Cooks Extraordinaire: Start Your Ovens!

This is the day the nation has made for someone in most households to get on their marks, get set and go like Hell, getting ready for the big turkey day:  vacuuming, dusting, filling toilet paper dispensers,  washing goblets that have occupied the from the cupboard for the past year, thawing turkeys, making one more or maybe two trips to the grocery store to pick up just a few more ingredients for the multitude of dishes on the menu, etc., etc., etc.

This is the day when most family members from out of town who will be sitting at the holiday table tomorrow show up.  A couple of our family members have already arrived.  

Annie's here.  Jim's at my sisters' house.  Kevin and Joyce will arrive later.  Mike and Mary will be in Plummer for turkey day with their daughters before coming to Sandpoint Saturday.  

Safe travels have been wished upon everyone, and when everyone arrives safely, silent thanks will be uttered along with all the other thoughts of family coming together. 

On this particular day, this cook is feeling a kinder, gentler stress, thanks to advance planning and work.  Dishes are sparkling clean.  Silver has been polished.  Goblets are ready for Willie and Debbie's tasty fruit cocktail.

Sweet potatoes, turnips (in honor of Mother) and cranberries have been prepared for days.  In this morning's blog posting,  the Pioneer Woman informed me that I could get those  mashed potatoes prepared today.  

She said NOT, however,  when it comes to making the dressing the day before.

Pioneer Woman says moisture will be lost if dressing is done too soon.  So, I'll believe her.  

I'm making a trip to town this morning (with my checkbook and NOT my plastic) to purchase just a few more items that will add a little zing to some of the traditional dishes.   

For those not in the area, we have a crisis here in this region with numerous grocery store chains which use the same food distributor.  Seems their electronic records have been hacked and that folks' credit cards could be compromised.

So, customers who shop at our local Yoke's need to take their checkbooks or their cold, hard cash if they don't want to wait in long lines at the grocery store.

Last night, Annie bought a few items at Yoke's and went to the speedy check-out stand,  only to have to do the drill of walking somewhere else in the store where her credit card could be processed.  It's an ugly, inconvenient situation coming at a very bad time. 

I'm feeling pretty good that I've stayed in the dark ages and still use checks for almost all of my local purchases.  

And, this morning a check will go for cream cheese, orange juice, Half and Half, Lawry's seasoning salt, another two boxes of brownie mix (as my brownies are disappearing quickly).   I'm sure a few more items will go in the cart too.

Then, it's back home to get those potatoes prepared and work out some more logistics for tomorrow's big meal.

And, then----this is the day the ZAGS have made to play their consolation game in the Maui tournament at 2 p.m. PST.  

So, we'll gather at Barbara and Laurie's house, watch the game, eat lightly, go home, do chores, go back and dine on a meatball casserole that Barbara has been anxious to serve for the first time. 

Then, back home, more night-before preparation, then bed and then the big day . . . . a lot to do, very little time to do it.  So, I must get moving. 

Happy Day Before the Big Turkey Day, and GO ZAGS!!!  You really redeemed yourselves yesterday in that 113-81 rout of the Silverswords, and I did sleep like a baby. 

Have a great day, all, wherever you are!