Day two began with me sleeping in for a delightfully long time, only to wake up and find it was still quite early on the West Coast- I love that! We got ready and headed down to the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Market Building.  First up was some delicious dark chocolate almond brittle from G.L. Alfieri Nuts & Fruits, which may be one of the tastiest and most addicting brittles I have ever sampled.  They also have a great selection of nuts and spreads, but that brittle will be ordered for holiday events!  We then sampled some beautiful peaches, then it was on to Ex-Absinthe/Arlequin pastry chefLuis Villavelazquez’s Les Elements Patisserie where we had an amazing strawberry jelly doughnut and lamb turnover.  We knew strawberry was the way to go as the day before we could see beautiful fresh strawberries all over the fields.  And that filling was fresh and delicious.  The Lamb Turnover was also good, wish I could have toasted it just a little, but was a nice savory morning bite.  I am so sorry to say I can’t figure out who I got the lovely little macarons from in front of the building, which is a real shame as she also had some lime caramel which was so good, Hubby loved that.

Inside the building we had an amazing hot dog at the Prather Ranch Meat Co. hormone and antibiotic free, with a great crispness, but juicy beef taste.    Across the lane I slurped down some fresh, briny oysters at the San Francisco Fish Company.

We sampled some Pepples Doughnuts, which may be my favorite cake doughnut of all time and right up there in my top three of all doughnuts.  I am very sad they don’t ship (it’s not sustainable, I know, I know).  But their cake was moist and not overly dense and their flavors were magical, made from fresh and wonderful product, like meyer lemon or green tea.  If anyone going to SF wants to ship me some of these home, you are more than welcome.  I will repay the favor somehow, someway.  Having just eaten an awful large amount of gluten for my system (I only had bites of things, but it adds up, luckily I stayed lactose free and that seems to be more of a problem for me) I picked up a Mariposa sandwich made with Boccalone salami for later.

We then stepped outside and as it had gotten a little later there were hoards everywhere.  Luckily we made it to Primavera for great lemonade and tea.  I had the Chi Chi Rodriguez which may be the best peach tea I have ever tasted (do you see a pattern here?) .  I wish I could get this stuff bottled.  It has all my drink loves- tea, ginger and peach all rolled into one delicious, balanced drink that I had to ration so I didn’t down it in seconds.  Stepping back in we stopped in McEnvoy Ranch and Heath Ceramics, which is just so special they will get their own post just for them.  I also found a wealth of new cookbooks I NEED (def. NEED- something I want very badly, and must acquire because it is superawesomefantabulous)(nevermind that my cookbook shelf is packed to the rim).  To balance off the meatasticness of the morning we stopped in DELICA to get some salad, I got mine in the form of spinach and sesame, but they had a seaweed salad that looked super healthy and good too- next time!

I would have bought so much more except we were going right from there over to the SFMOMA and then to Golden Gate Park!  But most everyplace, but Pepples, ships so I am in luck, plus I couldn’t eat any more and needed to burn off some calories walking.  The SFMOMA had the Gertrude Stein collection visiting and the number of rare Matisse and Picasso’s was just phenomenal.  There was also a beautiful Monet Lithograph with so many colors.  The permanent collection was also very interesting with a lot of work that was beautiful and thought provoking.  One of the fun moments was seeing the Matthew Blarney work, the person the internets always confuses my Hubby with.  After all that walking I needed a short break to rest the footsies.  We were close to Press Club, a fantastic wine bar with a by the glass list that just makes me happy.  The staff has wonderful knowledge of all the tastes and provides very helpful feedback without being wine pontzs.  It has a dark, but very clean and modern  wood motif, with back lights and matte wine bottles in khaki colors.  It is a great place to sit and relax, there are multiple bars and many seating areas.  And just so relaxing.

After this I ate my Mariposa sandwich at Golden Gate Park.  Umm, this is incredible gluten free bread.  It makes me cry that they are so far away.  They do ship though.  It is so much like real bread.  It is chewy and light and airy with good pull and texture.  Why can’t this place be at a Farmer’s Market here!!!  It was soo good.  The sandwich rolls were especially good, so much better than anything I have found.  If anyone wants to go in on a shipment with me let me know!!

