The CNA who has been taking care of my mother and giving me some respite
will be here all day long on Thanksgiving day. Her children will be with
their grandmother. So I said hey, even though my mother won't eat it how
about I cook Thanksgiving dinner for us? She said sure!

Nothing fancy. Roasted cornish game hen (I'm not sure if I should do one or
two, I have two). When it was just me and my mother one hen was plenty
(these are 20 oz. hens). Cornbread dressing with pork sausage and maybe
wild rice, or not... it's a thought.

She's from New Jersey (no offense to Nancy!) When I suggested baked acorn
squash she didn't exactly screw up her face but she said hesitantly "well...
I'll try it." Okay, gotcha, you don't like squash. Do you like broccoli?
Yes, she loves broccoli. Score one for broccoli as a vegetable side.

I wonder if I should make harvest mashed potatoes? I posted this recipe
back in 2002. It serves 8 but I could cut it in half. I don't mind
leftovers. (I actually I have a version of this that serves over 100
people.)

Harvest Mashed Potatoes

4 large red or russet potatoes (2 pounds)
2 medium-size sweet potatoes (1½ pounds)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. prepared horseradish
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg

Bake sweet potatoes until tender, peel and mash. Cook russet potatoes (cut
large ones in half) in a Dutch oven in boiling salted water to cover until
tender; peel and mash or press through ricer and combine with sweet
potatoes. Add 1/2 cup butter and next 8 ingredients; mash with a potato
masher or mix with electric mixer until smooth. Bake until heated through
and starting to brown on top. (This recipe assumes you're putting this in a
large casserole dish to bake it.) Serve topped with additional Parmesan
cheese if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Now I have to think about gravy. Dammit. I hate thinking about gravy

Jill

On Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:18:41 -0500, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>The CNA who has been taking care of my mother and giving me some respite
>will be here all day long on Thanksgiving day. Her children will be with
>their grandmother. So I said hey, even though my mother won't eat it how
>about I cook Thanksgiving dinner for us? She said sure!

Bless you Jill...

Really. People tend to forget about us caregivers, whether or not we
work in home health, or in a hospital. We have to work holidays, and
sometimes on those holidays, we are lucky if we even get a bite to
eat.

Last year, I worked Christmas. One baby at work had a family that
brought us a welcome treat on Christmas Day. They brought us tamales
and posole...and we devoured it. Sure, we had lots of other stuff
around, but nothing we could eat as a meal.

For most holidays, the staff bands together and does some sort of
potluck...but we are the ones that do it. Our management doesn't,
neither do the doctors.

Believe me, the CNA is saying nice words about you now.
>
>Nothing fancy. Roasted cornish game hen (I'm not sure if I should do one or
>two, I have two). When it was just me and my mother one hen was plenty
>(these are 20 oz. hens). Cornbread dressing with pork sausage and maybe
>wild rice, or not... it's a thought.
Do at least two. The cornbread dressing sounds good. Have you posted
that? I am trying to figure out which cornbread dressing to make to
take to Thanksgiving ..I thought I would try to make a pan of it. IF
I can not screw it up. I think I found one of my mistakes
though...and I will try to see if that is the culprit, when I do a
test run this weekend. I got a small turkey for myself today, on the
way home from work. It is now in the fridge, after being pre-salted
by me this morning.
>
>She's from New Jersey (no offense to Nancy!) When I suggested baked acorn
>squash she didn't exactly screw up her face but she said hesitantly "well...
>I'll try it." Okay, gotcha, you don't like squash. Do you like broccoli?
>Yes, she loves broccoli. Score one for broccoli as a vegetable side.

I thought I hated squash until my fiance (at the time) took me to
dinner at his parents. Way back when... His mother cooked it with
either brown sugar, or maple syrup..and I was hooked. Been eating it
ever since...and not even with anything like brown sugar...
>
>I wonder if I should make harvest mashed potatoes? I posted this recipe
>back in 2002. It serves 8 but I could cut it in half. I don't mind
>leftovers. (I actually I have a version of this that serves over 100
>people.)
>
>Harvest Mashed Potatoes

Gotta have some potatoes!!

>Now I have to think about gravy. Dammit. I hate thinking about gravy

Gravy is good. You can do it.. I love gravy making..and I am
gonna coach Meghan to make the best gravy this year! Of course a bit
of slug of Madeira in it will make it even better...LOL.

Christine

jmcquown wrote:
>
> The CNA who has been taking care of my mother and giving me some respite
> will be here all day long on Thanksgiving day. Her children will be with
> their grandmother. So I said hey, even though my mother won't eat it how
> about I cook Thanksgiving dinner for us? She said sure!
>
> Nothing fancy. Roasted cornish game hen (I'm not sure if I should do one or
> two, I have two). When it was just me and my mother one hen was plenty
> (these are 20 oz. hens). Cornbread dressing with pork sausage and maybe
> wild rice, or not... it's a thought.
>
> She's from New Jersey (no offense to Nancy!) When I suggested baked acorn
> squash she didn't exactly screw up her face but she said hesitantly "well...
> I'll try it." Okay, gotcha, you don't like squash. Do you like broccoli?
> Yes, she loves broccoli. Score one for broccoli as a vegetable side.

But but, NJ is the "Garden State"... Though I'm not sure where they
garden amongst the hazardous waste dumps...

Keep it more to your taste. How about ocean fresh giant scallops, breaded
in egg beaters and corn flakes and baked for 2 hours at 425? Serve with
mayonaise mixed with ketchup. A nice vintage Pepsi to wash it down with
perhaps?

Paul

In article . com>,
"Pete C." > wrote:

> But but, NJ is the "Garden State"... Though I'm not sure where they
> garden amongst the hazardous waste dumps...


