Re: from Gail re: Thanksgiving food/menu details

[Robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

Responses are inlined below.

 > From: "Gail" <http://www.cox.net/~g3>
 > Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:50:08 -0800
 >
 > Hi Robert and Noelle,
 > 
 > Today I finished planning the Thurs. evening dinner Thanksgiving menu
 > in its detailed form. I know that Don gave you a general outline of
 > it by phone earlier, but these are the details so that Robert can
 > figure out what he needs to bring for him to eat. Don does the food
 > shopping so let him know before Thurs. if you want him to buy more of
 > the ingredients for you to use, Robert.
 > 
 > A prebrined turkey from Trader Joes that is roasted with carrots,
 > celery, apple, orange, and garlic inside with onion, carrot, celery,
 > garlic, parsley, bay leaves, sage, rosemary, and thyme as a bed
 > placed under the turkey while it's roasting with turkey basted with
 > butter and chicken stock.

I will be bringing my usual Tom Tofu.  It is marinating now.  My plan is
to bring the coating separately and will coat and cook the tofu
approximately when we arrive (probably mid-afternoon).

 > The gravy is made by pureeing the cooked ingredients that were under the 
 > turkey along with the pan juices.

Last year, my mom gave me a packet of vegan Quick Gravy.  That's what I'll
be bringing and using for my gravy needs.

 > We will serve with that mashed potatoes (made with butter or Smart Balance 
 > and milk),

If you could set aside the potatoes before you add the butter/margarine
and milk, I'd appreciate it.  I'm planning on bringing some soymilk and
Earth Balance margarine to make my own mashed potatoes.

 > an herb stuffing baked separately with mushrooms, onion, celery, 
 > with eggs, chicken broth and bread cubes in it,

I'll be making a cornbread dressing.  My plan is to bring down the
ingredients for it (I already made the cornbread) and assemble it and cook
it on the stovetop down there.

 > and fresh steamed green 
 > beans.

Could these also be set aside before you add butter/margarine?

 > The salad is Clementine and avocado salad with a homemade shallot 
 > vinaigrette dressing with red onion, clementines, avocadoes, and lettuce in 
 > it.

As long as you don't add eggs or cheese to this, I should be able to eat
this as-is.

 > The dessert is Cran-Apple Crisp with a vanilla sauce made out of butter, 
 > cinnamon, flour, sugar, quick-cooking oats, fresh cranberries, tart 
 > apples, eggnog, and vanilla pudding.

I made an Italian Cheeseless Cake, which I'll be bringing.  Noelle also
plans to make and bring Chocolate Pumpkin Cake.  She may also bring her
rum cake -- I don't know.

 > One breakfast during the weekend I probably will make cheese pancakes
 > with zucchini and pecans that also has in them eggs, ricotta cheese,
 > feta cheese, onion, flour, etc.

I'll be bringing some oatmeal and nuts which I'll have with some soymilk.

 > See you sometime before dinner on Thurs. I believe I will be working on 
 > Wed., so will be doing most of the cooking on Thurs., possibly some Wed. 
 > eve. My brother, Scott, from Orange County says he will not be coming 
 > although I encouraged him to come if he changed his mind on last minute 
 > notice.
 > 
 > As far as we know now, nothing will be going on Fri.-Sun. in S.B. We
 > could perhaps watch some Neflix movies we have in the evenings.We may
 > all take a hike somewhere. If no other plans, I will play tennis
 > Sat. and Sun. AM, and I may go out to lunch with a lady friend whom I
 > haven't seen since at least last Spring one of those days if no other
 > plans. Noelle, since your birthday will be coming up on Dec. 1,
 > please be thinking about what you would like for a gift from us and
 > perhaps we can all go shopping for it (as well as of course think
 > about Christmas gift ideas). We will be in Healdsburg (Romy and James
 > will also be there) for Christmas driving up that Fri. and driving
 > back that Mon. We don't whether or not we'll have time to stop and
 > see you then if you are home, possibly briefly on the way back.

I will be working that day.

 > Best,
 > Gail
 > 
 > ----- Original Message ----- 
 > From: "Robert" <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>
 > To: "Gail" <http://www.cox.net/~g3>
 > Cc: <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg>
 > Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 10:51 AM
 > Subject: Re: Reply from Gail re: Thanksgiving
 > >
 > > > From: "Gail" <http://www.cox.net/~g3>
 > > > Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 10:01:21 -0800
 > > >
 > > > Hi Noelle and Robert,
 > > > 
 > > > We are waiting to hear back from an email I sent to Kim 2 days
 > > > ago to find out what their Holiday plans are and when is the most
 > > > convenient time for us to visit them or have them visit us. We
 > > > have, therefore, at this date no idea where we will be for the
 > > > Thanksgiving Holiday weekend and will let you know as soon as we
 > > > know. If you want to come here anyway, you can always stay here
 > > > alone without us here if it's a matter that you just want to get
 > > > away or visit friends here.
 > >
 > > OK -- that's certainly an option.
 > >
 > > > I believe Noelle has a key to get into our house
 > > > if we aren't here.
 > > >
 > > > Right now I'm home nursing a very bad cold I got from friends this past
 > > > weekend.
 > >
 > > I have had this mild cold for over 1 week now.  Very strange cold.
 > >
 > > > Best,
 > > > Gail and Don
 > > >
 > > > ----- Original Message ----- 
 > > > From: "Robert" <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>
 > > > To: "Gail" <http://www.cox.net/~g3>; "Donald" 
 > > > <http://www.cox.net/~d8>
 > > > Cc: <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg>
 > > > Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2011 6:26 AM
 > > > Subject: Thanksgiving
 > > >
 > > > > Gail/Don,
 > > > > 
 > > > > We're planning on going down to Santa Barbara on Thanksgiving.
 > > > > We'll be leaving on the Sunday after.
 > > > >
 > > > > If that won't work, please tell us.