Double Happiness

Today baby Pumpkin and I walked to the Salvation Army and picked up four things for about four bucks -- two for each of us. Of course he slept through most of it, tightly nustled against me in the Baby Bjorn, but I like to think he'll dig his new duds as much as I do. I also got a chance to try out the pacifier "catcher" that looks like a doggie that his aunt Seri got him. Works like a charm -- no pacifiers on the floor of the thrift store. Bonanza!

Thinking about Thanksgiving

With the onset of the cooler weather, I inevitably start thinking about Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because we always host it, and we always get an amazing assortment of family, friends and those six-degrees-of-separation types who come along with the former. I love to prepare the old favorites and try new dishes; my husband loves his rotisserie grilled whole turkey. And of course, everyone brings food, so I get to try lots of other people's favorites, too.

I have recently been reading this book to get inspiration. I tried the recipe for Rustic Apple Almond Tart (pictured) and it was one of the best desserts I've made in a long time. We picked the apples on a trip to Eplegaarden near Madison. Paired with some vanilla bean ice cream, this was such a hit.

I'm hoping to try some of the other recipes, like the Herbed Buttermilk Buscuits and the Acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, cranberries, walnuts and hickory-baked tofu. We'll see how the planning goes; after all, I've still got two full months to get the menu together.

With the rest of my apples, I'm going to try this recipe for applesauce. Maybe if the baby takes a nap tomorrow I can give it a whirl and post my results (if I don't eat them!).