Virtual Coffee

If we were really meeting for coffee this morning I would tell you to head on over here. Its quiet and we can watch the beautiful light dancing through the dew-covered grass outside and talk without distractions. You can pick out your favorite mug, this one I gave to Aunt Lori as a gift when I was going to school at SFSU. Just looking at the cityscape makes me miss it. I am drinking huckleberry cream tea my mom brought back from the last trip to Idaho. It is delicious!! What do you want? Coffee, tea, hot cocoa or an espresso drink? Let's grab a few blankets and chat.

I really cannot believe it is already the week of thanksgiving. I usually feel a little rushed through Thanksgiving with Christmas decorations already in the mall and around town. I LOVE Christmas decorations and how festive they make everything, but the earliness usually annoys me to no end because I want to savor each holiday...rather than be rushed toward the next. But this year I am really trying to embrace it. I am reading Tim Gunn's book "Gunn's Golden Rules" and it is the perfect place to apply his "make it work" philosophy. So I am 'making it work' and instead allowing myself to look at it as a preparation for holiday season...sort of combining thanksgiving and Christmas together as one. What are your thoughts?

Maneuvering through the holidays gets a little tricky in terms of who to see when. Remember Reese Witherspoon's movie "Four Christmases?" Well it's three Christmases in my world. Mom, Dad, and Brent's family. So here is the plan. Two Thanksgivings this year. Tonight with Brent's family, Thursday with my mom's family, then Christmas with my dad. I am baking a mixed berry pie for tonight and pecan for Thursday. I also get to cross off a few more things on my Fall To Do list this week... *Bake a pie and *Learn how to make mom's famous stuffing. I only have 3 things left on my list. Can't wait to post the list when I am done and revel in my accomplishment! What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Do you have any fun traditions? Specific food you are excited about?

It has really been cooling down here. The mornings and nights are very cold and during the day chilly. I'm not really ready for winter...I want fall to stay longer.

Happy Tuesday, have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving with your families! Thanks for the coffee date. I will send you off with a little gift...a recipe perfect for an easy-peasy-cheesy appetizer perfect for the holidays. (Yes I give you permission to laugh at me for what I just said). Everyone will love it I promise!

Brent and I don't care for the taste of wine in our cheese fondue, so we found one without it. The modified version is delicious, more of a melted cheese sauce/dip.

Basic Cheese Fondue

(serves 2-4 for appetizer)

2 Tablespoons margarine or butter

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Dippers...our favorite are cut up granny smith

apples and a sliced warm french baguette**

Place butter in fondue pot. (You could also do in a small crock-pot or even a nonstick saucepan kept at low heat) Turn temperature dial to 200 degrees and allow butter to melt. Add flour and stir until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Stir in salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup grated cheese (any kind works well, I like a combination of mostly cheddar with a little pepper jack). Reduce heat to warm and stir until cheese is melted. Enjoy!!

**This recipe is very versatile...use any dippers from breads to veggies and fruits, any type of cheese, and you can even add beer or hot sauce or other seasonings if you wish!