Golden Gate Park was beautiful, the conservatory had an amazing exhibit on Wicked Plants!  They also had amazing orchids and temperate gardens.  They also had a beautiful Dahlia garden, one of my favorite flower varieties.  The Japanese Tea Garden was very neat, but I felt the one in Sydney and the Huntington were better.  The other gardens weren’t very well kept, but still nice to walk around.  I think they have probably suffered from some budget cuts.  After all that walking we headed back to the hotel for a pre-dinner nap, as it was a long day in beautiful sunshine.

Then the cherry on the sundae was dinner at Incanto!  I love me some tasty salted pig parts.  And I really like Chris Cosentino’s philosophy towards food.  The dinner was stellar, the Chef was in the kitchen.  Starting with the wonderful foccacio bread and tapenade.  Then moving onto a country harm puree with spring root vegetables.  This country hame puree was a delight, like really good grits, but smoother, denser, creamy, but in an amazing savory way.  I also had the lavender lemonade, which just hit me, as did the puree as something I must make, they were just simple wonderful pleasures.  I then had the pork shoulder with onion, apple and greens which was dense with meat flavor, but very light with simple, balanced flavors.  Hubby had the ragu and that was rich and just homey and wonderful, like a hug from your fat aunt, it consumes you with a joyful fullness.  It is simple, complex food, the technique is impeccable, but the food is honest and not overdone.  Too stuffed for dessert we headed for Clock Bar for some liquid dessert, it was ok, drinks were good, but atmosphere just needed something, it was too hotely, although trying so hard not to be, I would rather do the Top of the Mark and have the view.

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We arrived in San Francisco airport around 10:00 a.m. West Coast time and hit the road for Carmel and Monterey.  Of course I was starving, really starving, but didn’t want to ruin a nice lunch on the coast.  So Hubby suggested we stop for an In and Out Burger, as I had never had one.  There isn’t one in the city, but using the great app Next EXIT we found one off the highway on our way.  The app is excellent in places where they don’t label the exits or you just want to see what else is out there, beyond the signs.  It gives you the options and when you pass the exit it moves to the next.  We split a hamburger with fries.  The fries were really light and crisp and not overly salty like so many french fries.  The burger tasted fresh, with actual ripe tomato, the sauce was ok- I would save the cals and add ketchup or mustard.  It was definitely good for fast food, but not something to go out of your way for.  Then we headed through Santa Cruz and down the coast for Monterey.  If you can hold your hunger a little bit there are some amazing looking road stands on that drive out in farm country.  You could see them picking the fresh strawberries and artichokes, mmmm.

Monterey is incredibly touristy, mind you, but the aquarium is really fantastic.  I have been to aquariums all over the world- because yes I am five inside- I love aquariums like some people like art, or shoes or breathing.   But because I have been to so many, I have a fairly high standard at this point.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium is spectacular.

But to be honest one of the things that makes it spectacular is the restaurant.  Oh no not the cafeteria- the real restaurant.  You have to go to the hostess stand and then wait a bit, but you can look through the aquarium then.  Then you sit down with an amazing view over Monterey Bay with otters playing in the bay, and not just a couple, but piles of them.  There were seals swimming around and sunning themselves the birds flying in and out of the kelp beds fishing.  This might be one of the most fantastic dining spots for a nature enthusiast.  (Bring good binoculars, the ones on the table are not adequate.)  They serve wine and beer, have fantastic organic and local food and desserts.  I had a lovely California Bass, pan roasted with sauteed vegetables and roasted potatoes and a reduction sauce of butter and apricot.  It was an incredibly high end lunch that was relaxing and just amazing looking out watching the bay teeming with little otters playing in the sun.  The exhibits are quite breath taking, they light the exhibits so well and they have a huge section of things you can TOUCH!  If you have a small child, or a me, expect to spend a whole day here.  Check out my pics for some of the amazing exhibits from seahorses to jellyfish.

After this we drove through the lovely Pacific Grove with misty, rocky, craggy coastline sprinkled with beaches.  We then drove through Pebble Beach- which for us who don’t know- the whole area has quite a number of golf courses.  You have to pay to do the drive, but the pull offs and views are really quite nice to enjoy.