Ever been there? Not all of NJ is Newark. There are beautiful pine
forests if I remember correctly.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - chicken cacciatore-like

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> In article . com>,
> "Pete C." > wrote:
>
> > But but, NJ is the "Garden State"... Though I'm not sure where they
> > garden amongst the hazardous waste dumps...
>
> Ever been there? Not all of NJ is Newark. There are beautiful pine
> forests if I remember correctly.

I'm from CT originally. I've been to NJ a number of times (Ridgefield
Park, Bridgewater, etc.), but I've never found anything I would call
beautiful. I recall one memorable trip driving along looking at a
smokestack emitting yellow smoke...

On Fri 21 Nov 2008 06:36:08p, Christine Dabney told us...

> I think I found one of my mistakes
> though...and I will try to see if that is the culprit, when I do a
> test run this weekend.

Christine, what do you think you mistake is?

What is your recipe?

Admittedly, I only make cornbread dressing for myself, but I don’t consider
that I’ve ever had a failure.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Friday, 11(XI)/21(XXI)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till U.S. Thanksgiving Day
5dys 3hrs 14mins
************************************************** **********************
Some days it all seems so feudal -- King Arthur
************************************************** **********************

On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:48:35 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>On Fri 21 Nov 2008 06:36:08p, Christine Dabney told us...
>
>> I think I found one of my mistakes
>> though...and I will try to see if that is the culprit, when I do a
>> test run this weekend.
>
>Christine, what do you think you mistake is?
>
>What is your recipe?
>
>Admittedly, I only make cornbread dressing for myself, but I don’t consider
>that I’ve ever had a failure.

I don't think I have a recipe yet. For my regular stuffing, I do. But
cornbread stuffing I don't. I looked at the one that Edna Lewis has
in one of her books, and that looks very good. It does have pecans in
it.

My mistake (and I could be wrong) was that I didn't moisten the whole
batch of stuffing. I made a batch (stuffing mix, sauteed onions,
celery, spices) and then just put it in a pan. Poured over some broth
to moisten (as some folks suggested) and then baked it. It has always
been mixture of soggy and burnt.

I think this time, I am going to try to pour some broth over it before
I put it in the pan, and stir it around til it is evenly moistened..
Not dripping, or soggy. Then put it in the pan and bake it.

Think that will work?

Back to what Jill is going to do. I went out shopping this evening,
and while I was out, I was thinking about what she plans to do for
dinner. It occurred to me, that while Jill is not a sweets person, a
lot of folks love Thanksgiving desserts. I am wondering if the CNA is
one such person.

Anyway, I wanted to suggest to Jill, and it is only a suggestion, that
she might want to consider some sort of dessert as well?

Christine



Don't know if that will make a difference or not, but I have seen
enough folks give directions for doing it that way, that it might be
worth a try.

Pete C. wrote:
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> In article . com>,
>> "Pete C." > wrote:
>>
>>> But but, NJ is the "Garden State"... Though I'm not sure where they
>>> garden amongst the hazardous waste dumps...
>> Ever been there? Not all of NJ is Newark. There are beautiful pine
>> forests if I remember correctly.
>
> I'm from CT originally. I've been to NJ a number of times (Ridgefield
> Park, Bridgewater, etc.), but I've never found anything I would call
> beautiful. I recall one memorable trip driving along looking at a
> smokestack emitting yellow smoke...

New Jersey is a large state with its share of forested and rural areas.
You can't judge an entire state by the limited view from the highway or
turnpike.

Christine Dabney wrote:

> My mistake (and I could be wrong) was that I didn't moisten the whole
> batch of stuffing. I made a batch (stuffing mix, sauteed onions,
> celery, spices) and then just put it in a pan. Poured over some broth
> to moisten (as some folks suggested) and then baked it. It has always
> been mixture of soggy and burnt.
>
> I think this time, I am going to try to pour some broth over it before
> I put it in the pan, and stir it around til it is evenly moistened..
> Not dripping, or soggy. Then put it in the pan and bake it.
>
> Think that will work?

It's the way my mom taught me. After mixing all the dry ingredients, add
stock at bit at a time, mixing with your hands till you get the
consistency you like, tasting it as you go for the right amount of stock
and seasoning. Put in a pan, top with a few pats of butter, cover in
foil then bake at 350 degrees. I've never really timed this (as it
varies on the amount in the pan) but I remove the foil during the last
15-20 minutes of baking.

Works for me!

--Lin

Jill wrote:

> The CNA who has been taking care of my mother and giving me some respite
> will be here all day long on Thanksgiving day. Her children will be
> with their grandmother. So I said hey, even though my mother won't eat
> it how about I cook Thanksgiving dinner for us? She said sure!
>
> Nothing fancy. Roasted cornish game hen (I'm not sure if I should do
> one or two, I have two). When it was just me and my mother one hen was
> plenty (these are 20 oz. hens). Cornbread dressing with pork sausage
> and maybe wild rice, or not... it's a thought.

Let me just say, I think you rock.

Definitely two birds. Even if you don't think it will get finished in
one sitting, you might want to send some home with your CNA, or use the
leftover bird for a salad or sandwich later.

> Now I have to think about gravy. Dammit. I hate thinking about gravy

Gravy! I'm not the greatest at making poultry gravy, but it's passable.
Sometimes is fantastic though, so we roll the dice and see what comes up.

Is there something that your mom really likes at Thanksgiving like a
dessert or a special side? I'd probably put something like that in there
as well.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your mom and your special
"dinner guest."

--Lin

On Fri 21 Nov 2008 09:55:51p, Christine Dabney told us...

