Are you ready for a virtual Thanksgiving feast?

[Tsu]

Integral! That's a really cute teapot that you and Sandy have! But, did you HAVE to turn THAT end toward the turkey?

 

[Math Is Hard]

I'm glad we thought to have several kinds of stuffing here - something for everyone!
I brought my own mincemeat pie, because I know I'm the only one who likes it.

 

[Math Is Hard]

So what's everyone thankful for this year? I am thankful for my friends, and having a good job, and always having enough to eat (especially today).

 

[Tsu]

That pretty much covers it! But I'm also thankful for having such a wonderful family. Although I have some pretty whacky cyber-sisters , I also have an angel for a step-mom. I'm so lucky!

 

[tumor]

So what's everyone thankful for this year? I am thankful for my friends, and having a good job, and always having enough to eat (especially today).

I'm thankful to our proud God fearing and just forefathers for killin enuff injuns.

 

[Moonbear]

I'm thankful I have friends I can invite to dinner and who prefer a toast over a prayer before dinner!

I'm just reporting in from the non-virtual feast over here. The turkey came out just right...yay! I'm always nervous about that, since I don't believe in plastic turkey poppers, so have to hope I judge the look of the turkey right. Everything was nice and juicy. I made a very simple sweet potato dish...just cut up sweet potatoes, a splash of olive oil, some rosemary and thyme and baked it...that was a big hit. Evo, you'll appreciate that we have kindred spirits who don't like sugar and marshmallows on sweet potatoes. I tried a tiny variation on my stuffing, which was to add some cranberries. I like that variation...keeps it from looking so plain brown.

And the pumpkin pie was a big hit. Hope you guys are enjoying the one I sent to the virtual feast. The crust came out light and flaky (same recipe I always use, but I must have managed to avoid overworking the dough and kept it light). I really had made two pies, thinking I'd have one left for myself...they found the second one in the fridge and had seconds! One of my guests brought a very tasty orange muscat wine that was surprisingly good with pumpkin pie! I'll have to remember that one.

I'm still trying to figure out how 7 people drank 5 bottles of wine, when one person was drinking beer, and one not drinking! Then again, it was about 5 hours of eating, so I guess that makes more sense than I thought at first (mostly because several of us are serious lightweights when it comes to drinking, so we should be passed out on the floor drinking the equivalent of a bottle of wine each).

They all brought very tasty dishes too. And I know everyone enjoyed the meal, because they all begged to take home leftovers!

Evo's daughter, nice to finally meet you! Glad you were able to make it over to spend the day with your mom!

So, who wants leftover turkey sandwiches? Or sammiches, as Tsu calls them.

 

[tumor]

This party is getting pretty big. Maybe we need more turkey!
http://home.comcast.net/~rossgr1/turkey.JPG

Tsu,
Whip Cream sounds GREAT! looking forward to it.

How can you eat this corpse, few days ago this was a living, breathing,being?

 

[Moonbear]

How can you eat this corpse, few days ago this was a living, breathing,being?

Oh, it's quite simple. Cut a piece off using a knife, then stab that piece with a fork, raise fork to your mouth, use mouth to remove piece from fork, chew thoroughly, swallow. Yummy.

 

[check]

I'm thankful that after I'm done this stupid term paper, and do my exam, I'm never going to take a stupid evolution class again.
Urg, you'd think a book called "The evolution of the amphibian auditory system" would have at least one completed diagram of a primative amphibian ear. URG!
Ok, I don't hate the class, just my essay topic.

 

[Tsu]

I got a D, which they tell me is the worst score that can be made without being a total failure.

Hey, it was my first time!

Yeah, well, you never WERE all that coordinated... Heck. You'd fall over just picking up your hopscotch marker.

 

[Tsu]

Moonbear, your pie was absolutely delicious! Thanks for sending it over! I'm sorry your 'friends' got to YOUR pie. Wish WE had saved you a piece! There is ONE piece of Integral's (wifes) pumpkin pie left. Here. You can have it! <stuffs last piece of pumpkin pie into computer> Sorry there's no more cherry/berry pie left. Integral took that one out pretty fast. No whipped creme, either. OOPS! Wait! There IS whipped creme! HERE! ... Errrr... Well, never mind. It's not that easy stuffing whipped creme into a computer... Dang. This is a MESS! Rats. OK. Now we know. Don't send whipped creme to each other via the internet...

 

[Tsu]

Well. It sure was a great first PF Pot Luck. Thanks to all who attended. Good night!