We then ended up in Carmel and Carmel by the Sea.  We perused lots of cute shops.  Drove by beautiful houses.  We checked out the Nielsen Brothers Market which was a combination between normal little super market and gourmet store, farmers market, but the wine selection inside was very nice, especially local wines.  Thinker Toys across the street has an amazing ferris wheel built out of Tinker Toys and a really great selection of neat toys and vintage toy items.  They had a number of cute dog shops, as well.  Lots of clothing shops and shoe shops with neat things.  But the galleries were the real draw.  We really liked the selection at   Gallery 1000 Fine Art.  So much we thought about purchasing a piece, that is unfortunately a little too big for our space.  There is also the George Rodrique- known for Blue Dog- Studio and so many other great galleries.  I almost found that piece I have been looking for to place in the dining room.

There are so many good choices of places to eat in Carmel by the Sea.  With fresh ingredients grown so close, it is hard to screw them up.  We wanted something light after a long day of traveling and we wandered into Mundaka, a Spanish tapas restaurant using local ingredients.  It was a great choice.  The setting is really nice, and food was excellent.  We had a hilarious group of neighbors in the dining room that made it quite a humorous evening, but our server was so nice and gracious (we could have asked to move to multiple other seating options, but it was like watching simultaneous train wrecks).  We started with fried squash blossoms with chili oil.  They were crisp and light with a sweet taste that balanced well with the chili oil.  We then moved on to patatas bravas which were crisp and spicy and a good version. Squash and zucchini spaghetti with almonds and pecorino were very fresh and vibrant.  Lamb chops with mashed potatoes and some herbed olive oil were cooked perfectly with nice gamey flavor, and tenderness.  The lavender pork skewers with almost a kimchi like side of greens was not what I was expecting, but a nice taste and very different. I really loved this little place and we didn’t want a huge meal, even with this we ordered to much, but it was all fresh and prepared well.  The staff was gracious and very nice.  They had a great wine list, but we stook to there homemade lemonade in preparation for the ride back to San Francisco, which was crisp and refreshing.  From the pictures, the lighting after dark seems pretty cool too, we left before dark to get home!  (Pictures from their website- not our meal.)

Last but not least: Home Sweet Home at the Huntington Hotel.  This place has quickly jumped onto my short list of fantastic hotels.  The customer service is amazing, they are so nice and personable, by the second day they recognize you.  Housekeeping was Nay, who told us if we needed anything to call her at any time.  The doormen were just friendly and helpful as can be.  The room itself was spacious and clean, with a mix of modern and antique furnishings and art.  The bathroom was huge with a large vanity, the room had floor length mirrors, a necessity in my book.  L’Occitaine amenities were quite adequate.  The view from our room was just amazing, one of the perks of being on the top of Nob Hill.  And they have a spa, that I WILL go to next time.  It looked incredible and has a pool and sunning patio overlooking the other side of the city.  The hotel and staff are amazing, this is the place to stay in San Francisco.  Below you can see our exact room and incredible view.  MMMMM, I can close my eyes and dream of this place.

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To all my readers who have diligently followed this post, I wanted to let you know that the 43rd Annual Autumn Glory Festival will be held in Oakland, Maryland from October 6-10, 2010.

I love Autumn in Garrett County, the leaves are beautiful, the air is crisp and people are in such a good mood.  This year I am not so sure how the leaves will fair as it is pretty dry up there, but never the less the festival goes on.

My favorites are listed below, but here is the best listing of events I have seen.  This is a great event to come up for even if just a day or two.

1. The Grand Feature parade on Saturday.  The parade has bands from across the area, commercial floats, Shriners Clubs and so much more, lasting at least an hour and half normally.  Just seeing the kids and adults alike line up to watch the spectical pass feels like a bit of Americana living on.  Not to mention all the good food available in town such as the sausage sandwiches at the fire hall and rotary fries.

2. Oakland Women’s Civic Club Antique Show at the Armory.  This is a huge hall of antique vendors selling all sorts of antiques from furniture, to political memorabilia to jewelery and holiday kitsch.  I always find some great Christmas presents here.

3. No-Hands Ice Cream Eating Contest at Lakeside Creamery.  Although it might be harder to distinguish the culinary great that is homemade ice cream from Lakeside Creamery while scarfing it down in the contest, you no doubt will have a lot of fun helping them finish off the last ice cream for the season.