> On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:48:35 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> > wrote:
>
>>On Fri 21 Nov 2008 06:36:08p, Christine Dabney told us...
>>
>>> I think I found one of my mistakes
>>> though...and I will try to see if that is the culprit, when I do a
>>> test run this weekend.
>>
>>Christine, what do you think you mistake is?
>>
>>What is your recipe?
>>
>>Admittedly, I only make cornbread dressing for myself, but I don’t
>>consider that I’ve ever had a failure.
>
> I don't think I have a recipe yet. For my regular stuffing, I do. But
> cornbread stuffing I don't. I looked at the one that Edna Lewis has
> in one of her books, and that looks very good. It does have pecans in
> it.

I don’t actually have a written recipe either. Rather, I eyeball everything
that goes in it, just as my mother and grandmother did. It just has to
“look” right.

> My mistake (and I could be wrong) was that I didn't moisten the whole
> batch of stuffing. I made a batch (stuffing mix, sauteed onions,
> celery, spices) and then just put it in a pan. Poured over some broth
> to moisten (as some folks suggested) and then baked it. It has always
> been mixture of soggy and burnt.

I’d be willing to bet that this is your major problem. I can give you
technique, but not really a recipe.

> I think this time, I am going to try to pour some broth over it before
> I put it in the pan, and stir it around til it is evenly moistened..
> Not dripping, or soggy. Then put it in the pan and bake it.
>
> Think that will work?

What I do… I bake my cornbread and biscuits at least a day before and put
them in ziplock bags at room temperature. I use a ratio of 2/3 crumbled
cornbread to 1/3 crumbled biscuits. Dressing cooked out of the bird needs
more fat. I use a stick of unsalted butter to a pan of cornbread that uses 1
cup of cornmeal and 4-6 biscuits. (Note: the finished recipe fills an 8 x 8
inch baking dish. I partially cook the onion and celery in the butter, but
not until entirely tender. I add an initial amount of sage and poultry
seasoning, salt and black pepper, to the dry mixture before adding the
butter, celery, and onions. Toss the mixture gently with two forks until
well mixed. Then I beat together 2 large or 1 extra large eggs together with
about ½ cup broth. Pour this over the bread mixture and toss again to mix
well. At this point I add any other additions like toasted pecans, dried
cranberries, etc., and mix in. Then, and only then, do I add more broth to
adjust the consistency. The entire mixture should be fairy moist. The eggs
will bind it and some of the moisture will cook out during baking. Cornbread
dressing should not be confused with the “dry and fluffy” stuffing made from
regular bread. It is more solid and definitely more moist. Lastly, I turn
the mixture into the baking dish, pressing down very lightly and smoothing
the top. Bake covered with foil for about 45 minutes, then remove the foil
and continue to bake until top is nicely brown.

That’s it! Really good cornbread dressing. Oh, some recipes call for using
a mixture of regular white bread with the cornbread. We *always* used
biscuits.

HTH


> Back to what Jill is going to do. I went out shopping this evening,
> and while I was out, I was thinking about what she plans to do for
> dinner. It occurred to me, that while Jill is not a sweets person, a
> lot of folks love Thanksgiving desserts. I am wondering if the CNA is
> one such person.
>
> Anyway, I wanted to suggest to Jill, and it is only a suggestion, that
> she might want to consider some sort of dessert as well?

A holiday dessert is definitely in order, whether Jill wants to eat it or
not.

>
> Christine
>
>
>
> Don't know if that will make a difference or not, but I have seen
> enough folks give directions for doing it that way, that it might be
> worth a try.
>

Well, that’s part of what I just wrote.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Friday, 11(XI)/21(XXI)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till U.S. Thanksgiving Day
5dys 1hrs 57mins
************************************************** **********************
Lobotomize Hillary - Now there's a health plan.
************************************************** **********************

"Pete C." > wrote in message
ter.com...
>
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>
>> In article . com>,
>> "Pete C." > wrote:
>>
>> > But but, NJ is the "Garden State"... Though I'm not sure where they
>> > garden amongst the hazardous waste dumps...
>>
>> Ever been there? Not all of NJ is Newark. There are beautiful pine
>> forests if I remember correctly.
>
> I'm from CT originally. I've been to NJ a number of times (Ridgefield
> Park, Bridgewater, etc.), but I've never found anything I would call
> beautiful. I recall one memorable trip driving along looking at a
> smokestack emitting yellow smoke...

South Jersey, with its sandy soil and flat landscape, is an embarrassment of
riches where produce is concerned.
Tomatoes, melons, corn, peaches, and more await hungry patrons at the
numerous roadside markets. From http://www.state.nj.us/nj/about/garden/ :
"New Jersey ranks: 2nd in blueberry production, 3rd in cranberry production,
3rd in spinach, 4th in bell peppers, 4th in peach production and 4th in head
lettuce. The state also produces an abundance of tomatoes, corn, apples,
strawberries, potatoes, hay, soybeans and nursery stock."

I wouldn't call the Pine Barrens beautiful, exactly, but they do have a
certain scrubby naturalness about them, and they are home to a lot of
wildlife. New Jersey is also home to many historical sites due to its role
in the Revolutionary War. Have you ever seen Princeton or Lambertville or
Washington's Crossing?
I'm tired of people dissing New Jersey, and I don't even live there.

On Nov 21, 5:36*pm, Christine Dabney > wrote:

(major snippage fore & aft)
> Really. *People tend to forget about *us caregivers, whether or not we
> work in home health, or in a hospital. *We have to work holidays, and
> sometimes on those holidays, we are lucky if we even get a bite to
> eat. *
>
> Last year, I worked Christmas. *One baby at work had a family that
> brought us a welcome treat on Christmas Day. They brought us tamales
> and posole...and we devoured it. *Sure, we had lots of other stuff
> around, but nothing we could eat as a meal. *
>
> For most holidays, the staff bands together and does some sort of
> potluck...but we are the ones that do it. *Our management doesn't,
> neither do the doctors.
>
> Believe me, the CNA is saying nice words about you *now.

