I just brought flowers; things were a little different than we planned. We didn't go to his parents house, but to his instead (he lives with his grandmother because she's so old she needs someone to help take care of her) so I didn't bring a hostess gift for his mom. That was fine, they are very casual and laid back people and it would have been awkward had I brought anything more. We arrived together (he drove) and we were the first ones there anyway. They have a lot of animals... his mom brought over one of her many birds and a huge mastiff dog (very sweet, very big), and he has two cats that live there. It was pretty informal, everyone gathered around the grill outside making small talk. I didn't talk much. Maybe I was shy around all the new people. There was a bit of tension because I am the first guy he's ever introduced to the family (he had girlfriends before he came out) and his brother and grandmother didn't know he was gay. The brother does now... he found out Sunday... grandma still doesn't (she's a Jehovah's Witness and he doesn't want her to know, though she'd forget anyway). The best part was listenting to his grandmother... she has dementia and the things that come out of her mouth were very entertaining if not a little sad. He made burgers, hot dogs, italian sausage, and chicken on the grill. He didn't have any cheese for the burgers and didn't have any ketchup (that blew my mind... in my house, it's an emergency if I run out of ketchup... well it's never happend, but it would be... and to not have it with hot dogs and hamburgers, I just couldn't comprehend it). He offered to go to the store for me and get some ketchup (he's not an anti-ketchup snob, he was just out of it). I should have let him go, but then his family would have known what a b*tch I can be and it's too early for all that! The cake and ice cream were the best part, and they both came from Publix. It was a pretty boring and uneventful experience with barely tolerable food... at least nothing bad happened. His mom told him she likes me but that I was very quiet. Next Tuesday, I'm going to have a cookout with my upstairs neighbor. I'm looking forward to much better food than we had Sunday! I'm really enjoying having someone to cook for. Yesterday for lunch, I made BBQ baked chicken quarters, cheddar biscuits and mashed potatoes. Today, I'm doing meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, corn on the cob and maybe steamed peas just to throw a vegetable in. He said his mom wasn't that good of a cook, so I'm glad to give him some nice food and glad he appreciates it. Thanks again for all your advice :o)

Oh yes that halibut looks good doesn't it. And also Dixie's apple cake.....I'll cut and paste your recipe Stacy. And lovely presentation of the canapes Dixie. Welcome to the WFD trsinc...I bet your enchiladas were delicious! Yesterday I had the best osso buco I've ever tasted....and I made it from a recipe from the web that looked interesting as it used dry sherry and brandy in the sauce. Oh was it ever good! I halved the recipe as I was using two pieces of beef shank (no veal here) about one pound in weight, and I increased the chopped vegetables. We had it with steamed and mashed potatoes, carrots, leeks and cabbage. Now I'm going to also drag out my slow cooker and try using the same ingredients for some other pieces of beef. Here it is: New Italian Recipes Presents ITALIAN OSSO BUCO Ingredients: 3 lbs. Veal shanks Note: If you can't find veal, or the cost is prohibitive, you might try lamb shanks. Some recipes say you can substitute beef shanks. Keep in mind, if you use lamb or beef, the meat won't be as "fall off the bone" tender. The wonderful, meaty-vegetable stew taste will be there, however, so it's still worth it. Additional Note: If you use veal, you may want to tie cooking twine around the shanks to keep them from falling completely apart during cooking. 3-4 T extra virgin olive oil 2 T butter or Butter Buds 1 red onion, coarsely chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped 1/2 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 large stalk celery, coarsely chopped 5-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1/3 cup Marsala wine or dry sherry...(I used a very dry sherry) 1/3 cup brandy 1 T balsamic vinegar 2 T tomato paste 1 sprig rosemary 4 sprigs thyme 2 bay leaves 2 cups chicken broth (homemade chicken stock recipe) Veal or beef stock can be substituted. Salt and pepper to taste Gremolata: 2 T chopped Italian Parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 t grated lemon peel 1 T lemon juice Mix in a bowl and reserve to sprinkle over individual servings. Preparation: In a large skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, add 2 T olive oil over medium high heat. Season shanks with salt and pepper on both sides, then brown them on all sides. When browning is down, remove the shanks to a bowl to be added back in later. In the same pan, reduce heat to low and add 2 T olive oil and butter or Butter Buds. Add the onions, peppers, carrots, celery and garlic. Stir well to coat, then cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. (This will allow the vegetables to release their juices. Add the Marsala or sherry and the brandy, also the balsamic vinegar. Stir in well, cover again, and let simmer on low for about 6-8 minutes. Make a "bouquet garni" out of the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. (Wrap them in cheese cloth and tie with cooking twine.) Add this to the simmering vegetables, along with the tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and add the shanks and chicken, veal or beef stock. Stir both in well to mix with vegetables. When broth is boiling, reduce heat to low again and cover. Cook for about 1-1 1/2 hours. Veal should be "falling off the bone" tender after an hour or less. Lamb or beef might take a full hour and a half to reach maximum tenderness. Falling off the bone is probably not going to happen with lamb or beef, but the meat should be very tasty and quite tender. Garnish with gremolata, and serve the osso buco with the above-mentioned risotto, or with creamy mashed potatoes. In keeping with true gourmet cooking, here are a couple of variations for you: 1. Add either a 14 oz. or 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes at the point you add the Marsala and the brandy. 2. At the end of cooking, mix 1 cup of sour cream with 1 T of flour. Stir into the osso buco and remove from the heat. (This would give you a German version. Call it German Veal Shank Stew!) Source: New Italian Recipes printer version of online recipe. *************************************************************************************************** Sharon's Note: I halved the recipe but used 1/3 cup each of onion, celery and carrot chopped very finely into a mirepoix. rather than chopping these three ingredients coarsely as called for in the recipe. SharonCb

