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From Our Blog Archives

Diced vegetables were already sizzling in olive oil as I walked into Debbie’s.  I peered in and saw onions, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and squash filling about a third of the pot. 

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Sometimes a cooking invitation comes through a phone call or evite, other times a friend might just drop by or ask “have you ever made...?”

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Last week I received an e-mail from Jo, a loyal CWF member, who shared a sad piece of local news about a devoted mother of three young children who unexpectedly passed away.

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Right before thinking about the Thanksgiving holiday menu, it’s time to start planning food for houseguests that weekend. In all the hubub around the turkey, it’s easy to forget that people staying with you will also need other meals and a well-stocked refrigerator. Here are two favorite breakfasts and two favorite dinners or hearty lunches, all perfect to make-ahead with a friend for your holiday guests (you’ll be glad you did this, trust me!): Zesty Breakfast Casserole and Meaty Ziti Caprese (both found in our newsletter archives), Festive and Fruity Granola and White Chicken Chili (both in our recipe section on the website).

I also plan to use my Vita-Mix Blender to whip up morning smoothies--plain yogurt, frozen strawberries, ice, and a bit of honey, and it’s an easy healthy breakfast! I’d love to hear some of our members’ plans for cooking or planning ahead for the meals surrounding the “big” Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, the days following will have some creative turkey dishes and I’d like to hear about those too.

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The other day, a friend and I indulged in a platter of well salted Vegan sweet potato fries at a local restaurant. While licking our fingers and swooning over each bite, we wondered why the fries were so deliciously crispy despite being baked rather than fried. 

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There are people who love to cook for friends behind closed doors and emerge from the kitchen with beautiful food and drink. I’m not one of them; I prefer to have people not only peering over my shoulder but picking up a whisk to mix, or suggesting an ingredient, or of course pitching in to peel all those potatoes.

I love to talk while I’m cooking and bounce around ideas, or even just chat about something entirely unrelated to food. So as I hunt and gather this week for Thanksgiving, I am thankful that I will soon have a house full of people to help in whatever way they’d like, to appreciate the food, and to share in the joy of this holiday. Even the kids will be involved--they will roll dough with their Junior Sil-Pin rolling pins (just like mom’s but smaller), and of course taste test the cranberry sauce many times. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

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Thirteen girl scouts (and their moms) have been cooking with friends for those in need. It’s the kind of behind the scenes work that makes all the difference in our communities; passive giving that will help make someone else’s holiday a bit better .

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My Thanksgiving was a deliciously simple day. And thanks to cooking with my friends and family, it was a hearty, no effort holiday! There were only seven of us this year—my parents, husband and three kids. A 16 pound Murray’s turkey would ensure that we’d have leftovers for soup, pot pies, and a few good old fashioned turkey sandwiches on rye, topped with coleslaw and Russian dressing. 

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