 

[humanino]

I tasted pumpkin for the first time yesterday
You are no longer allowed to make fun of people eating snails
At least, I won't forget this pie

 

[Moonbear]

I tasted pumpkin for the first time yesterday
You are no longer allowed to make fun of people eating snails
At least, I won't forget this pie

Humanino, pumpkin pie is delicious! Did you have a pie or just try to eat pumpkin as a vegetable as is more typical outside the US? My friend from France, one of the folks here yesterday, when he tasted pumpkin pie for the first time declared he couldn't imagine such a wonderful dessert could be made from a vegetable. He's the one who raided the fridge and located the second pie to have more this year. Pumpkin itself is quite horrid as a vegetable. I got some on my finger as I was mixing the ingredients and licked it off... Or if you only had one of those store-bought frozen pies that you then just cook and some people serve, then that's a bad example of what good pumpkin pie tastes like. Think of the comparison like that of comparing American chocolate , to French chocolate, YUM

 

[tumor]

Oh, it's quite simple. Cut a piece off using a knife, then stab that piece with a fork, raise fork to your mouth, use mouth to remove piece from fork, chew thoroughly, swallow. Yummy.

I still could not do it.

Anyway guys,.. this CIRCuSS has ended and now only a month left till another starts.

 

[Tsu]

I tasted pumpkin for the first time yesterday
You are no longer allowed to make fun of people eating snails
At least, I won't forget this pie

I LOVE escargot! MAJOR yum! And Moonbear is right, humanino. Pumpkin alone is gross. Pumpkin pie is delicious. We'll serve some real pumpkin pie at your wedding! :!) Will you bring me some escargot?

Look at it this way. Would you just pick up a snail and eat it without proper preparation?? Same thing with pumpkin...

 

[Evo]

I made a very simple sweet potato dish...just cut up sweet potatoes, a splash of olive oil, some rosemary and thyme and baked it...that was a big hit. Evo, you'll appreciate that we have kindred spirits who don't like sugar and marshmallows on sweet potatoes.

Moonbear, that sounds delicious! Just the type of thing I'd like!

So, who wants leftover turkey sandwiches? Or sammiches, as Tsu calls them.

I call them sammiches also.

Poor humanino, he's trying to prepare himself to be Americanized and his first taste of pumpkin turns out bad. I told him next year I'll make sure he has some real pumpkin pie.

I'm with you Tsu, escargot bourguignon, mmmmm. I make it sometimes just for the garlic sauce alone, some french bread to soak it up. Pure heaven!

 

[Moonbear]

I'm with you Tsu, escargot bourguignon, mmmmm. I make it sometimes just for the garlic sauce alone, some french bread to soak it up. Pure heaven!

Can you leave the snails out of mine? French bread dipped in garlic sauce sounds yummy!

I've never tried escargot. If they didn't serve the snails in the shells and wrapped them in something so I couldn't see they were snails, then I might be willing to give them a taste. It sounds sort of like eating squid the first time and being served a clump of tentacles. I like it, and am a big fan of calamari, but getting over taking a bite out of tentacles the first time was tough.

 

[tribdog]

Isn't escargot french for garlic flavored mud? That's what mine tasted like.

 

[Evo]

Isn't escargot french for garlic flavored mud? That's what mine tasted like.

You're not supposed to eat them straight out of the garden. (wonders where tribdog ate snails)

Escargot Bourguignon - Tender French snails simmered in white wine and shallots then baked in café de Paris butter with garlic and fresh herbs

 

[Moonbear]

Isn't escargot french for garlic flavored mud? That's what mine tasted like.

I was watching one of those shows on PBS with that geek that travels all over and gives travel advice. He found some "restaurant" in Italy or Spain (I can't recall), where they have a special that isn't on the menu, but only served when it rains...snails! The cook collects them on rainy days and cooks them. If I'm going to eat snails, I want to have the illusion they've at least been farm-raised and haven't just been picked up off the street behind the dumpster! Are there snail farms?

 

[Evo]

Hmmm, snails are supposed to be allowed to poop for a couple of days first to clean themselves out. My mother taught me this. I remember the outdoor markets in France would have snails crawling in cages.

Moonbear, I love the new avatar!

 

[Moonbear]

Hmmm, snails are supposed to be allowed to poop for a couple of days first to clean themselves out. My mother taught me this. I remember the outdoor markets in France would have snails crawling in cages.

That's not really helping convince me to try eating them! What if they're a little backed up and don't poop for a few days?

Moonbear, I love the new avatar!

Thanks. I was inspired by that link to the seaslug forum someone posted recently. I've always thought jellyfish are really cool looking critters, especially the fluorescent ones when maintained under a black light (the aquarium in Baltimore does that, or did last time I was there many years ago).

 

[tribdog]

I was watching one of those shows on PBS with that geek that travels all over and gives travel advice. He found some "restaurant" in Italy or Spain (I can't recall), where they have a special that isn't on the menu, but only served when it rains...snails! The cook collects them on rainy days and cooks them. If I'm going to eat snails, I want to have the illusion they've at least been farm-raised and haven't just been picked up off the street behind the dumpster! Are there snail farms?

