Thankful

Well, Thanksgiving is tomorrow! My husband and I will be spending a quiet, cozy Thanksgiving for two at our house this year. I've got the menu planned (smoked turkey, gravy, my mom's cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, my great grandmother's green pea casserole, seared brussels sprouts with bacon lardons, whipped potatoes, and pumpkin pie), and I know how I want to set the table (I just have to iron the tablecloth, my least favorite thing ever).  All that's really left to do is the cooking in the eating, and that's what I'm best at! But before I get elbow deep in crumbled cornbread and cranberries, I want to take a moment to be thankful.  

(Card from Rifle Paper Co)

I'm thankful for the family and friends in my life. I'm thankful for the food on our table and the roof over our heads And I'm thankful for where we are in life, for where we've been, and for the path we have ahead of us. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

Sunday Morning in the South End

Sunday was bitterly cold with gusting winds, but my husband and I intrepidly ventured out of our home and spent the morning exploring the South End, a part of town that we don't make it to very often. It's quintessential Boston: gorgeous old brownstones, tree lined narrow streets, and cute little shops and restaurants tucked into every nook and cranny. 

The first order of business was breakfast at Mike and Patty's.  It's a tiny place, and it was packed. The one six-seater table was full, and the rest of us piled on top of each other in front of the counter, happy to be out of the cold. The phone was ringing off the hook with call-in orders, and the cooks were making sandwiches as fast as they could manage. The wait was 30 minutes, which apparently was a pretty slow Saturday morning for them. 

We're normally not fans of crowded spots, but we loved this place. Everyone pitched in to help. People with free hands passed sandwiches from the kitchen to folks at the table. A gentleman standing by the coffee station was on cardboard sleeve duty, passing them over as customers got their coffee.  Those who lived in the neighborhood got their sandwiches to go, while the rest of us waited for seats to open up at the table. We finally squeezed into a spot just as our sandwiches came out of the kitchen. This beauty is the breakfast grilled cheese: salty bacon, a runny egg, and cheddar and american cheese all between two buttery pieces of toasted white bread. This might be the perfect breakfast sandwich.

After finishing our sandwiches, we gave up our coveted seats and headed over to a new shop called Farm and Fable, specializing in kitchen antiques and vintage cookbooks. We had so much fun poking around the shelves, flipping through the books, and admiring all of the pretties. 

I came home with a set of green cut-glass glasses. Aren't they lovely? I can't wait to use them for Thanksgiving!

Across the street from Farm and Fable is the South End outpost of Formaggio Kitchen.  This place is a treasure trove of local and imported food and beverages. Shelves are packed with honey, jam, chocolate, pickles, spices, pasta, wines, craft beers, you name it. One case holds delicacies like foie gras mousse and duck confit while a case in the back is filled with wheels of cheese. A person could spend hours in here!

We sampled a couple wines and cheeses, stocked up on some rare beers, and picked out drinks for Thanksgiving (a Spanish white wine and cider from Normandy). Then my husband dragged me out of there before I could try to buy the entire store!

We then headed back home, spoils from the morning's excursion in tow. It was a fun morning, but we were glad to come in out of the cold. We spent the rest of the day where it was cozy and warm: on the couch watching football!

Stitch Fix: Possibly The Best Thing Ever

Have y'all heard about Stitch Fix? I had a couple friends try it with rave reviews, so I decided to give it a shot myself. And I love it! It's basically a personal shopper service for those of us that have trouble finding time to go shopping (and/or have trouble keeping up with the latest trends).  You simply fill out a style profile (size information, style preferences, and preferred price range), and they send you a box of 5 items selected just for you! Deliveries can be as frequent as once a month or as infrequently as you request them.

My first box arrived last week, and it was like Christmas had come early.

Inside, I found a note, tissue-wrapped bundles, cards to help style my pieces, and even a few holiday recipes.

The clothes were very cute, fit well, and were in the price range I requested (and best of all, I didn't have to step foot into a mall). My favorites were a navy polka dot blazer. a teal knit dress, and a black and white stripe sweater with a pink block across the top and shoulders. A gold knotted pair of earrings were pretty as well. I didn't care for one item, a floral top, but thankfully a friend liked it enough to buy it (Stitch Fix offers a 25%-off discount if you keep all five items -- I'm such a sucker for a deal).  

