Are You In The Mood?
Monday, December 1, 2008 at 06:40PM 
We take eating pretty seriously at my house (obviously we don’t take ironing seriously at all). Pictured here is the first course of our Thanksgiving dinner (Brie cheese packages aside a salad with pecans, dried cherries and raspberry vinaigrette). I make most things from scratch. I’m pretty passionate about homemade salad dressing. I truly wish I weren’t quite so picky and that stuff out of a box or bottle tasted better to me. It would save me a lot of time. I have often been quoted that making a really good meal is going to take a time allotment of about 2 hours plus cleaning time. (This does not mean a holiday meal, that’s allotted around 3 days). Luckily I am currently a lady of leisure, house bag, stay at home whatever..... and my family has gotten pretty spoiled.
That can cause problems. The kids go to friends homes for dinner then come home and pull out our leftovers because “they didn’t like the food at so in so’s house”. Kids go off to college and have a hard time adjusting to dorm food. 2 semesters being the record for actually staying in the dorm. (I’d be lying if they didn’t say noise and sharing a bathroom was a factor also). The traveling husband has also been known to phone home complaining about his unmet needs on the road.
All you feminist readers can stop the eye rolling right now, I’m not Betty Crocker or anything lame like that. I have a Bachelors of Science degree for Pete’s sake and have enjoyed several careers. But I am half southern so I do have the unmitigated knack for throwing things together (without measuring) that will most likely result in food that is above and beyond the call of duty. Everyone around here knows that the best meals happen when I am IN THE MOOD to cook. The perceptive of the bunch realize that I can make things quite unpleasant around here when I’m pushed into cooking (or anything else for that matter) when I’m not really feeling it. I can be a real bitch in that respect.
Another little tip: NEVER ask me what is for dinner. That innocuous little question has set off fireworks on occasion. You see with the size of the crowd around here, on any given evening, someone will not be happy with my menu plan. They may foolishly voice their displeasure and next thing they know the wrath of the Mayor will come down upon their head. One of the unspoken rules of this place is if you don’t like what’s been prepared for dinner you keep your trap shut. Then you quietly make yourself an alternative without making an added mess.
Princess #5 is aptly demonstrating this method by not voicing any disgust regarding the well rounded meal pictured here. On the down low, she just whips out the ketchup bottle and dresses up her pasta the way she prefers it. No, I don’t make my own ketchup...it’s Heinz all the way. I once tried to substitue the store brand and it was a no go.
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It really shouldn’t surprise anyone that #3 Princess is a Pastry Chef by trade, currently working in the third floor kitchen of The Whitney in Detroit. It was her idea to do the “Brie cheese packages” (bite sized brie cheese wrapped in phyllo dough with a dollop of blueberry jam hiding inside) to go along side our salads for Thanksgiving dinner this year. I wisely persuaded her to do these a few days ahead of time because she is not a production worker.... she leans towards the artistic side so pastries are actually a good fit for her personality.
First we have a chocolate pyramid accompanied by 4 fresh raspberries stuffed with chocolate fudge topped with a raspberry puree. Secondly for your now salivating tongue we have carrot cake topped with whipped cream and carrot sorbet, which I would prefer in a layered cake with cream cheese icing.
Last but not least we have the last pathetic piece of our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie (one slightly squished piece was all we had left for me to take a picture of today). And while the whipped cream is not homemade this year, but the presentation is as it should be. It looks like a traditional piece of pie!
Detroit, cooking, food, thanksgiving
Reader Comments (8)
I can certainly attest to your marvelous cooking abilities! I would never ask what is for dinner and am always happy to eat whatever you feel like fixing!
By the way, Princess #2 looks beautiful in her chef uniform!
Just glad I saw this post after dinner instead of before. My veggie pizza and salad would not have looked so good...
Call me! (imagine me holding up my right hand with the thumb near my ear and baby finger at mouth)
Love,
Kathy
Princess #2 does look foxy in that chef hat. Damn girl. I am unfortunately a little hung over in that shot. Eeek. Good anti-drinking propaganda for the youngins.
I thought I had a great Thanksgiving but now I feel shafted. It looks soooo delicious!
I'm sure you wouldn't mind, with all of those mouths that you already feed, if I came over for Thanksgiving next year? I'm not American, and celebrate Thanksgiving a month earlier than you do, but I loves me a great holiday.
Your family is beautiful.
Thank you for coming over to the 'dipity and visiting. Hope to see more of you.
Absolutely would love to have some new blogworld friends come on over, shake things up a bit. The more the merrier. Being that you'd be count as a 'blamegum foreigner that kick it up another notch for sure.
Forgive me the grammatical errors. That post Ambien pill posting gets me in trouble frequently. I better say goodnight!
Even though the holiday spirit might not always be there it looks as though you had a great time, and all your food looks so delicious! I didn't know you were such and awesome cook? Next time were together maybe I could be part of the kid's group and get a great meal!
WOW, we are really missing out on some good food! And company too. All of the princesses are beautifik! check out my princes as well!