They are called snail ranches. It's big business. I was going to become a "snailboy" going on round ups, herding them, things like that sounded like fun. I just couldn't get the hang of roping them while I was in the saddle. I could rope them standing still, but as soon as I got on my turtle I couldn't do it. bit of trivia, did you know we branded them with salt? It can be a dangerous job too. I remember the stampede of '02, what a mess.

 

[Moonbear]

They are called snail ranches. It's big business. I was going to become a "snailboy" going on round ups, herding them, things like that sounded like fun. I just couldn't get the hang of roping them while I was in the saddle. I could rope them standing still, but as soon as I got on my turtle I couldn't do it. bit of trivia, did you know we branded them with salt? It can be a dangerous job too. I remember the stampede of '02, what a mess.

LOL! Ride 'em snailboy!

I actually did find a link...more than you ever wanted to know about farming snails:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb96-05.htm

 

[tumor]

LOL! Ride 'em snailboy!

I actually did find a link...more than you ever wanted to know about farming snails:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb96-05.htm

Pens and enclosures for snails, LOL

 

[Tsu]

You're not supposed to eat them straight out of the garden. (wonders where tribdog ate snails)

I'm not sure, but I think if you salt them first (while still alive) don't they sort of eliminate all sorts of things? (At least they did when we salted them as kids... )

Escargot Bourguignon - Tender French snails simmered in white wine and shallots then baked in café de Paris butter with garlic and fresh herbs

Yes! They're WONDERFUL! I also had them in Chicago one time where they served them (not quite sure how they were prepared) in their little escargot 'dish' and they were covered in a wonderful brown gravy with garlic chunks and then baked with a pie crust-type 'lid' over the dish. Oh, dear. I'm drooling. Oh, Lordy - they were incredible! I want some NOW!

 

[Moonbear]

Well, it seems we didn't need the virtual Thanksgiving feast this year, but how about getting together and sharing the leftovers? I've got lots of cranberry sauce left (and not much else).

 

[Evo]

I'm cooking this weekend at the spawn of Evo's place, but I'll take some of that cranberry sauce!

 

[hypatia]

"starts gathering up the dirty dishes" Looks like everyone had a good time! hmmm now where does she keep her dish soap?

 

[Moonbear]

I'm cooking this weekend at the spawn of Evo's place, but I'll take some of that cranberry sauce!

Great! It seems the group I ate dinner with weren't really cranberry fans...they didn't even try it! There's no way I can eat that much cranberry unless I make it into jelly for my toast every morning (though that would require making bread so I have toast ...I never have much bread around here).

Thanksgiving dinner turned out way better than I was prepared for...being the grad student's first ever Thanksgiving dinner, I was expecting either over- or under-cooked turkey, at least something done late or not at all, etc. There certainly were some good stories to go with dinner (apparently she cooked the entire dinner with her mom on the phone guiding her through it )...her mom told her to remove the bag of gizzards and then told her to remove the neck, but she didn't realize she had to reach in the other end of the turkey to do that. She was already pretty grossed out by having to stick her hands in the butt of the turkey (not the word she actually used ). She did cook the turkey upside down, which her boyfriend noticed when he went to carve it. But, it turned out pretty juicy, so as long as nobody cared about presentation, it was fine (he wasn't exactly an expert at carving either...it's so cute to watch a young couple make their first attempt at Thanksgiving dinner). Oh, it didn't help that they were cooking at a friend's place, and he's a bachelor, so you can just imagine the kitchen is somewhat like enigma's kitchen. I told her she really should have just called and I'd have brought over extra pots and pans if she needed them.

Not to mention one of the post-docs was already there just to take a hot shower...her landlord left on vacation and for some inexplicable reason, turned off the hot water heater when she left! And of course it's below freezing (we had snow all day). It's one of those houses with two apartments attached, so it's all one hot water heater for the landlord's house and the two apartments. I told her she should demand a month's free rent for that! What if she didn't have friends who would let her shower at their place? If she doesn't get it, she should report the landlord to whatever agency is in charge of rental units here (there's some agency in charge...I know there's a place for the students to report the slumlords, though I don't recall where).

Well, now I'm going to make my own pumpkin pie (we had some no-bake version...it was very tasty, but not real pumpkin pie, so I have to make the real thing for myself).

 

[Moonbear]

"starts gathering up the dirty dishes" Looks like everyone had a good time! hmmm now where does she keep her dish soap?

Now, don't be silly! I don't let the guests do the dishes...that's what dishwashers are for!

 

[ZapperZ]

BURP!


Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

BURP!

Zz.

Well, while the women were drinking wine and chatting in the kitchen, the men started wrestling in the living room, and I commented that the only thing missing was the old uncle sitting in an easy chair with his pants unbuttoned. You can have that job if you want.

 

[ZapperZ]

Well, while the women were drinking wine and chatting in the kitchen, the men started wrestling in the living room, and I commented that the only thing missing was the old uncle sitting in an easy chair with his pants unbuttoned. You can have that job if you want.

I would love to... Here, pull my finger!

Zz.