We had a small gathering this year - no neices, nephews, or their children, and so it was mostly adults - except my sister brought her step-grandson who is 17. My SIL did not show up because she was not feeling well, but I don't think she has felt well in over two years. The worst part of it was the travel. We had a three hour layover in Dallas and got into Austin at about midnight. My sister would have picked us up at the airport, but when we called her from Dallas, she told us we would have to take a cab. I asked her how much that would cost, knowing she was very far from the airport, and so I decided that we should rent a car for the day, if the rental car agencies were still open, since it would be about the same price as the cab ride. I thought about renting one for a week, but nothing affordable was available. We were unable to call the rental agencies from Dallas (we got stupid recordings), and so we took our chances at the Austin airport and got lucky! Very lucky!! Since DS had to work on Tuesday and we would have been otherwise stranded at her house, we really needed a car for the day. It was extremely cold Tuesday morning (lowever 40s), and there was no way we would have wanted to walk to the nearest place to get breakfast from her house. As for Thanksgiving ... I bought much of the food at Central Market in Austin, including a free-range turkey breast. DM told me NOT to buy a whole turkey. I started the dry salt technique in Austin (not as early as I would have liked, but it worked anyway), and then started cooking on Wednesday as my parents' house. Wednesday, I removed the back and some excess skin from the breast so that I could make stock for gravy and dressing and also made two of my lime pies. I had brought nine limes from my yard. I also made some Chex mix snack, which DM loves and which I planned to use as a snack/appetizer the next day. I miscalculated how long the breast would take to cook, and so the meal was delayed by about 20 minutes, but it turned out okay. I didn't make that many dishes, and so it was very easy to manage. DS kept insisting on helping me prepare stuff, and so I let her slice the mushrooms for the gravy and prepare the lettuce for the Caesar salad. DM complained that I had bought anchovies for the salad, but she ate the salad anyway and liked it! I made my very easy grits faux cornbread stuffing, and that went over well. The next day DM reheated some of it in a plastic container, and I refused to eat any of that. For vegetable, we had broccoli. DS removed the florets and chopped the stems into small pieces, and I boiled the small pieces in a small amount of water with a bit of onion to make a sauce. I purd the stems/onions with the cooking water and a bit of cornstarch (normally I use potato starch) and S&P and then returned that to the pan with the florets to allow them to cook slowly. I guess I undercooked the florets because although they were hot, most of them were left on people's plates. I thought they were fine and could have been reheated, if necessary. The sauce came out the way I wanted it. DM insisted on opening a can of sweet potatoes, and most of that was left over. We also had canned cranberry sauce, which I really do not mind, and I didn't have time to make it myself. Besides that, cranberries are expensive in Texas! We had whole wheat rolls from HEB which everone but DM liked. The worst part of the meal was the mushroom gravy I made because I added a bit too much salt, but I was the only one who didn't like it. I got a lot of teasing for my lime pies from those present who felt obligated to torture me (proabably for Amanda's sake), but I could not be insulted. I could always threaten not to allow them to have seconds, if they irritated me too much. DM thought I should have made only one pie, but we needed both of them, since that was the only dessert. I'm in Austin now, and will be leaving for L.A. this evening. We got horrible flight times, since we are using DS's frequent flyer miles (She wanted to use them up before the airline went into chapter 11, which it hasnt'), and so next time we will buy our own tickets. We got these back in early June before I was working full time. Next visit we will allow ourselves more control and flexibility over our schedule and will probably rent a car for the entire visit so that we won't be stranded anywhere. Lars

Bean...I guess I should have made it clearer, yes that it was Epiphany day which here in Spain is like Christmas Day as far as gift giving. The children wake up to find their gifts, brought by the Three Kings during the night. So the day is one of family reunions, dressing up and holiday dining in or out. Annie I would love a taste of those baked beans! I can just imagine how good they were. I must also see if I can incorporate more of them into our diet, if I'm allowed, as I could live on beans and lentils quite happily. Wolf also says he'd like less meat and more fish and lentils. Today I harvested some of my basil, but only cutting off the tops and using it together half and half with some I purchased and made a really good pesto. We had it with whole wheat spaghetti and a salad of dark ruby lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and red onion. It was a favourite combination. Took photos of both dishes....then I went brain dead and accidentally wiped out instead of downloading the pics of the spaghetti. Darn...it looked so nice too! But the pesto recipe I took from TV is a winner, so here is a photo I made another time when I made it over wide noodles, along with today's salad platter. Rainy and cold here today. Only went outdoors long enough to feed the birds and our ferral cat. Pesto - from Italian TV Cook Program 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups basil leaves 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 teasp salt 1/2 teasp f.g. pepper 1/2 cup parmesan grated 1/2 cup pine nuts teasp water Process all except oil in food processor, drizzling in oil slowly last. SharonCb

