MaryIsobel

I have tried to pare down my Christmas baking in the last few years - I just make everyone's favourite and one of my daughters' favourites is Chocolate Crinkles with a "secret" ingredient - sambuca! It was my Mom's recipe and she worried that my toddler daughter might get drunk from eating them! She didn't but we refer to them as L's Boozy Cookies.

It's a good way for the under or unemployed to make a few bucks. When we're in Mexico, we don't drive so always take a cab home from the grocery store. When we leave the store with our cart, there is always a guy or two to hail you a cab, load your groceries in and return the cart. We too tip generously as we feel that although to us, it's a lousy way to make a living, they are cheerful and helpful and yes, we get the blessing from most of them.

A friend of a friend was fascinated by the movie "Nomadland" We both love Frances McDormand and were eager to watch it. She was fabulous as always but it was not an uplifting movie by any means. There are those of us who have RV's for fun and those who have Rv's as an alternative to having a permanent home, not always by choice. That said, it was a really thought provoking and well done movie IMHO.

I too love Russians but I prefer mine Black. I think it is the perfect night-night drink.

I always think that I have sugar, flour, salt and butter but now and again I don't.

I agree about cracking nuts. When I was a child, our neighbour had a huge walnut tree and our family always got a 50, yes, 50 gallon drum of walnuts from them. I have cracked my last nut! I can get a 900 gram bag of pecan halves at Costco for about 16.00 Cdn. They are always fresh when I buy them and I keep them in the freezer. I always toast/roast them before using and I'm always happy with the end result.

The pastries were a lovely gesture from your sister. THey are gorgeous. I'm sorry for what you are going through. I'll echo Darienne's thoughts, I can't imagine anything more difficult. Wishing you strength.

I imagine that tasted great but the plating is absolutely gorgeous!

The street corn pudding sounds intriguing - is it on your website?

The aditional information certainly changes the narrative. Knowing you virtually, I can't imagine why anyone would want to make you outsiders. The holidays are a happy time for many but I feel that there are equally as many people who dread getting together with people because they have to rather than want to. I'm 63 and slowly starting to give myself preference once in a while and I'm learning to weed out people who only bring negativity into my life. It's not easy but it is freeing.

It's really all about getting together, enjoy the fact that someone else has taken charge. I wouldn't mind that once in a while. I was just telling my daughters that I have forgotten what it is like to just get dressed up, make and appy and bring a bottle of wine to a gathering since I have been the hostess for all family gatherings for years and years since my Mom died in 2002.

Oh man - do I feel dumb! Scoop and Save used to be on my way home from work. Then Covid happened and they went online. I totallyy forgot about them. The owner is a lovely person - always happy to share her knowledge. Thanks Kerry!

Just plain white sanding sugar - where has it gone? Michael's has none. I can get it on line but the shipping makes it a ridiculous price. I used to be able to find it everywhere, even in grocery stores around here.

I may have mentioned this before but my husband's career was with railroads and his last decade was a signal supervisor so any time there was a MVA at a crossing, he had to attend. Often big trucks were involved and several times they were full of food. Even if it was vacuum packed or packed in cartons, if it left the truck, it had to be thrown away. It was cited as a liability issue so I'm glad to hear of such a thing. A few people with a bit of common sense food-safety-wise and there would be a lot less shameful waste.

Thanks for the intel!

Thanks Shelby, now it's definitely on my list. I can't get Jimmy Dean in our town but my husband and I were saying that now the ban on bringing poultry from the US to Canada has been lifted, we should go down around American Thanksgiving to get a turkey. We are only about 6 miles from the Canada/US border but have not been down since covid other than my husband zipping just across the line to fill up his truck with diesel. I'm making a "US Shopping List" and will add Jimmy Dean to it. In Bellingham, the biggest US city close to us, there is a large Mexican population so I love perusing the big stores and the smaller Mexican groceries for Mexican ingredients. (Thanks @Tropicalsenior for the very extensive Spanish/English cooking terms dictionary that you so kindly shared with me.) There is a great little hole in the wall Mexican restaurant that we love that is conveniently close to Trader Joes so I am looking forward to a great shopping/eating day soon. Said restaurant has the most amazing chili rellenos that are my gold standard and they are about 6.50 US!

I made this a couple of days ago - two 8"x8" pans, one for us and one for a friend who just had a hip replacement. It was great - really light cake with lots of apple chunks. I just dusted with powdered sugar and it was plenty sweet but not too sweet.https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/apple-cake/

I just broke out our panini press a week ago and we've enjoyed a few paninis (is that the plural?) since. I don't use it during the summer for some reason. Your sausage gravy with biscuits intrugues me. Can you believe that I have neither made it nor eaten it in my whole life? It's just not a thing in these parts but I think we would like it for a "breakfast for dinner" meal so I'll put it on my "to try" list.

I did that. Only once and for everafter I check and double check that there is a bowl under my strainer!

I only use the self check-outs when the regular lines are abysmally long and I only have a few items. I enjoy a quick chat with the many cashiers that I have known for years and want to help them keep their jobs.

I think continuing the Ladies Who Lunch thread would be a great tribute to Anna, although perhaps we should not mention beans!

i too fell down the "organic, free range, heritage turkey and it was the worst turkey ever and about 4x the price of a grocery store bird. Grocery store bird, not injected (ie: not Butterball) dry brined and slow roasted. It's always good. I always used to get a 25 lb or so bird but they have been hard to come by for the last couple of years so I buy the smaller ones and roast two.

That looks very comforting and filling - I have been helping a friend of mine brainstorm a few simple recipes that will help people utilize the common ingredients that are distributed through food pantries/food banks.

Suddenly, my planned dinner seems less appealing. Lovely crisp on them.

You have expressed your heartbreak eloquently. Anna has shown us all that you don't need to be a person of celebrity to be missed by a mulitude of people.