4. The State Banjo and Mandolin Competition at Southern High School on Friday Night and Fiddle Competition on Saturday Night.  There is some amazing music to be heard here, and you might be surprised how much you will enjoy it even if you aren’t normally a fiddle or banjo type.

5. Western Maryland Tournament of the Bands at Southern High School on Saturday Night.  Bring some blankets to cuddle under while you watch marching bands from across the region battle it out for points and trophies.

This year I am hoping to catch the Antique Car Show which I never get to make.

But if you get a little tired of festival events, I find a diversion out to Swallow Falls to walk and hike the trails is a nice relaxing end to the weekend.  This time of year it is also dog friendly so your Pooch can get some exercise while you enjoy the foliage and views.  I think there are pictures in the archives from last year here.

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Readers get ready because Clarendon Day is near!  If you have never been to Clarendon Day, it is a lot of fun.  There is live music, food vendors galore from a lot of very good restaurants, arts and craft vendors and lots of wholesome family fun.  September 25, 2010 from 11 am to 5pm.  We will be there with the Puppy (there are always lots of well behaved dogs around)!  For more info click here.

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Luckily for you all these trips have given me all sorts of inspiration.

Last weekend was Adam and Rita, my brother and sister in law’s wedding in beautiful Garrett County, Maryland.  It was really a lovely wedding, and everything they wanted.  The weather held up nicely, too, always a bit of a question this time of year in Garrett County.

The venue was Chanteclaire Farm in Friendsville, Maryland.  This is a lovely farm that has been remodeled to fit all the needs you have for a special occasion.  The food was fantastic thanks to Christiana and Fred Bergheim and their great skill with French cooking and baking.  There are real bathrooms, they have a new hardwood floor for the barn, so no tripping or having to watch your step.  The barn is beautifully decorated.  There are nice outside spots for pictures.  And there are other small buildings for getting ready.  A few pictures below:

My only qualm is that I wish the walkway to the ceremony location was dug out and the stones cemented in to make it a little easier to walk down, but that is a minor quibble.

Another highlight was Karlo Gesner’s photography, site here.  Karlo took amazing pictures that really captured the essence and personality of my Brother and Sister, without being intrusive.  I have seen a lot of wedding photos, but these really had an amazing artistic quality to them and were much better than many I have seen. My brother and sister had a vintage themed wedding and the pictures had an amazing vintage quality to them while still being crisp and fresh.

I would highly recommend Karlo.  Check out his gallery on his site, I will post a couple pictures he took of Adam and Rita when I get them, with their permission.  And by the time the reception was taking place he had edited the best photos and had them up on his iMac so that guests could view them which was really neat.  There are a lot of photographers that can capture great photos, but I think some wedding photographers such as Karlo and Dominique Attaway (who took my pictures) can really capture so much more in a photo and it is worth seeking those people out, as their prices are really the same.  And when you are paying that much for a wedding package, you really should get the best.

Next week something that seems to be a problem- good wedding cake toppers.

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The sight for the festival is a nice peninsula that allows people to arrive by land or sea and have a nice view of the water.

They fill the area with tents serving a plethora of delicious goodies.

So here is the strategy:  There are very few picnic tables and they go fast, so you need to bring some outdoor folding chairs.  Some people even haul in their own tables, but that seems a little extreme.  They give you a small tray that is pretty sufficient, but requires multiple trips, which is the best way to eat your way around the items. What they don’t have readily available is eating utensils, there were spoons for soup and ice cream, but other than that you are on your own.  I would perhaps consider bringing a fork as some items served I would have preferred to eat with a fork. You will need to pace yourself as really you will want to try a bit of everything.

The Chow:

Clam Chowder, BBQ, Coleslaw, French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon and Sugar, Corn on the Cobb, Hush Puppies, Crab Cakes, Soft-Shell Crabs, Scallops, Fried Fish, Salad,  Shrimp, Fried Oysters and Ice Cream.

For me the shrimp just cooked with Old Bay was a winner.  The shrimp were large and juicy, not over cooked or tough.  I also really enjoyed the Sweet Potato Fries, but would have preferred them more well done.  The fried oysters were delicious, hot and briney and very fresh.  Even the BBQ was quite tasty with a good smokey taste.