Family affair will indulge in the traditional buffet at local upscale buffet: We've been enjoying this for many years. SWEET BEGINNINGS BREAD DISPLAY sticky buns : bear claws : muffins : croissants coffee cake : banana bread MERKâÂÂS BISCUIT BAR sweet potato biscuits : buttermilk biscuits : cheddar-bacon : cranberry scones CHILLED CREATIONS loâ country pickled shrimp : julep cured salmon : smoked local trout artisan & farmstead cheese display : honey roasted almonds : dried fruits cured meats & salamis : pickled vegetables : house mustard individual baby wedge salads spinach pear & cranberry salad smoked chicken waldorf artisan breads : flatbreads : crostini BOUNTIFUL BREAKFAST country sausage : Conecuhî sausage smoked natural bacon country benedicts - fried green tomatoes & country ham roasted yukon potatoes McKewnî stone ground grit bar shrimp : bacon : ham : green onions : cheddar & feta cheese sawmill & me-mawâÂÂs tomato gravy OMELET BAR prepared by Hyatt Regency Culinarians asparagus : smoked salmon : crab : bacon : green onions : goat cheese : cheddar cheese peppers : roasted tomato salsa : grilled mushrooms LUNCHEON ITEMS roast cider brined turkey breast natural pan gravy : cranberry chutney HAND CARVED dry rubbed prime rib of beef au jus : creamy horseradish sauce yukon gold butter whipped potatoes brussels sprouts hash sautéed green beans with shitake cream sweet potato puree with streusel topping honey roasted root vegetables DESSERT STATION pumpkin spiced cake with cream cheese frosting : apple tart with caramel sauce : trifle shooters bourbon pecan pie : white chocolate & dried cherry bread pudding mini pastries : chocolates

Thanks again, all. Yes, if my neighbors baked it would make sense to borrow a cup or so of flour from them, but they're all past that. They're the kind of people who put in cook's kitchens and order out or buy frozen. Really, the only one who bakes at all is a vegan yoga teacher who believes in the evilness of all gluten. :) But I did find a 2 lb bag of Gold Medal, so I'm good. Ricky, those scones sound great and I may tat up a batch for them to munch on on Christmas Eve. Lpink, the peach-raspberry pie sounds wonderful. I'm not opposed to store-bought stuff when it's as good as or better than, but I've always hated frozen pie crust almost as much as I hate frosting-in-a-can. Sherry, thanks for the recipes. That red velvet cake does sound good. I've gotten kind of turned off by the ones that are just radioactively-colored chocolate cake, which is not how I remember red velvet from when I was young. Your pecan pie is exactly how my mom used to make it. FWIW, most stores around here sell styrofoam coolers for not too much $$ - usually near the beer & ice... Yeah, I thought of that, but you pay a big premium when you live at the beach. I'll have to make time to go somewhere inland tomorrow. Gardengal, I think I'll make the pear/cranberry tart and freeze it before I take it over, then bake it Christmas morning while they're still fooling around with assembling the wellington. I can't see any reason why it wouldn't freeze, can you? This forum always comes through!