it's that day again

Last year there was much build up for today, this year I feel ill prepared.  I got up early to run this morning, I have to work all day, and I have not made a single list yet!! (well, ok, there was a list of recipe ingredients that was then made into a grocery store list - ordered by store aisle of course!)

I did my grocery shopping on Monday night, turns out I didn't need too much.  And I only have 3 items left to get*.  I was having trouble finding vegetable boullion - but Melanie assured me it exists.  I found mushroom based "Better than Boullion", but blech I don't like mushrooms.  She said also Knorr's makes a vegetable one.  Now, the Knorr's at my HEB was way up high, and I saw chicken, and beef, and tomato chicken, and an empty space in between.  I decided to scale the shelf and start digging.  I was perched on the end of my shopping cart, clutching tightly to the shelf with one hand, and digging with the other.  It was about this time that the shoppping cart slipped out from under my feet, and I was literaly dangling from the shelf.  So I decided that I could stand on the second to the bottom shelf and it might be easier.  I planted my feet, pulled myself up a little higher, and continued the search.  Only to find out that the empty space wasn't even where the vegetable boullion belonged.  Turns out that HEB didn't have any in stock.  Tonight, to Randall's.

I'm only making "half" of a Thanksgiving dinner this year - since a SchoolFriend of mine and I are splitting the job.  We're having it at her house (it's bigger), which also means I don't have to clean, or prepare for the onslaught of guests.  That's the best part.  I'll be making some breads, stuffing, cream of broccoli soup, and a dessert.  I'll start in on most of it later today - but I've already made my pumpkin ice cream for the dessert.  Feel free to follow my adventures photographically!

*I had 2 quarts of organic vegetable broth in my cart, for $2.73 each when I passed a display of regular HEB vegetable broth for $1.99.  At that time I couldn't remember the price of the organic broth, so I doubled back to check, realized it was more expensive and put it back on the shelf.  Then I began the climb up Mt. We-Don't-Have-Vegetable-Boullion, and forgot to triple back for the cheaper vegetable broth.

compliments

I was happy to be on the receiving end of this compliment during my stats class today...

"What was that thing that you brought to Brian's on Saturday?"
"Stuffed grape leaves?"
"Oh, you made those - they were great!"
"It was my first try, they were ok but they'll be better then next time. What did you think I made?"
"That Texas-shaped cake. I just assume whenever there is a baked good that you've made it. But I guess it's not just the baked goods it's whatever I can't stop eating - that's how I know what you've brought!"

dessert

Simple Baklava

Recipe courtesy: Giada De Laurentiis

1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 stick butter, melted, divided
3 tablespoons honey
12 sheets phyllo dough

Special equipment: 2 mini-muffin tins
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the almonds, walnuts, apricots, bread crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt in a food processor. Run the machine until the mixture is very finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and the honey and stir to combine.

On a dry work surface place 1 sheet of phyllo. Using a pastry brush and the remaining melted butter, lightly cover the entire sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Cover the first sheet with a second sheet of phyllo and brush with melted butter. Continue until there is a stack of 6 sheets of phyllo. Cut the stacked phyllo rectangle into 12 equal pieces (Cut lengthwise into 4 pieces and widthwise into 3 pieces.)

Gently press each cut piece of phyllo into the mini-muffin tin cups. Press 1 tablespoon of the nut mixture into each of the phyllo cups. Gather the ends of each of the phyllo squares and twist to make a sachet shape. Continue shaping the remaining sachets in the other mini-muffin tin. Bake until the edges of the phyllo are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the baklava sachets and transfer to a serving plate.

evoo

my veggies in a frying pan turned out pretty not too horrible.

for those who are interested:
evoo, garlic, tomatoes, yellow and green peppers, red onion, and cilantro, on top of chicken