They had booths for wine, beer, mixed drinks and non-alcoholic drinks, and all the alcohol was included in the price of the admission ticket.

It wasn’t a gourmet extravaganza, but it was a beautiful Southern down home evening where friends and family gathered, ate good fresh seafood and listened to music while supporting the local Rotary Club.

I think Rotary is a really well run organization with excellent community involvement.  They support local, national and international causes such as eliminating polio.

Unfortunately and fortunately I didn’t win any of the raffle prizes- I was really looking forward to the crab lovers cruise for two with all you can eat crabs.  But I don’t know that I would have had a spot for the acryllic pelican painting.

Anyway this would be a good reason to make a trip to Northern Neck, you could stay at the beautiful Tides Inn or Hope and Glory Inn, enjoy some wine tastings at White Fences and check out some of the cute local shops in the area.

Tickets are 75% sold out, so act fast if you want to go!  I will have to miss it this year, due to my brother’s wedding… so the food at his wedding better be really good.

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Sunday June 27 from 6-8

From their email:

An early head’s up reminder to one and all to join us in June for the annual Buzz Bark Bash presented in conjunction with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s Annual “Salute to the Animal Caregivers.”

This is easily one of our favorite events of the year and we’ll again kick off the day with an adoption event from 10am-12noon – with a celebration later in the day with all the kind folks from the AWLA.

We’ll once again roll out the Designer Dog Cupcakes, Doggie Ice Cream and homemade Dog Biscuits, all baked and ready go – and Planet Wine has promised to be on-hand once again with the fluids to keep the merriment of the day flowing. Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for more!

Buzz
901 Slaters Lane
Alexandria Virginia 22314
(703) 600-2899

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Melbourne

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Where to stay: The Park Hyatt.

As you might know from previous posts or just happen to realize for me to rave about a hotel it must be pretty nice.  Well the Park Hyatt Melbourne rates up there in terms of even the hotels I like.  I don’t need a huge superior room, what I need is a clean, comfortable, quiet room with a nice view, a great bathroom and nice amenities.

We went to Australia in May, which is their fall, but it meant off season rates in Melbourne and Sydney, not a ton of tourists and nice crisp, but warm weather.  We got a great deal at the Park Hyatt at less than $200 a night.

For that we got a really nice comfortable king size bed, valet attendants that helped us figure out how to work our GPS system, a hotel that was a close walk to most of the attractions in Melbourne, a huge bathroom with a shower that had a tv and speakers, a electric tea kettle with good tea and nice toiletries that I actually used.

Also the breakfast served here was wonderful. There was a really nice a la carte menu, but we normally went for the buffet with a huge selection of fruits, breads, cereals, juices, cheeses, charcuterie and hot items including the traditional English breakfast of course.  We normally had long days of walking or exploring ahead of us so a nice big breakfast really hit the spot.

What to do:  The very top of your to do list should be the Queen Victoria Market.  This is a huge market.  They have some little restaurants, fish market, meat market, a deli section with stalls selling breads, meats, cheeses, olives, dried goods, eggs, honey, teas and everything else you could imagine.  Then outside they have fresh produce.  They have a lot of produce that is hard to find here like Nooshi a fruit that is like a small juicy apple and very fresh ripe Passionfruit.  Also outside are bins of flour and other grains and people selling wines and other homemade goods.  Then in back of that is a huge flea market.  My favorites were a cracked black pepper meat pie sold at a deli in the bottom left section.  The crust was flaky, it was piping hot and fresh and the fresh cracked black pepper made it the best meat pie of the trip.  Hubby and I also picked up some kangaroo salami, cheese, bread and fruits to take with us on our adventure out to the country that afternoon.

If you are adventurous- and you should be this is Australia for God’s sake- I highly suggest renting a car and driving down to Philips Island.  Now I went mainly for my obsession with non-flying birds of the black and white variety, which you can see nightly.  We got the “Ultimate Penguin Experience” which was really great.  You were taken to a separate area for viewing and walked down the beach to a small break in the dunes where we sat for probably about an hour and fifteen minutes watching with night vision googles little penguins teetering all around you within feet.  Then you hike back along the road spotting little Philips Island Penguins running and nesting all about you.  We were unfortunate and fortunate enough to be able to touch a penguin that was rescued by our ranger when we saw him injured and floundering on the beach in front of us.  I am sure they took good care of him.