Christine,

Blessings to all of you who devote their time and efforts to caring
for others and are too often taken for granted...and the
thoughtfulness Jill's extending to her Mom's caregiver can work both
ways.

Remember well a Thanksgiving when my SIL, an RN, was working in
Pediatric ICU at a major hospital. She had the day off and enjoyed a
wonderful, bountiful family Thanksgiving dinner but while we were
having coffee, went into the kitchen where I found her carefully
packing up enough food to feed a small army. She was taking
Thanksgiving dinner to the ICU nurses and the parents of her small and
very sick little patient. Even though she insists on putting giblets
in the gravy, she's a first class human being.

Nancy T

..

Christine Dabney wrote:
> Back to what Jill is going to do. I went out shopping this evening,
> and while I was out, I was thinking about what she plans to do for
> dinner. It occurred to me, that while Jill is not a sweets person, a
> lot of folks love Thanksgiving desserts. I am wondering if the CNA is
> one such person.
>
> Anyway, I wanted to suggest to Jill, and it is only a suggestion, that
> she might want to consider some sort of dessert as well?
>
> Christine
>

She told me she's trying to shed a few pounds. Should I really do a
dessert? I realize most people tend to forget all about "diets" on
Thanksgiving but I really wonder if I should? Because if she doesn't eat it
(whatever "it" might be) no one will.

Jill

On Sat 22 Nov 2008 12:07:10a, jmcquown told us...

> Christine Dabney wrote:
>> Back to what Jill is going to do. I went out shopping this evening,
>> and while I was out, I was thinking about what she plans to do for
>> dinner. It occurred to me, that while Jill is not a sweets person, a
>> lot of folks love Thanksgiving desserts. I am wondering if the CNA is
>> one such person.
>>
>> Anyway, I wanted to suggest to Jill, and it is only a suggestion, that
>> she might want to consider some sort of dessert as well?
>>
>> Christine
>>
>
> She told me she's trying to shed a few pounds. Should I really do a
> dessert? I realize most people tend to forget all about "diets" on
> Thanksgiving but I really wonder if I should? Because if she doesn't
> eat it (whatever "it" might be) no one will.
>
> Jill
>
>

Well, in that case, perhaps not. Though you might approach her about it
beforehand by saying something like, “since it’s a special day I was
thinking of serving some dessert…what do you think?”

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Saturday, 11(XI)/22(XXII)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till U.S. Thanksgiving Day
4dys 23hrs 43mins
************************************************** **********************
I can't use Windows. My cat ate my mouse.
************************************************** **********************

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Sat 22 Nov 2008 12:07:10a, jmcquown told us...
>
>> Christine Dabney wrote:
>>> Back to what Jill is going to do. I went out shopping this evening,
>>> and while I was out, I was thinking about what she plans to do for
>>> dinner. It occurred to me, that while Jill is not a sweets person,
>>> a lot of folks love Thanksgiving desserts. I am wondering if the
>>> CNA is one such person.
>>>
>>> Anyway, I wanted to suggest to Jill, and it is only a suggestion,
>>> that she might want to consider some sort of dessert as well?
>>>
>>> Christine
>>>
>>
>> She told me she's trying to shed a few pounds. Should I really do a
>> dessert? I realize most people tend to forget all about "diets" on
>> Thanksgiving but I really wonder if I should? Because if she doesn't
>> eat it (whatever "it" might be) no one will.
>>
>> Jill
>>
>>
>
> Well, in that case, perhaps not. Though you might approach her about
> it beforehand by saying something like, "since it's a special day I
> was thinking of serving some dessert.what do you think?"


I'll ask. My mother has often commented in the past wondering why people
expect dessert to accompany dinner. I wasn't brought up that way. I
suppose it has something to do with her and Dad being raised during the
1930's Depression. They were lucky to have food on their plates, forget
about dessert! But some people expect it. So I'll ask her

I'm not fond of pumpkin pie and pecan pie is so cloyingly sweet. Maybe a
pound cake? Or Jell-O? (no vegetables added!)

Jill

On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:43:44 -0500, "jmcquown" >
wrote:


>I'm not fond of pumpkin pie and pecan pie is so cloyingly sweet. Maybe a
>pound cake? Or Jell-O? (no vegetables added!)
>
>Jill

I just had an idea, and I don't know if it is a good one or not. It
might not be something you would like.

An old traditional "dessert" in the south is Ambrosia. How about
something like that?

Or some sort of custardy thing?

Maybe something fruit based? Hmm...a baked apple?

Trying to think of things lower on the sweet scale here...

Christine, still thinking

On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:49:28 -0700, Christine Dabney
> wrote:


>Trying to think of things lower on the sweet scale here...
>
>Christine, still thinking


Ooh...I just had an idea!

Gingerbread!!!

Christine

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:43:44 -0500, "jmcquown" >
> wrote:
>
>
>> I'm not fond of pumpkin pie and pecan pie is so cloyingly sweet.
>> Maybe a pound cake? Or Jell-O? (no vegetables added!)
>>
>> Jill
>
> I just had an idea, and I don't know if it is a good one or not. It
> might not be something you would like.
>
> An old traditional "dessert" in the south is Ambrosia. How about
> something like that?
>
> Or some sort of custardy thing?
>
> Maybe something fruit based? Hmm...a baked apple?
>
> Trying to think of things lower on the sweet scale here...
>
> Christine, still thinking


Think about it in Chat, woman! I'm sittin there...

