Let's Talk Fruitcake...Or Not

Well dear friends, we are one week away from Thanksgiving. I have the wreath on the door and have been staring at a box of Christmas lights all morning. Do I dare? Maybe just on the little tree outside the garden door. It would make me very happy. Got some of my yelloware bowls out for Thanksgiving. And I got into RED PLAID to get out Bessies Fruitcake recipe....I know, I said it...Fruitcake. But I am thinking of taking Bessie's recipe..which calls for candied fruit and using dried fruit and nuts instead. You know, like dried cranberries and raisins..dried apple and apricot.And english walnuts. It is so good toasted in the morning with tea.

Rain is forecast for Friday, so I am on my way to the market to get all the ingredients for making french onion soup. I did the one out of my beloved Vincent Price "A Treasury Of Great Recipes" last time which is made with chicken stock.And it was good. But this time I am going to go Julia's way and make the one of her's with beef stock.

The Christmas music is on..the gold finches are at their feeder, Pixiegirl is laying right outside my door getting all that good November morning sun, firewood is stacked and the Thanksgiving grocery list is being made.Only one week to go.Let's enjoy every minute.

Eggnog Scones In The Kitchen

We woke to another frosty morning today. All of the rooftops were covered in white frost. And it was cold. We could see our breath as we headed out the door in slippers and scarves to take Buddy for his walk. When we made it back home John built a fire and I headed into the kitchen to make eggnog scones and tea. We had a fire last night too. I made cheese fondue, sauteed some sausages, boiled a few white rose potatoes and diced from french bread. We sat in front of the fire nibbling on food dipped in cheese just like two mice. We wrapped up in wool blankets with Buddy between us, played Christmas music and had a wonderful early winter supper.

Cranberry ,English Walnut and Limbertwig Salad

This was the first morning we woke to frosty rooftops here in San Luis Obispo. I knew it was cold when I woke up and Whiskey Sour and Dande we both piled on top of me and Buddy was snuggled under the covers right by my side. He was as warm as a cinnamon bun. So the weather sure got me into a Thanksgiving mood. After we walked Buddy in our slippers today.....with hot coffee and tea..we came inside and I started to dig out some of my special Thanksgiving pieces. The glass compote was grammy's. We have had it on our Thankagiving table every year since I was born.I'll put cranberry sauce in that. And I think you've all seen the paper turkey. Surely, vintage by now..it's the same one we had on the table when Mark and I were kids in Los Gatos. I LOVE it !

The turkey plates are Johnson Brothers. I have a ba-zillion of them. I have collected them for probably 25 plus years. When we moved a couple of years ago from Cambria to San Luis John kept asking "why do we have so many turkey plates when we only have 7 for dinner?" "I don't know, it's just Thanksgiving love I guess." And so it goes.....

I am including a recipe that is probably about a thousand years old. I lost it a couple of years ago. But I am thinking..what did I need a recipe for? There are only seven ingredients. I found the recipe stuck in an old cookbook and added it to RED PLAID. I just love this salad. The recipe suggests you make it the night before. But I am not a fan of a salad that sits around. So I make it just a few minutes before serving it. You won't find this one in Gourmet or Bon Appetit. So it sure fits in well in my"Just old fashion in Maine Thanksgiving Theme" I have going on here this year at Farmhouse.You might have also noticed there lurking in the background some wine bottles....we have been going through the wine cellar too. It's not really a cellar..more like a gap under the stairs out in the barn.


Cranberry Salad
Eula Frye


2 cups raw cranberries, ground in a Cuisinart
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup small marshmallows
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 cups diced tart apples ( you know I love my Limbertwig or Blacktwig apples here)
1/2 cup seedless grapes, halved
1 cup cream, wwhipped

Mix together and refridgerate for just a few minutes till chilled.

Golden Sunday Morning

It's a quiet Novemeber morning and we are getting into the week before Thanksgiving. Menu planning is in high gear. Going to start to get out some of my special Thanksgiving serving pieces and my Johnson Bros. turkey dishes.Might do a fast polish on the silver, iron a few of my brown and orange gingham napkins, pick some rose hips and make a wreath for the door...that sorta thing. I got this new book yesterday while I was at Barnes and Noble "The Elegance of The Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery.I love what it said on the inside cover. " This is a moving, witty, and redemptive novel that exhalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous amoung us." Well, that got my attention. I also took up crotcheting this week. I picked up some white organic cotton yarn and a crotchet hook at Michaels ...watched a You Tube video on the chain stitch and I am off.The postcard of Thansgiving is an old vintage one that has been sitting in my kitchen window for the month of November and the big turkey is from the cover of an old menu dated 1915. Now we need to set the date to go and do a little Thanksgiving grocery shopping. John and I make a big deal out of getting the turkey every year. We go out to lunch and then go to the market. Suppose to rain here on Thursday...that would be the perfect day. We'll make it Thursday.

Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles, CA

After lunch Sharon and I took a drive to one of our favorite places.Vineyard Drive. It takes you out into an area called The Adelaide. It is a drive where you find yourself amoung vineyards and wineries and farmhouses and barns. And we had a beautiful afternoon. The sky was a buttermilk sky. Big high clouds shading the bright sun, the vineyards were in full fall color, the crush for this year was winding down. Walking into the wineries you could smell grapes and damp leaves. In the distance red shouldered hawks swirled high above in the late afternoon sun. We drove lazily down the road enjoying the walnut orchards and olive groves. We came upon The Halter Ranch...a big old house that has been redone by a local architect. It sits grandly amoung stately 100 year old oaks. There are many out buildings on the property...the old barn..the little red shed. It is so peaceful and quiet there. A PERFECT Novemeber afternoon. As the sun began to sink we moved on towards home, but only after one last stop. To Nature's Touch in Templeton.

November Afternoon Walk

I took Buddy for a walk around our neighborhood. This is the street we live on here in San Luis Obispo. The neighborhood is over 100 years old and we are in what is called "The Historic Raliroad District" I LOVE hearing the train.Anytime of the day, really. Sometimes in the middle of the night I will lay awake and listen for it coming from over the hill. And the little Del Monte Cafe is right across the street. John and I sneek in the backdoor in our pajamas sometimes for supper. It is cozy and farmy and old fashion. I've known the owner Debbie forever. She and her son Travis run it. And the food is realy good too. Comforting knowing they are there.

Cooling Trend..It's only 86 Degrees Today

Well, thank god for the "cooling trend". It was a little cooler when we got up this morning...but by 10 a.m. ...there was no doubt about it...it was HOT again. Got the fan back on Buddy. What a trooper. Filled the wading pool with water. Shredding my closet looking for tank tops and shorts. Can't take anymore bbq..last night was a total bust. It just tasted..well,tired. So tonight I am going to make veal saltimbocca. I have the meat and prosciutto. I just don't feel like going to the store in the heat.

The pictures are to show you my attempt at decorating for Thanksgiving. I got it out the day after Halloween. All happy and hopeful. The paper turkey in the wooden bowl was my grandmothers. I've had it all these years after about a zillion moves. I can't believe it is in that good of shape. I can't believe I even have it.

I saw the Pepperidge Farms stuffing in Scolaris the other morning.I know, boxed stufing. Tried making my own, but it didn't go over very big. Frankly, I didn't like it much either.It just doesn't taste like the kind mom used to make. And I've learned...some things you just don't mess with. And the Thanksgiving stuffing is one of those things. I didn't buy it cause the weather just isn't right. Now I kind of wish I had. I like to look at it in the month of Novemeber...and dream about the BIG DAY.

And I am still looking at the Martha Christmas magazine...and waiting..I hope it rains before New Years.