Also on Philips Island is a koala sanctuary where you can view koalas a couple feet away doing there thing aka sleeping or eating, I think that’s all they do honestly.  They are cute as can be!  Also if you are lucky like us you will also see some wandering wallabies throughout the park grazing on grasses.

Philips Island also has an area called the nobbies that has beautiful rock outcropping.  Sometimes they have seals, but we didn’t see any on our visit (apparently they sometimes have Great Whites too).  And a working farm.  What we enjoyed most was the beautiful scenery and quiet beaches.

For eclectic shopping and some really good casual restaurants check out Brunswick Street.  This was my favorite area in all Melbourne.  The cute store signs and shop fronts give way to cute fashions, home goods, amazing coffee and tea shops.

Where to eat:

Now we didn’t do a lot of fancy eating in Melbourne, there are so many great casual restaurants to check out and the market was just so tasty, but we had a really great dinner at Movida- Bar de Tapas.  The atmosphere is laid back with nice low lighting.  The croquettes were just like what you get in Madrid.  We also sampled the San Jacobo de Cordonice a quail stuffed with cheese and ham, Pimientio de Piquuillo hickory smoked peppers with potato and salt cod and some other small plates while Hubby had a Bees Knees Beer and I drank some good Australian wine.

While exploring Brunswick we check out the Real Greek Souvlaki Bar where we had huge gyros and lamb platters filled with juicy and flavorful lamb, ripe tomatoes and tasty pita.  Hubby laughed at the size of my gyro, it was a food as big as your head moment.

We also stopped on our way back from Philips Island at a co-op fish and chippery.  I think getting some fresh fish and chips and a meat pie is kind of one of those quid essential things to do, just make sure you have lots of napkins.

In  Sum: Melbourne we love you to death and really we do want more time with you.  You are a dirty mistress to our love of Barcelona and Melbourne, and while we might not be able to work you into our regular rotation, you will be on our mind.  So keep stylin.

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Normally Hubby and I get a real tree, but this year we are going sans tree because of how busy our schedule has turned out to be.  And the Momma who normally helps me decorate is away this week in Barbados.  So here is a simple guide for decorating a condo for Christmas.

If you get a tree, I really recommend a live tree.  They are a bit of a pain in the butt, but they look and smell so nice.  Try to get a fresh tree.  I prefer Douglas fir or Frasier firs.  Make sure when the tree is cut that you give it lots and lots of water until the sap seals the tree.  When putting the Christmas tree stand down.  First put a plastic bag or something to keep any water off your floor.  Next I like to place a little padding to keep the stand from scratching the floors, like a rag rug or old towel.  Then the stand goes down.  If you have a big tree I suggest securing it to the wall with fishing line or nylon line.  Let the tree fall for a good day or so before decorating.  I really recommend the new LED lights because they are so much less of a fire hazard and use a lot less energy.

It can be as much or as little as you like.  My Mom gets a table top tree from Whole Foods and they are really cute for a small place. And if you like color try finding a foil tree with a color wheel.

I have a wreath that I really liked a few years ago, but  now it is looking a bit shabby.  So I secured a new ribbon on it, and adorned it with gold stars.  You can always buy a plain wreath and glue or use wire to secure ornaments or adornments to make it special. Often you can spruce up old wreaths with new decorations or inserting some flowers.

Make a focal point in your main room.  For us it normally is the fireplace in the living room which is open to the dining area and kitchen.  We normally line it with boxwood or greenery from  Meadows Farms or Cox Farms, that we then wrap garland around.  Hang the stockings, put some Christmas items on the mantle, maybe some big poinsettas and voila.  Since our place is relatively small and cohesive, I try to continue the same theme of color throughout the house.  This year it is green, red and gold.

Make sure to put some holiday touches in each other room, I like putting poupouri that smells like Christmas trees around because I love that scent.  My nutcracker collection and other Christmas items get placed.  I like to hang wreaths in the windows with battery candles below.  My favorite wreaths are grapevine ones that you can add ornaments, parts of Christmas cards or other special memories.  Maybe a few poinsettias because I love fresh flowers in the house.