Jill

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:49:28 -0700, Christine Dabney
> > wrote:
>
>
>> Trying to think of things lower on the sweet scale here...
>>
>> Christine, still thinking
>
>
> Ooh...I just had an idea!
>
> Gingerbread!!!
>
> Christine


Ah! Great Idea! I just posted about Mom's gingerbread last week! That
might work! But I'm still sitting in chat all by my lonesome <hint hint>

Jill

Christine Dabney wrote:

> On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:49:28 -0700, Christine Dabney
> > wrote:
>
>
> >Trying to think of things lower on the sweet scale here...
> >
> >Christine, still thinking
>
>
> Ooh...I just had an idea!
>
> Gingerbread!!!


In the "cornbread" mode I've made cornbread with pineapple chunks in it, you
could also add other fruit, even dried. It's something like a "mock
pineapple upside cake", done on the fly. Top with whipped cream or butter
or whatever...it's simple but not too cloying.


--
Best
Greg

jmcquown wrote:

>
> I'll ask. My mother has often commented in the past wondering why
> people expect dessert to accompany dinner. I wasn't brought up that
> way. I suppose it has something to do with her and Dad being raised
> during the 1930's Depression. They were lucky to have food on their
> plates, forget about dessert! But some people expect it. So I'll ask
> her
>
> I'm not fond of pumpkin pie and pecan pie is so cloyingly sweet. Maybe
> a pound cake? Or Jell-O? (no vegetables added!)
>
> Jill

Well, perhaps she was bitchin' about dessert after ordinary meals rather
than holiday special ones?
I know *I'd* be a bit disappointed to not be offered dessert after a
Thanksgiving meal.
That you don't like dessert doesn't mean it wouldn't be welcome by
others. Make the effort, it would honor your guest if you did. And not
jello! Geesh!

Goomba wrote:
> jmcquown wrote:
>
>>
>> I'll ask. My mother has often commented in the past wondering why
>> people expect dessert to accompany dinner. I wasn't brought up that
>> way. I suppose it has something to do with her and Dad being raised
>> during the 1930's Depression. They were lucky to have food on their
>> plates, forget about dessert! But some people expect it. So I'll
>> ask her
>>
>> I'm not fond of pumpkin pie and pecan pie is so cloyingly sweet. Maybe a
>> pound cake? Or Jell-O? (no vegetables added!)
>>
>> Jill
>
> Well, perhaps she was bitchin' about dessert after ordinary meals
> rather than holiday special ones?
> I know *I'd* be a bit disappointed to not be offered dessert after a
> Thanksgiving meal.
> That you don't like dessert doesn't mean it wouldn't be welcome by
> others. Make the effort, it would honor your guest if you did. And not
> jello! Geesh!


My mother was simply pointing out we weren't raised with having desserts.
Her mother was a fantastic cook but I don't recall her ever baking a pie or
a cake. Of course, being military, I never saw them on holidays so who
knows what they did? They're all dead now. Perhaps it was the dessert that
killed them.

At any rate this person is not technically a "guest", Goomba, she's an
employee. She gets paid time and a half to be here on Thanksgiving. I
don't have to offer her a damn thing. So get off your fat horse about
dessert. And GEESH yourself!

Jill

Lin wrote:
> Jill wrote:
>
>> The CNA who has been taking care of my mother and giving me some
>> respite will be here all day long on Thanksgiving day. Her children
>> will be with their grandmother. So I said hey, even though my
>> mother won't eat it how about I cook Thanksgiving dinner for us? She said
>> sure! Nothing fancy. Roasted cornish game hen (I'm not sure if I should
>> do
>> one or two, I have two). When it was just me and my mother one hen
>> was plenty (these are 20 oz. hens). Cornbread dressing with pork
>> sausage and maybe wild rice, or not... it's a thought.
>
> Let me just say, I think you rock.
>
Thank you I feel bad about her being away from her kids on a holiday so
I figured what the heck? Cook for two or three. I'm pretty sure my mother
won't eat any but I've been surprised in the past

> Definitely two birds. Even if you don't think it will get finished in
> one sitting, you might want to send some home with your CNA, or use
> the leftover bird for a salad or sandwich later.
>
Two it is! I can always freeze leftovers if Shay doesn't take any home
with her. Those small hens are harder to carve than turkeys <G>

>> Now I have to think about gravy. Dammit. I hate thinking about
>> gravy
>
> Gravy! I'm not the greatest at making poultry gravy, but it's
> passable. Sometimes is fantastic though, so we roll the dice and see
> what comes up.
I do have cornstarch. I'm not a fan of flour gravy but it's probably
because I'm impatient. I'm not sure how much fat will come off these tiny
chickens, though. I'll do my best!

> Is there so mething that your mom really likes at Thanksgiving like a
> dessert or a special side? I'd probably put something like that in
> there as well.
>
> I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your mom and your special
> "dinner guest."
>
> --Lin


Nope, Mom was pretty much the traditional turkey (or ham, once she bought a
spiral sliced one! OH!), mashed potatoes, gravy and a green vegetable. The
side was usually broccoli. She served "cranberry sauce" that looked like
the shape of the can it came out of. I think the gravy came out of a
McCormick's packet. I hope I can do better gravy than that

