptly.

6. If you do not wish actually to stuff the turkey, spoon it
into a casserole. Cover the casserole and set into a large pan. Pour
hot water around the casserole to come halfway up the sides, Bake for
30 to 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the cooking juices from
the bird or with the reserved sausage fat if necessary. I f you want your stuffing a bit crispy on top (as I do) remove lid and bake a while longer or stick under broiler for a few minutes.

this recipe makes enough stuffing for a 20-pound turkey

Golden

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The groom’s family home, Cloudwood Ranch

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The wedding crashers

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Hey! and I don’t mean hay

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Okay Sarah, this is the clutch. I just ordered the matching handbag ( "Knave") this morning

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The lining is gorgeous

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New knitting bag from Queen Puff Puff

I am finishing up a scarf for my Ravelry scarf exchange, not in the yarn I’d started ‘cuz I wanted something chunkier after all.

I started Gretel in a beautiful burgundy tweed, but could not see my stiches for the life of me! Frogged and will attempt again with lighter colored yarn.