It's getting to be quite a refrain, but I'm back - again! This time it was an unplanned five-month break from the blog, and I can't believe how quickly those five months have gone by. Did you miss me? My apologies if you did. My older son is now in his second year of college, and my younger son is in the midst of college application season. So am I, in my first season as a certified college counselor. I've spent a good part of the last five months figuring out what to do with that certification, or rather, what to do with myself now that I'm certified.
I still don't know.
Which makes it easy to sympathize with students who look at me blankly when they get to the part of the college application that asks them to choose a major. 😂 A lot of times, students can select "undecided," but some colleges require a selection, so I always remind them that they can change their mind later and that about 80% of students change their majors. Although, sometimes the choice of major can impact a student's chances of getting in, which then requires a totally different conversation about whether a particular college allows changes of major and how easy or hard it would be to change from a major the student isn't interested in to one they are.
But I digress. My current focus is on helping my son get through his senior year (he didn't want to to do college visits before he applied, so I'm anticipating quite a few in the spring), and then I'll worry about my own future. I do know I have to do something. Every time I think about my empty nest, I get weepy. The kitchen remodel last year was the best thing I could have done when my older son headed off, because it was such a distraction. I'll need something even bigger next fall.
(I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!)
In the meantime, I'm also focusing on the upcoming holidays. We're hosting a very small Thanksgiving family dinner with those in town, so I've ordered my turkey from ButcherBox* (that's a referral link good for your first box for just $20, a savings of $149, plus FREE ground beef for life - good for the first three people who use it, with my thanks!) and made up my menu:
Thanksgiving Menu 2024
Roast Turkey with Gravy (LA Times recipe)
Stuffing (going to try Mel's Kitchen Cafe recipe)
Aunty Toki's Cranberry Sauce (I've been promising to post this and I will!)
Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole (a Cooking Light recipe I've been making for years that is no longer online - I'll post the recipe without pictures and then add photos after Thanksgiving)
Classic but Homemade Green Bean Casserole (RecipeTin Eats recipe)
Cauliflower Gratin (Smitten Kitchen recipe with some reader-suggested adaptations)
Caesar Salad (Alexandra's Kitchen recipe)
Popovers (recipe from The Joy of Cooking* - yes, I still go old school sometimes!)
Apple Tart (another Smitten Kitchen recipe)
I had added a pumpkin cake to my menu but one of our guests offered to bring a pumpkin pie, so I'll skip that. Right now, my biggest task is figuring out how to get ahead so I'm not drowning on Thanksgiving Day. Here's my game plan:
THIS WEEK:
- Freeze sweet potato casserole (done! all I have to do is defrost, top with the streusel, and bake)
- Make and freeze the streusel (making extra - leftovers are great for baked apples)
- Make and freeze the pate brisee for the apple tart
- Plan out my serving dishes (what's going in what)
- Plan out my cooking times for the day of
MONDAY:
- Measure out the dry ingredients for the popovers
- Grate all the cheeses (gruyere and romano for the gratin, parm for the salad)
- Make the salad dressing
TUESDAY:
- Season the turkey
- Dry out the breadcrumbs for the stuffing
- Measure out seasonings for the stuffing
- Chop the mushrooms for the green bean casserole
WEDNESDAY:
- Chop cauliflower, onion and celery
- Make the cranberry sauce
- Blanch the green beans
- Fry onions for the green bean casserole
- Make sauce for the green beans
- Move the sweet potatoes, streusel and pate brisee into the fridge to defrost
- Take out all of my serving dishes
- Set the table
THURSDAY:
- Roast the turkey
- Make and bake the apple tart
- Make the gravy
- Make the stuffing
- Assemble and bake the green bean casserole
- Make the salad
- Make the popovers
I'm lucky enough to have a full oven in my Bosch induction range* as well as a countertop oven.* So I can cook the turkey in the big oven and bake the tart in the countertop oven. I should be able to bake the sweet potatoes and green beans with or after the turkey, and I'm planning to follow the directions for cooking the stuffing in the slow cooker. I'll pop the popovers into the oven just before we eat so they're piping hot.
Whew! That's a lot, but I have a plan now. 😊
I still need a menu plan for this week, however:
Menu Plan - November 18, 2024
Monday: Lobster Ravioli & Asparagus (I bought a jumbo pack of ravioli at Costco last week!)
Tuesday: Salmon Chirashizushi
Wednesday: Stuffed Shells (I have a pan in the freezer, made with leftover lasagna filling)
Thursday: Make Ahead Sandwich
Friday: My son is coming home from college, so we'll probably get take out from his favorite Japanese restaurant
Saturday: Oven-Baked Chicken and Rice
Sunday: Clam Chowder (with modifications - I'll add bacon, use whole clams, and bottled clam juice)
Let me know what's on your Thanksgiving menu!
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