Jill

dejablues wrote:
> "Pete C." > wrote in message
> ter.com...
>>
>> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>>
>>> In article . com>,
>>> "Pete C." > wrote:
>>>
>>>> But but, NJ is the "Garden State"... Though I'm not sure where they
>>>> garden amongst the hazardous waste dumps...
>>>
>>> Ever been there? Not all of NJ is Newark. There are beautiful pine
>>> forests if I remember correctly.
>>
>> I'm from CT originally. I've been to NJ a number of times
>> (Ridgefield Park, Bridgewater, etc.), but I've never found anything
>> I would call beautiful. I recall one memorable trip driving along
>> looking at a smokestack emitting yellow smoke...
>
> South Jersey, with its sandy soil and flat landscape, is an
> embarrassment of riches where produce is concerned.
> Tomatoes, melons, corn, peaches, and more await hungry patrons at the
> numerous roadside markets. From
> http://www.state.nj.us/nj/about/garden/ : "New Jersey ranks: 2nd in
> blueberry production, 3rd in cranberry production, 3rd in spinach,
> 4th in bell peppers, 4th in peach production and 4th in head lettuce.
> The state also produces an abundance of tomatoes, corn, apples,
> strawberries, potatoes, hay, soybeans and nursery stock."
>
> I wouldn't call the Pine Barrens beautiful, exactly, but they do have
> a certain scrubby naturalness about them, and they are home to a lot
> of wildlife. New Jersey is also home to many historical sites due to
> its role in the Revolutionary War. Have you ever seen Princeton or
> Lambertville or Washington's Crossing?
> I'm tired of people dissing New Jersey, and I don't even live there.

We like it, people think what they see off the turnpike is what
it's like here and they keep moving, good. There are many very
beautiful areas here, I happen to love where I live and haven't
seen anywhere I'd prefer to live. I would miss all the beautiful
parks close to my house, and the lovely rivers. And that's just
a start.

I'm positive from Pete's past descriptions that where he lives
now is my idea of hell, so we're even, no worries.

nancy

Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes not
so great) words of knowledge:
> The CNA who has been taking care of my mother and giving me some respite
> will be here all day long on Thanksgiving day. Her children will be with
> their grandmother. So I said hey, even though my mother won't eat it how
> about I cook Thanksgiving dinner for us? She said sure!
>
> Nothing fancy. Roasted cornish game hen (I'm not sure if I should do one or
> two, I have two). When it was just me and my mother one hen was plenty
> (these are 20 oz. hens). Cornbread dressing with pork sausage and maybe
> wild rice, or not... it's a thought.

I suggest doing 2 hens. MOST people will eat 1 cornish hen by themselves.

>
> She's from New Jersey (no offense to Nancy!) When I suggested baked acorn
> squash she didn't exactly screw up her face but she said hesitantly "well...
> I'll try it." Okay, gotcha, you don't like squash. Do you like broccoli?
> Yes, she loves broccoli. Score one for broccoli as a vegetable side.
>
> I wonder if I should make harvest mashed potatoes? I posted this recipe
> back in 2002. It serves 8 but I could cut it in half. I don't mind
> leftovers. (I actually I have a version of this that serves over 100
> people.)
>
> Harvest Mashed Potatoes
>
> 4 large red or russet potatoes (2 pounds)
> 2 medium-size sweet potatoes (1½ pounds)
> 1/4 cup butter or margarine
> 1/2 cup milk
> 1/4 cup sour cream
> 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
> 1 T. prepared horseradish
> 1/4 t. salt
> 1/4 t. pepper
> 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
> 1/4 t. ground nutmeg
>
> Bake sweet potatoes until tender, peel and mash. Cook russet potatoes (cut
> large ones in half) in a Dutch oven in boiling salted water to cover until
> tender; peel and mash or press through ricer and combine with sweet
> potatoes. Add 1/2 cup butter and next 8 ingredients; mash with a potato
> masher or mix with electric mixer until smooth. Bake until heated through
> and starting to brown on top. (This recipe assumes you're putting this in a
> large casserole dish to bake it.) Serve topped with additional Parmesan
> cheese if desired. Yield: 8 servings.
>
> Now I have to think about gravy. Dammit. I hate thinking about gravy
>
> Jill
>


If all else fails, you could always open a jar of gravy. (gasp, cough -
the "horror" of it {:-) )

jmcquown wrote:

> I'm not fond of pumpkin pie and pecan pie is so cloyingly sweet.
> Maybe a pound cake? Or Jell-O? (no vegetables added!)

I would say don't even bother if it's just Jell-O. Maybe in
a hospital that's dessert. I'd rather have cookies or some
kind of cake, or nothing at all. I don't hate Jell-O, just that
it screams I couldn't be bothered getting something for
dessert.

nancy

Ted Campanelli wrote:
> Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes
> not so great) words of knowledge:
>
> If all else fails, you could always open a jar of gravy. (gasp, cough
> - the "horror" of it {:-) )

Would that I could find some jarred gravy I looked for it yesterday.
I'm not convinced two cornish game hens will render enough fat and juices to
make pan gravy possiblee. And jarred gravy beats McCormick's gravy powder
hands down!

Jill

On Nov 22, 11:18*am, "jmcquown" > wrote:
>
> Harvest Mashed Potatoes
>
> 4 large red or russet potatoes (2 pounds)
> 2 medium-size sweet potatoes (1½ pounds)
> 1/4 cup butter or margarine
> 1/2 cup milk
> 1/4 cup sour cream
> 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
> 1 T. prepared horseradish
> 1/4 t. salt
> 1/4 t. pepper
> 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
> 1/4 t. ground nutmeg
>
> Bake sweet potatoes until tender, peel and mash. *Cook russet potatoes (cut
> large ones in half) in a Dutch oven in boiling salted water to cover until
> tender; peel and mash or press through ricer and combine with sweet
> potatoes. *Add 1/2 cup butter and next 8 ingredients; mash with a potato
> masher or mix with electric mixer until smooth. *Bake until heated through
> and starting to brown on top. *(This recipe assumes you're putting this in a
> large casserole dish to bake it.) *Serve topped with additional Parmesan
> cheese if desired. *Yield: 8 servings.
>
> Now I have to think about gravy. *Dammit. *I hate thinking about gravy
>
> Jill

Dang Jill, that sounds like something I might actually cook and most
assuredly will enjoy.

