really really good day

Didn't have to start work until 11, and they let us off early at 4:30. Met someotherguy at UC Berkeley, and walked to the farmer's market, which made me happy -- shopping for fresh veggies in the gloaming was a new experience for me, and I got all bouncy. Got some nice broccoli for Thursday, and the boy bought the world's slowest latte.

Walked the rest of the way home, stopping at Walgreens first for some pie tins (making a crustless pie or two) and tea. Got home and umm occupied ourselves for an hour or so.
Then the cleaning and cooking began. Got a fair bit of both done, but much more remains.

So far, we are down to 1 spice cake (gave one away on impulse to the cute hippychick neighbor), but I made up for it a bit by making 2 sweet-potato pies, a batch of cranberry sauce, and the apple pie that's beckoning me from the kitchen. It will be done in forty-five minutes or so. After that, I'll probably call it a night and start again in the morning. Still left to make are several pumpkin pies, another apple pie (maybe with cranberries in it), the celery/onion saute for the stuffing, possibly another spice cake or two, and whatever else can be done in advance.

And I'm working away at the ingredients list. Sadly, reading the ingredients makes me realize I need to be more careful about picking convenience foods. Who would have thought that a pillsbury pie crust would have LARD in it? Hey, eeyore_grrl, don't eat the sweet-potato pie, 'kay? :-(

Tomorrow, besides the cooking and baking, I need to tidy up, set the tables for 15, and put out the coat rack. Oh, and de-pervify the bedroom so the 7-year-old can watch Cartoon Network when he gets bored with the grownups.

Anyway, extra-good day. I am thankful.

Oh, and I am especially thankful for all the reminders I got today that Thanksgiving is essentially a celebration of a chain of events that killed off races of people, and the reminders that just about everything I have and cherish as privilege came at a great cost to someone else. It's good to be reminded, and may I ever remain humbly aware of it.

Happy

Cooking and cleaning make Serene happy -- this is an axiom we are all familiar with.

Cooking and cleaning in no hurry, with lots of food and help in the house, and a nice long walk interspersed in there? Even better.

Forgot to call for jury duty. I suck. But damn, I'm having such a good time.

Off to take a shower and a walk to Longs for some last-minute stuff. Have a wonderful day.

Today has been such a good LJ day

From epi_lj, encouraging news on the fighting-asshatery front:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051122/ap_on_re_us/intelligent_design_course

My new chafing dish has corrupted me

Me, to someotherguy in the store, while I heft six pounds of
brie: "Honey, do you think this is enough?"

Him, wide-eyed: "Um, yes. Yes, I do."

Mmmmmm, brie with cranberries and walnuts. I predict I will not be hungry
once dinnertime rolls around.

If you're coming to Thanksgiving...

...and you wonder what you can bring? Folding chairs. :-)

Gonna have a houseful this year. Yay!

Superstition and assholery have taken over the world...

...and my friendslist is paying attention:

>From patgund:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/patgund/1125125.html
>From somerandomchic:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/somerandomchic/52441.html
>From wcg: http://www.livejournal.com/users/wcg/251690.html

As if you needed more proof that I'm a food geek...

...the most (g-rated) fun I've had all day has been beginning my listing
of all the ingredients in my T-day feast. (At least three people who are
attending have serious allergies, and I want to make sure every
'greediment is accounted for.)

Ingredients list

( only of interest to those who are coming tomorrow and have food dislikes/allergies )