So I’ve missed posting about the most important foodie holiday - Thanksgiving. It was a long week. I started prepping on Monday and spent hours cooking every day leading up to it. Was it worth it? The turkey was phenomenal, stuffing I prefer to eat my mom’s recipe, and I have to say this was the BEST gravy I have ever had. I did give myself due credit when I tasted the gravy from the roasting pan - absolute heavenly richness. I also ventured to make my own turkey stock. We ended up having fewer people than I bought a turkey for so I carved that 20 pound sucker up and used the carcass and gizzards to make a lovely stock which I still have extra in the freezer, along with another half of turkey when the mood strikes.

I did splurge on the holiday. I bought a local turkey and special ordered Applewood bacon for the Bacon Dijon butter and stuffing. Having these key quality ingredients made all the difference - worth the couple weeks of pumpkin and veggie meals for this night. We had friend contribute some amazing potatoes and the token green bean casserole. The 6 of us feasted and then tried our hands at Wii tennis and indulged in a pumpkin cheesecake - another hit.

Gordon Ramsay's Theatre - He's making duck breast!

Another excuse for the lack of posting was a trip to the UK for a friends wedding. We did however indulge at Gordon Ramsay’s Taste of Christmas - a brilliant production where Ramsay was not bleeped as on Fox, which made it that much more authentic. We also were able to get a reservation at Fifteen London, Jamie Oliver’s brain child. A very memorable meal where the staff was attentive but not overbearing, and didn’t rush us, even though we were seated next to the busy kitchen.

My wonderful hustband at Fifteen London

Now I”m busy arranging catering type events and gearing up for another week with the family down south. There may not be a whole lot of interesting menus or recipes the next couple weeks but I promise to share my mother’s roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for Christmas as well as any new discoveries. I’m looking forward to the routine of the new year. I was very encouraged by some friends who said they missed my posting and they followed the site. Routine is looking better and better every day.

I’m also going to post some articles I have been keeping up with writing for Blackpower.com. These are a bit more wordy than just recipes but I’m quite proud and still learning the blogging ropes.

So obviously this is Thanksgiving week and prep will begin today! Last week, I will admit, we didn’t eat at home much which indicates the holidays are in full swing. I’m out all day and pick up a falafel sandwich on my way to somewhere else and Johnathan usually just eats pretzels for as long as possible if I’m not there to feed him. This week probably won’t be much different. Turkey prep and holiday shopping take a lot of time and hutzpah. We’re also gearing up for a week in the UK for a wedding, so there’s shoe repair and clutch searching to be done as well. That aside, I still have to think of some quick dishes for us this week. I still have cheese from last week as well as tomatoes and a good stock of canned goods. I see pizza in our near future, and the panzanella I didn’t make last week. Here’s what I’m thinking:

Monday - BLTs with Fontina

Tuesday - Panzanella with cornbread

Wednesday - homemade pizza with gruyere and pepperoni

Thursday - Thanksgiving - I”m making the bacon dijon turkey from Bon Appetit

Friday - Leftovers, and into next week. I saw Sunny Anderson make these fried stuffing balls - yes please!