Thanks for the recipe,

Barb
s/y Arabella
www.sailinglinks.com

In article >,
"dejablues" > wrote:

> > Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> >>
> >> In article . com>,
> >> "Pete C." > wrote:
> >>
> >> > But but, NJ is the "Garden State"... Though I'm not sure where they
> >> > garden amongst the hazardous waste dumps...
> >>
> >> Ever been there? Not all of NJ is Newark. There are beautiful pine
> >> forests if I remember correctly.

(snips)

> I wouldn't call the Pine Barrens beautiful, exactly,
:-/ I guess I didn't remember them correctly. . . . :-)

> but they do have a certain scrubby naturalness about them, and they
> are home to a lot of wildlife.
(snip)
> I'm tired of people dissing New Jersey, and I don't even live there.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - chicken cacciatore-like

Nancy Young wrote:
>
> dejablues wrote:
> > "Pete C." > wrote in message
> > ter.com...
> >>
> >> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> >>>
> >>> In article . com>,
> >>> "Pete C." > wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> But but, NJ is the "Garden State"... Though I'm not sure where they
> >>>> garden amongst the hazardous waste dumps...
> >>>
> >>> Ever been there? Not all of NJ is Newark. There are beautiful pine
> >>> forests if I remember correctly.
> >>
> >> I'm from CT originally. I've been to NJ a number of times
> >> (Ridgefield Park, Bridgewater, etc.), but I've never found anything
> >> I would call beautiful. I recall one memorable trip driving along
> >> looking at a smokestack emitting yellow smoke...
> >
> > South Jersey, with its sandy soil and flat landscape, is an
> > embarrassment of riches where produce is concerned.
> > Tomatoes, melons, corn, peaches, and more await hungry patrons at the
> > numerous roadside markets. From
> > http://www.state.nj.us/nj/about/garden/ : "New Jersey ranks: 2nd in
> > blueberry production, 3rd in cranberry production, 3rd in spinach,
> > 4th in bell peppers, 4th in peach production and 4th in head lettuce.
> > The state also produces an abundance of tomatoes, corn, apples,
> > strawberries, potatoes, hay, soybeans and nursery stock."
> >
> > I wouldn't call the Pine Barrens beautiful, exactly, but they do have
> > a certain scrubby naturalness about them, and they are home to a lot
> > of wildlife. New Jersey is also home to many historical sites due to
> > its role in the Revolutionary War. Have you ever seen Princeton or
> > Lambertville or Washington's Crossing?
> > I'm tired of people dissing New Jersey, and I don't even live there.
>
> We like it, people think what they see off the turnpike is what
> it's like here and they keep moving, good. There are many very
> beautiful areas here, I happen to love where I live and haven't
> seen anywhere I'd prefer to live. I would miss all the beautiful
> parks close to my house, and the lovely rivers. And that's just
> a start.
>
> I'm positive from Pete's past descriptions that where he lives
> now is my idea of hell, so we're even, no worries.

Those lovely parks near where you live? I own that basically.

ladysailor wrote:
> On Nov 22, 11:18 am, "jmcquown" > wrote:
>>
>> Harvest Mashed Potatoes
>>
>> 4 large red or russet potatoes (2 pounds)
>> 2 medium-size sweet potatoes (1½ pounds)
>> 1/4 cup butter or margarine
>> 1/2 cup milk
>> 1/4 cup sour cream
>> 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
>> 1 T. prepared horseradish
>> 1/4 t. salt
>> 1/4 t. pepper
>> 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
>> 1/4 t. ground nutmeg
>>
>> Bake sweet potatoes until tender, peel and mash. Cook russet
>> potatoes (cut large ones in half) in a Dutch oven in boiling salted
>> water to cover until tender; peel and mash or press through ricer
>> and combine with sweet potatoes. Add 1/2 cup butter and next 8
>> ingredients; mash with a potato masher or mix with electric mixer
>> until smooth. Bake until heated through and starting to brown on
>> top. (This recipe assumes you're putting this in a large casserole
>> dish to bake it.) Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese if
>> desired. Yield: 8 servings.
>>
>> Now I have to think about gravy. Dammit. I hate thinking about gravy
>>
>>
>> Jill
>
> Dang Jill, that sounds like something I might actually cook and most
> assuredly will enjoy.
>
> Thanks for the recipe,
>
> Barb
> s/y Arabella
> www.sailinglinks.com

Freezes well if you have room on the boat for freezing. The recipe can be
halved.

I don't even know why I'm thinking about this now since my mother just died
an hour ago.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> I don't even know why I'm thinking about this now since my mother just
> died an hour ago.
>
> Jill
Oh Jill, I'm so sorry.
Don't feel guilty for doing things that may seem inappropriate. You can't
just sit in a chair looking at the walls. Keeping busy however mundane and
ordinary can be the best way to get through this time. Nobody could doubt
the love you have given your mother, and if they did so what. You get
through this any way you can. If sitting in front of the computer and
reading a few messages passes some time and takes your mind off your grief
there is really no need to excuse anything.
All the best

Sarah

jmcquown wrote:
> The CNA who has been taking care of my mother and giving me some respite
> will be here all day long on Thanksgiving day. Her children will be
> with their grandmother. So I said hey, even though my mother won't eat
> it how about I cook Thanksgiving dinner for us? She said sure!
>
> Nothing fancy. Roasted cornish game hen (I'm not sure if I should do
> one or two, I have two). When it was just me and my mother one hen was
> plenty (these are 20 oz. hens). Cornbread dressing with pork sausage
> and maybe wild rice, or not... it's a thought.
>
> She's from New Jersey (no offense to Nancy!) When I suggested baked
> acorn squash she didn't exactly screw up her face but she said
> hesitantly "well... I'll try it." Okay, gotcha, you don't like squash.
> Do you like broccoli? Yes, she loves broccoli. Score one for broccoli
> as a vegetable side.
>
> I wonder if I should make harvest mashed potatoes? I posted this recipe
> back in 2002. It serves 8 but I could cut it in half. I don't mind
> leftovers. (I actually I have a version of this that serves over 100
> people.)
>
> Harvest Mashed Potatoes
>
[recipe snipped]
> Jill

What a great idea, Jill! I love it.

