Barb, Here's the Flan recipe---I translated it, so scroll down for the English version. It is really easy and delicious. My other favorite is Flan de Queso or Cream Cheese Flan. Flan de Calabaza Sencillo por: Melanie Lugo Ingredientes : 2 1/2 taza calabaza majada 1 lata de leche evaporada 1 lata de leche condensada 5 huevos 1 cdta. canela en polvo 1 cdta. vainilla 1/4 cdta. clavos de olor (opcional) 1 taza de azucar derretida (caramelo Procedimiento Precaliente horno a 350. Mezcle todos los ingredientes y coloque en un molde previamente acaramelado. Ponga el molde en Baño de Maria por 1 hora. Translation: Simple Pumpkin Flan 2 ½ cups mashed pumpkin or squash 1 can evaporated milk 1 can sweetened condensed milk 5 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional) 1 c. granulated sugar for the carmel Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix all of the ingredients (I use a blender) and pour into baking dish/pan/mold that you previously put the carmel in. Put in the oven in a hot water bath and bake for 1 hour until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Note: To carmelize sugar IÂve found IÂm less likely to burn it if I add 1TBS corn syrup and 1/4 c water. Then I let it cook over medium to med-high heat until it start to turn a light amber color. I donÂt have a custard dish, so I just use a round cake pan and put it in a 9" by 13" pan with hot water for the hot water bath. I have also found that the flan sets up better if I add 2 tsp of corn starch, or 1 TBS of flour to the batter. This is a very pumpkiny flan. You can reduce the pumpkin by ½ c. if you want a milder pumpkin flavor.

Cynic, is that all???? I better get moving. LOL Maybe I will surprise my family and leave them to fend for themselves and take that trip to England for Christmas. I'll let them have my house and they can do their own cooking. Fat chance, they would starve. I think Laura's boyfriend knows how to cook though and my brother's specialty is Greek pasta salad. My sister is the Queen on Lean Cuisine. LOLOL Not exactly a nice Christmas dinner is it. Okay I have been reprieved, a ton of weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I just called my brother and he and his girlfriend are driving to Toronto for Thanksgiving. David is still at his store counting stock and will be there pretty much all night since the store just closed. He sounds happy to be retiring but I feel kind of sad for him. End of an era. I then called my friend Kathy to see if she had any bacon on hand and she said she did. I asked her to make me some bacon bits for the broccoli salad but she said not to bother making it since rarely do we have a cold salad at Thanksgiving and then she said I ruined her surprise. Kathy is one of my childhood friends and it has always been the tradition in her family to have that marshmallow 24 hour salad for their holiday dinners. I consider that more a dessert salad but hey who am I to mess with tradition and this is her first Thanksgiving without her Mom so I said that was wonderful she made the salad. I like it but usually at a shower or something like that. I never thought to make what we call my Grandma's green lime jello salad made with pineapple, celery and cream cheese LOLOL At our family dinners there was always that pale green Pyrex casserole dish on the holiday table that held the lime green salad. Refreshing it was and I had forgotten all about it. I will have to remember it for Christmas. Out of all the vintage Pyrex I have in my huge collection that pale green casserole dish is one I have never been able to find at yards sales or thrift shops. I think my sister Lizzie absconded Grandma's green dish so I will have to ask her if she still has it. Lime green cream cheese jello is just not tradition without serving it in that dish. Oh my. I now don't have to put 2 extenders in the table now so I should have a table cloth that will suffice. I know I should do it anyway but now I don't have to make that extra effort to make sure everything in my house is in perfect order and now I can hide books and my computer stuff on the attic stairs and the dog can still have his toys out and the dog food bag can remain where it is. I was getting ready to get on my butt and start cleaning baseboards since the "girlfriend" was coming. Tomorrows Menu Turkey Stuffing Cranberry Sauce Brussel Sprouts sliced cooked with garlic and cream Orange glazed carrots Squash Mashed turnip Mashed potatoes and gravy Tray with raddishes, olives, my pickled beets 24 hour salad Rolls Pumpkin pie Butter tarts - my Mom's filling recipe, Tenderflake shells I will go raid my Pyrex collection for all the autumn coloured pieces and that way I can keep the food warm in the oven and put right on the dinner table to serve. I wouldn't do that with good china which I don't have right now. I'm still waiting for my Grandma's china to make its way back to Windsor - it just needs a ride LOL Grandma's Royal Doulton china and her pale green Pyrex dish now that for a beautiful holiday table. Thanks again for helping me and listening to my rant. I am so relieved and now will be able to enjoy myself more with the usual suspects in attendance. Anne

My father was a police officer when I was growing up, so sometimes we had dinner at 1:00 (if he had to be at work at 3:00) or we had it at 5-6 (if he worked days), so I am used to different times. Tomorrow dinner is at 2:00.

A repost. I will be using my grandmother's Theodore Haviland NY "Pink Spray" china. The menu is: Turkey and oyster dressing (9x13 pan) with giblet gravy English Peas Sweet potato casserole (no marshmallows) Fresh berry cranberry sauce Rolls Five cup salad Pumpkin pie with whipped cream I will probably have to add canned green beans and canned corn for the youngest two grandchildren. This a request from them. No extra seasoning and no frozen or fresh allowed, LOL. Seasoned, injected, wet brine, or dry brine not wanted. Also no grilled, smoked, or fried turkey. The grilled, smoked, and fried is okay in the summer, but not for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Anything with added salt is not wanted at anytime. My husband is very sensitive to salt and does not like it (I don't like that much salt either). Yes, it will be cooked in a covered roaster to 165* and allowed to rest. It will be carved before getting to the table. The mess will be in the garage frig before anyone gets here and saved for turkey stock. I am not knocking anyone else's way of doing their bird (unlike someone on here), but this is the way we like it. We have lots of juicy turkey. Plenty for leftovers and enough to freeze for all the other turkey dishes we like.