Well, weird month.  I left the house.  I left the county.  I saw my son's new home.  He and his family so love it, and are so made for it, that it was wonderful, but of course these things always cost me...So, I'm trying to get back to as normal as I get.  I had a major anxiety attack on the way to Mass on Sunday and ended up having to come back home.  Took some potassium, and am some better today, but still feel nausea at the thought of driving out the front gate...It will be okay...Kept Nolan and Ann again, and they are such wonderful. little dearhearts.  I miss em when they go home, as do Hadrian and Boudica.

Probably not the best planning on our part, but who plans these things?  Seguin and I will probably be "two" for thanksgiving this year, depending on what Stuart decides to do.  On one hand, it certainly ratchets down the pressure factor, and on the other, well, I miss Dennis.  But we have decided---Okay, *I* decided, to be daring this year...instead of our normal menu:  Turkey, dressing, gravy, rolls, candied sweet potatoes, summer squash casserole, cranberries, we will have Turkey, dressing, gravy, rolls, butternut squash puree, sprouts with cranberries and balsamic syrup, and whiskeyed carrots.  Oh, and blueberry jello salad, as always.  This may not sound very daring to you, but you have no idea how tradition bound we are.  Since we aren't having candied sweet potatoes, we are falling back on sweet potato pie (my own recipe, which is awful good).

Sweet Potato Pie 2001

Unbaked pie crust

3 cups mashed up baked sweet potato.  NOT CANNED

2 eggs

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup canned evaporated milk—straight—don’t add water. Puree in food processor until smooth. Bake in 9” pie shell at 400 til done—about 45 minutes

And, of course, Pecan Pie.  I am a purist, so it is easy:

Pecan Pie 

3 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup Karo, light or dark

1 cup pecans (halves---don't go mincin' the dam' pecans!)

NO vanilla.  NO cinnamon.  No nothin' but pecans.

This is one time you don't need butter, except a little in the crust.

Mix together and pour into unbaked pie shell.  Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  reduce to 350 and bake about 25 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  (always takes me longer than twenty-five minutes).

I would highly recommend Alton Brown's pie crust...

I'm still working on cleaning out Dad's PD room...Poor Daddy.  Last night I had the stupidest dream...I dreamed that we were supposed to prepare him for burial....I know it's been like nine months, but I told you it was weird.  Anyway, we had to garnish him, more or less, with that frilly leaf lettuce in his casket.  I know he'd think this was hilarious, but it made me sad...If you will believe me, I was concerned about the quality of the lettuce...Goodness I'm morbid.   

If you need to warm up your culinary skills, you can celebrate St. Clement's day, November 23, with 

Wayz-Goose (Stuffed Leg of Pork)

 1 leg of pork

2 tablespoons parsley

1 cup bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon sage

milk

Prepare a stuffing of all of the above ingredients, adding enough milk to make a not too moist mixture. Have the butcher bone the leg (or use the lower half of the foreleg, called a picnic roast) and stuff the cavity, sewing it up with coarse thread. Roast in a 350 degrees F. oven allowing thirty-five minutes to the pound.