--
Jean B.

jmcquown wrote:
> ladysailor wrote:
>> On Nov 22, 11:18 am, "jmcquown" > wrote:
>>>
>>> Harvest Mashed Potatoes
>>>
>>> 4 large red or russet potatoes (2 pounds)
>>> 2 medium-size sweet potatoes (1½ pounds)
>>> 1/4 cup butter or margarine
>>> 1/2 cup milk
>>> 1/4 cup sour cream
>>> 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
>>> 1 T. prepared horseradish
>>> 1/4 t. salt
>>> 1/4 t. pepper
>>> 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
>>> 1/4 t. ground nutmeg
>>>
>>> Bake sweet potatoes until tender, peel and mash. Cook russet
>>> potatoes (cut large ones in half) in a Dutch oven in boiling salted
>>> water to cover until tender; peel and mash or press through ricer
>>> and combine with sweet potatoes. Add 1/2 cup butter and next 8
>>> ingredients; mash with a potato masher or mix with electric mixer
>>> until smooth. Bake until heated through and starting to brown on
>>> top. (This recipe assumes you're putting this in a large casserole
>>> dish to bake it.) Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese if
>>> desired. Yield: 8 servings.
>>>
>>> Now I have to think about gravy. Dammit. I hate thinking about gravy
>>>
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>> Dang Jill, that sounds like something I might actually cook and most
>> assuredly will enjoy.
>>
>> Thanks for the recipe,
>>
>> Barb
>> s/y Arabella
>> www.sailinglinks.com
>
> Freezes well if you have room on the boat for freezing. The recipe can
> be halved.
>
> I don't even know why I'm thinking about this now since my mother just
> died an hour ago.
>
> Jill

OMG! I am stunned. And so sorry, Jill. <<<<<<<<<<Jill>>>>>>>>>>

--
Jean B.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> That’s it! Really good cornbread dressing. Oh, some recipes call for using
> a mixture of regular white bread with the cornbread. We *always* used
> biscuits.

I am planning to bake a cornbread for dressing. The biscuit addition
sounds interesting. I might think about it.



--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

jmcquown wrote:
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Sat 22 Nov 2008 12:07:10a, jmcquown told us...
>>
>>> Christine Dabney wrote:
>>>> Back to what Jill is going to do. I went out shopping this evening,
>>>> and while I was out, I was thinking about what she plans to do for
>>>> dinner. It occurred to me, that while Jill is not a sweets person,
>>>> a lot of folks love Thanksgiving desserts. I am wondering if the
>>>> CNA is one such person.
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, I wanted to suggest to Jill, and it is only a suggestion,
>>>> that she might want to consider some sort of dessert as well?
>>>>
>>>> Christine
>>>>
>>>
>>> She told me she's trying to shed a few pounds. Should I really do a
>>> dessert? I realize most people tend to forget all about "diets" on
>>> Thanksgiving but I really wonder if I should? Because if she doesn't
>>> eat it (whatever "it" might be) no one will.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Well, in that case, perhaps not. Though you might approach her about
>> it beforehand by saying something like, "since it's a special day I
>> was thinking of serving some dessert.what do you think?"
>
>
> I'll ask. My mother has often commented in the past wondering why
> people expect dessert to accompany dinner. I wasn't brought up that
> way. I suppose it has something to do with her and Dad being raised
> during the 1930's Depression. They were lucky to have food on their
> plates, forget about dessert! But some people expect it. So I'll ask
> her
>
> I'm not fond of pumpkin pie and pecan pie is so cloyingly sweet. Maybe
> a pound cake? Or Jell-O? (no vegetables added!)
>

How about one of the crustless pumpkin pie recipes (more like custards)
recently posted? Use Splenda instead of sugar and fat-free evaporated
milk. It will cut out a lot of calories and she might appreciate the
fact that you considered her dieting and made her a special dessert.

Just a thought.


--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

jmcquown wrote:

> Would that I could find some jarred gravy I looked for it yesterday.
> I'm not convinced two cornish game hens will render enough fat and
> juices to make pan gravy possiblee. And jarred gravy beats McCormick's
> gravy powder hands down!

I used to make a nice sauce for Cornish hens with orange juice,
drippings and a little chicken broth, maybe some orange marmalade. I
would give it a healthy shot of Grand Marnier.

I haven't made it in some time as it's too carby for us now, but it was
really nice on the hens.

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

jmcquown wrote:

> Ted Campanelli wrote:
>
>> Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes
>> not so great) words of knowledge:
>>
>> If all else fails, you could always open a jar of gravy. (gasp, cough
>> - the "horror" of it {:-) )
>
>
> Would that I could find some jarred gravy I looked for it yesterday.
> I'm not convinced two cornish game hens will render enough fat and
> juices to make pan gravy possiblee. And jarred gravy beats McCormick's
> gravy powder hands down!

Well, you could always do a small turkey and send the leftovers home
with the caregiver. Cheap as they are this time of year, it might very
well cost less than a pair of cornish game hens, your caregiver gets
turkey for sandwiches for her and her kids, and you've got the carcass
for stock.