Then the table gets dressed.  If you are having people over, I recommend getting or making a nice Christmas flower arrangement for the table because it really sets the look off.  If you are buying one, make sure to go to a good independent florist and make sure it matches your design and theme.  I often specify the flowers and colors to be used.  If you want something minimal and elegant you might have to choose your florist carefully.  I really like Blue Iris on Capitol Hill.

But a nice hurricane or a large bowl, with ornaments or holly would go over nicely as a centerpiece too. I think fully dressed tables just look beautiful in a home if you are having people over for a meal.  If you need help with correct table setting here you go, but remember you can get creative.

Don’t be afraid to remove wall art temporarily for a switch to something festive.

Need more ideas?  Check out open houses at Florists or Garden centers nearby or take a hint from the Master- here is a link to the Martha Stewart Christmas Gallery.

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In my family cooking is a group ordeal, except for putting the turkey in the oven, which my Aunt always does because my Mother and I just don’t get up that early.  This year I already have four pies baked.  One pumpkin custard and one pecan will go to my friend Warren’s house.  I made them pie one year because I had an extra pie crust and well pecan pie is so easy and now it has become tradition.  They would probably let me come over and cook their whole entire meal if I gave them the option, but no Warren it isn’t an option, sorry.  But to fulfill my need to cook I decided I would give you readers some good tips:

1. Giada’s Ciabata Pancetta recipe is really good.  I make it without the garlic.  This is wonderful stuffing that has  a very savory and satisfying taste, a little crunch, some crispy pancetta, but your normal savory and tender flavors of carrot and celery.  I just love it.

2. When making mashed potatoes use evaporated milk instead of fresh milk.  And let the butter sit a bit at room temperature before using it.  You will use a lot of butter and salt to make good mashed potatoes, and you know what it’s Thanksgiving so go for it.  This is a go big or go home day.  (My Mother is probably appalled that I am giving you all this secret, but sorry Mom they won’t get our pie recipes)

3.  The secret to good gravy is a good turkey, brine the thing and cook it well with butter and herbs under the skin, don’t pull it out too early and save all those pan juices.  Then roux it up! Make sure you sift your flour so there are no lumps and whisk, whisk, whisk.

4. Buy the cranberries in the bag and make the recipe on the bag.  My Uncle insists on canned gelatin cranberry sauce, which doesn’t taste like real cranberries at all, and I just don’t think it is right.  Perhaps he doesn’t like very tart things?  But I really think the real deal is very good, it has nice texture and flavor that bursts into your mouth with a fresh tangy taste. My Father in Law makes a cranberry, tangerine jello mold that is actually one of the highlights of the meal for me, it has a low jello ratio and is baked with fresh fruit.

5. Make homemade pies.  They aren’t very complicated (you can buy the crust if you want), but store bought pie is so lackluster.

6. Make sure your smoke alarm works.  (Just in case.  And on this note- if you are one of the idiots who deep fry your turkey inside, look up how many houses catch on fire that way and move it outside you lazy ahem (beeeeeeeps))

7. Yeast rolls.  I highly recommend if you can’t make rolls yourself to get them from a good bakery, not the grocery store.  Great Harvest Bread Co.  makes really good North Carolina yeast rolls that remind me of home (they call them old fashioned white at the Vienna store), I think all locations are a bit different so I am not sure if your local one will have it, but hopefully so.  Well not my house, but a great restaurant at home that I can still close my eyes and dream of how their rolls tasted.  Nowadays my family normally had my Amish Nanny make us some pumpkin rolls.  Mom used to make these herself, but now with all the traveling and etc it just doesn’t normally happen.

8.  If you can get your hands on real butter, use real butter.  I have a big block a family member made me that I have been using and it really makes such a difference.

9. And last surround yourself with people you love- whether they are family, friends or people who need a companion and some cheer for the day.

10. Lastly when you can stand those people anymore, you can get a lot of online Christmas shopping done and get many of the same deals as black Friday in the stores.  Or go take a walk or enjoy holiday festivities that might be going on around you.

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