For my wedding last year we had a heavy Hor-dourves meal. That seems to be really popular these days. It included pieces of chicken on skewers, meatballs in sauce that people ate with toothpics, foccacia, and fruit and veggie trays with a variety of dips. One fruit dip I make that goes over well is really simple: a tub of Cool-Whip and a tub of fruit-flavored yogurt. One thing that always seems to be a hit is a piece of melon with proscuitto wrapped around it. For some reason that taste combo sits well with people. I've made an easy cake for parties that is esp. popular for kids. All I do is make a one-layer cake, frost it with chocolate frosting, arrange chocolate chips on the top, and arrange twinkies concentrically around it to where it looks like a sunflower. Does that make sense? If you click on the link at the end of this post and scroll down you'll see a picture. I went through my recipes and here's what I found: this recipe is meant to be low-fat (which some people might like), but I'm sure you can use regular ingredients, too. I thought you might like it because it's more elegant than some hot bean dips: Hot Black Bean Dip 1 can (16 oz) fat-free refried black or pinto beans 1 c (8 oz) reduced fat sour cream 1 c. salsa ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper ½ c.(2 oz) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese cumin, to taste Preheat oven to 325˚. Combine all ingredients except cheese in a 3-4 cup shallow baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. Serve with fresh cut vegetables. This pumpkin dip recipe is so good, and very easy. It's great if you don't want a dessert that is too heavy, and it lends itself well to a buffet-style meal. HARVEST PUMPKIN DIP INGREDIENTS 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 2 cups confectioners' sugar 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger Apple and pear slices, graham crackers (sticks work esp. well) SERVINGS 28 PREP 10 min. TOTAL 10 min. DIRECTIONS In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Gradually add the pumpkin, pie spice, vanilla and ginger; beat until smooth. Serve with fruit. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 3-1/2 cups. This recipe is also great for a crowd because people can just grab them and go! Cheddar Chili Cups Chili Cups Ingredients: 2 (15-ounce) cans vegetarian chili 1/2 cup sliced green onions 6 (4-inch) hard round dinner rolls Toppings Ingredients: 6 slices (1/2 ounce each) LAND O LAKES® Cheddar Cheese 1/3 cup LAND O LAKES® Sour Cream 2 ounces (1/2 cup) LAND O LAKES® Cheddar Cheese, shredded Cherry tomatoes, if desired 1. Combine chili and green onions in 2-quart saucepan. Cover; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through (3 to 5 minutes). 2. Meanwhile, hollow out rolls with serrated knife, leaving 1-inch shell. Place 1 slice cheese in bottom of each roll; fill with 1/2 cup hot chili. 3. Top each with 2 teaspoons sour cream; sprinkle with shredded cheese. Serve with cherry tomatoes, if desired. Makes 6 servings. Well, that's my 2 cents. Hope this helps, and good luck!

I'm kind of the opposite of some of you. I've got issues with apples and rice, and minor issues with eggs and beans unless they're in combination with some other things; eggs are fine if have a lot of salt or fruit (e.g. pineapple) added. Soup isn't comfort food for me (and I'm really not sure if I could survive on it alone for very long—at least with much energy and feeling of wellbeing); same for legumes, unless maybe they're peanuts, black-eyed peas, or in the form of something like chili or burritos. I'd say the following could be restorative foods for me (most of them are ingredients rather than dishes, but I did list at least a couple dishes): White mulberries (they're pretty healthy, IMO—at least in moderation; they have a lot of health benefits) Chives and/or green onions and/or to a lesser extend regular onions Home-grown produce Watermelon Baked, seasoned vegetables (ideally with meat in the middle) Cabbage Frozen corn (cooked so it's no longer frozen) Raw zucchini (and other squash, whether or not they're raw, particularly if they're prepared how I like them) Armenian cucumbers Homemade biscuits (with oil—not butter, lard, etc.) Cornbread (just corn for the grains; baked in a cast-iron frying pan) Tomatoes (Yes, I'm one of those people who thinks they're actually good for you unless you're allergic or something) Mushrooms (these have a lot of nutrition, and flavor) Garlic and/or garlic chives Peppers (hot and sweet; hot peppers are great for making a person feel better, in some circumstances) Millet (millet biscuits and stuff taste really good, and it doesn't give me the issues that rice gives me) Raw sorrel (I find that it seems to strengthen my teeth) Lacto-fermented vegetables, chile sauce, etc. (these are quite nutritious and important) Pickling/canning salt (Yes, I'm one of those people who thinks that sodium can actually be good for you—especially if you have adrenal fatigue or something; pickling/canning salt feels especially healthy to me, however; I'm not partial to unrefined sea salt) Cranberries (they're good for your bladder) Ground cherries Organic oranges Milk thistle (leaves or seeds) Food grade diatomaceous earth (this isn't really food, but it's helpful for me, in moderation, from a nutritional standpoint, and improves the flavor of some foods) Milk (maybe not the least toxic thing out there if you don't have your own cow, but the nutrients in it seem very helpful nonetheless; it definitely helps me to sleep, too—and it doesn't have to be warm) Raw rhubarb (full of vitamin K; the oxalic acid is supposed to be less healthy when rhubarb is cooked, but when raw, it's said to help purify your blood and stuff) Vinegar (yes, it seems healthy to me for some reason; maybe not everyone agrees) Pineapple Coarsely ground grains (they feel so much more energizing than finely ground grains; don't ask me why) Carbonation (in moderation; I'm not advocating corn syrup, phosphoric acid, etc.; you can carbonate your own stuff with dry ice if you need to avoid sugar or processed drinks) Milk porridge (in moderation) Pickles Curry Natural brown cane sugar (in combination with other things; it seems to produce a vapor that seems to be absent in both white sugar and molasses, for unexplained reasons, and this vapor seems to have several benefits; it's great in milk porridge, baked goods, baked goods that use baking soda instead of baking powder wherein the brown sugar is to neutralize the baking soda taste, etc.) Radishes Gelatin desserts / fruit gels (I'm trying to avoid using trademarks here. :))