I mulched the leaves so the yard looks pretty for our family guests, blew off the summer's grass and changed the oil in this antique Wheelhorse. It goes into winter rest today. I'll change my body's oil at dinner and be thankful for the blessings we enjoy in the good old USA.

"Certainly an interesting arrangement of foods....but the logistics have me confused. Is that really a meal that you eat? " The concept is simple: serve all the food at their proper temperature. The logistics is complicated; itÂs almost like planning a coordinated military attach. In order to do so, I had crabs and shrimp cocktail, which were to be served cold. All the others were done simultaneously, including the herb bread from the bread machine. This of course has the benefit that you get to sit down with everyone and not get stuck in the kitchen. "How do you deal with the crab? Are they gutted already? Do you serve them with a mallet? Before the turkey? or with the turkey? " The turkey was served first when it was just out of the oven. The crabs: Everyone enjoys crabs, but itÂs not easy to eat crabs. First, those were selected large size crabs, the Dungeness was over 3 lbs, and comparing the lemon slices, you can get an idea that the blue crabs were huge. By now, some of you may suspect that I am a little crazy :-). I have special crab eating tools that I made, making it much easier to enjoy in a civilized manner, no need for mallets: I made a few of this lobster/crab shears from an ordinary pair of scissors "Do you carve the turkey at the table? What happens to the juices from the bird when you carve? Do they get all mixed up in the pickled veggies? " Interesting, thatÂs something I never realized. As you know, I do my turkeys in a very different way. I donÂt remember ever getting any juices when I am carving. Not one drop. It seems that all the juices remain in the meat. All I got this time was 1/4 cup of drippings mixed with lots of fat in the roasting pan. I always have to make gravy some other way. Carving: You may also notice that my turkey faces down on that platter. I roast my turkey that way. Reasons: The thighs get cooked and the breasts will not be over cooked, just working with the thermal dynamics of a regular oven. A problem most people have to deal with. The turkey is presented to the table the same way. I find the other way a little pornographic. LOL. I carve the turkey the other way in the kitchen on the counter. If you are careful with carving, all the sliced meat can stay on the turkey and the turkey can be returned to the dinning table nice looking whole and the sliced meat will remain hot. "What kind of soup will you serve in those little bowls on the service plates? " Pumpkin soup was served. No more room on the table for the bowl of pumpkin soup, made from leftover pumpkin pie making. "Think I'll skip the turkey....just pass the crab, the shrimp and a mallet please!! Oh and save me some mango ice cream! Linda C" What everyone did that day. :-) dcarch

Grainlady-- Your chemistry lesson is great because my mind works that way. Understanding how a crust develops makes pie crust much more understandable to me. My mother always peached that overworking the dough makes it tough and now I understand why. The explanation of water vs. gluten is very helpful. Last year I was misdiagnosed with celiac disease and learned a bit about the behavior of gluten in foods while I was on a gluten free diet. Many thanks! I am going to try a butter crust and use my grater on the butter.

I wonder if you set it into some hot tap water for a couple minutes to see if it will release placed upside down. Then into another safer tin. Then no worries. Years ago I froze some leftover thanksgiving stuffing in a pyrex to have a few weeks later with a roast chicken dinner or some similar meal. Just never did that again. Way before the internet but we knew about thermal shock. Did it without thinking. Fast forward to last summer. I put a favorite cast iron on a cheap coil single electric burner for cornbread in the workshop used for things like linseed oil for woodworking, etc. Never used for cooking but it was rainy and a chilly day. Cold cast iron, hot coils. Cracked immediately. (it was on low and not red hot) yet obviously too hot. Soggy pie is better than no pie if it cracks.