If you want to send items back, they include a bag for returns that you just drop into a mail box within 3 days of receiving your "Fix." Afterward, check-out online, paying for what you keep and providing feedback on each piece to help them improve for your next delivery. And that's it!

If you're interested, give Stitch Fix a try* ! I can't wait to get another box (though I'm going to wait a few months in an attempt to exercise some self discipline).

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*Full disclosure: I get a $25 credit for referrals, but honestly, this was so much fun that I would recommend it to people with or without the monetary incentive

Mom's Macaroni and Cheese

As Thanksgiving draws near, I always get a little homesick. We stay in Boston for the holiday, and while I love hosting and cooking and decorating, I miss spending the day with family.  To help with the homesickness, I cook. I turn to my mom's recipes written in a notebook that she started for me when I left for college. She cooks based on memory and instinct so this is the only place where a lot of her recipes are written down. Opening the cover and seeing her handwriting brings a smile to my face. As I work my way through the steps, it's like she's in the kitchen with me. Once I begin cooking, familiar aromas fill my kitchen, and I feel like I've been transported back to hers. 

One of my favorites is her macaroni and cheese. Elbow noodles are tossed with a rich cheese sauce and topped with more grated cheese before going into the oven. It's simple and classic, the perfect comfort food. You could jazz it up in a million ways, but I prefer to make it just like this!

Ingredients

2 cups elbow macaroni noodles

4 Tb butter

4 Tb flour

1 1/4 cup milk (it helps if it's warmed slightly)

1 1/4 cups + 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375. 

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt the water and then add the noodles. Cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile make a roux by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add in the flour, stirring to combine. Cook, stirring continually, for ~2 minutes to cook the flour.

Gradually pour in the milk, stirring to remove lumps and to prevent scorching. Once all of the milk is added, continue stirring until the sauce begins to thicken. 

At that point, begin adding in ~1 1/4 cups of cheese a small handful at a time, stirring to incorporate. The cheese should melt into the liquid to make your cheese sauce.  If your sauce gets a bit too thick, just add in a little more milk. Salt to  taste. 

Drain the macaroni once it's done, and toss with the cheese sauce. Pour the macaroni into a greased 9"x13" or 8"x8" casserole dish. Top with the remaining grated cheese.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the macaroni is bubbly (~20 min for an 8"x8" or ~12 min for the 9"x13").

Neillio's Turkey Terrific

As Thanksgiving draws closer, I've been craving one of my favorite sandwiches: the Turkey Terrific from Neillio's Gourmet Kitchen in Lexington. Though it's served year-round, it never seems right to order it until the holidays are drawing near. Neillio's is one of those places you might never notice driving by. Even when you step inside, it's not much to look at. There aren't even seats. But oh, the sandwiches!

(photo from Neillio's Gourmet Kitchen)

Just be prepared for a bustling, slightly unorganized line. It's easiest if you know exactly what you want before you get there, because you need to be prepared to yell your order to one of the gentlemen behind the counter as soon as they look your way. Things move fast back there to keep the line moving.  And try to remember who took your order, because he'll be the one calling out the name of your sandwich when it's ready. This time of year when everyone's ordering the Turkey Terrific, you don't want to accidentally take someone else's! And since this is New England, be prepared for a little bit of friendly ribbing. Even though the guys are busy, they enjoy taking a few seconds to bust your chops if they can. 

Now, let's get down to the important stuff. The sandwich. While Neillio's serves hot entrees, soups, and sides, I've only tried the sandwiches, and this one is the best. Warm, soft french bread is sliced and spread with mayo and tart-sweet cranberry sauce. Thick slabs of freshly roasted turkey are piled on followed by the piece de resistance: a generous smear of warm, savory stuffing. If Ross' Thanksgiving leftover sandwich was this good, his outrage was most certainly justified ("You threw my sandwich away?! MY sandwich??")