Great Foodie-Gift Websites

Here are some links I found for the unique foodie gifts ..including t-shirts, jewelry, and an office desktop fondue set!

http://www.dietdetective.com/tshirts (love the stalker one)

http://www.mystudioacorn.com/goods/necklaces_3.php how about a turkey leg necklace?

http://www.uncommongoods.com/ -love those whisk and chef knife earrings, and coffee bean cufflinks..look under jewelery, natch.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/fundue.shtml be sure to check out the "cathartic knife holder", the posters, and other fun stuff.

http://www.zingermans.com/ A fabulous fresh food delivery site...be sure to check out Zings clubs for Bacon of the Month Club!

http://www.igourmet.com/ All things food.

http://www.wine.com/ for all kinds of wine and wine accessories. I am liking the "wine aroma wheel"

Happy Shopping.

My oldest turns 37 today..at 2:37 p.m.

Happy Birthday Mikey! He's the one on the left. God, I feel old.

Another Chapter in Dee's Life

Dee stood in the kitchen of her house on 3rd Street. No kids, no husband..it was quiet. She felt guilty..at first. She had not been in the house without her kids for this long. She stood there..alone, watching the sunlight filter through the tree. Then she put on her white socks, placed the Platters on the record player, threw back the rugs from the old hard-wood floors, turned up the sound..and began dancing to "You've Got The Magic Touch." She pretended to be the lead singer on "Smoke Get's In Your Eyes", and on "I'm Sorry". She had a big party all to herself. She sang with Nat King Cole on "Ramblin Rose" and then went wild with Mahalia Jackson on"Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho". She heated up the tuna casserole and had a few bites, swallowed a few shots of her husbands "Canadian Mist"....which he hid under the sink, and fell off to sleep listening to Patty Page singing "Let Me Call You Sweeheart".

Dee had been released from a psych ward the day before...her best friend brought her home, as her husband was working out of town..as usual. She knew that her children would be home in a few days..apparently they had been sent to relatives in Illinois and South Dakota...after she had apparently "gone crazy". She should have done it a few years earlier..it might have saved her.

Mel and Dave's Thanksgiving Dinner

Hi – I’m Lori from Hahn at Home. Mellie and her wonderful husband Dave invited me, two of the kids, and Uncle Doreen to join them and Dave’s parents for a fabulous Harvest Festival meal. Some of you might call it Thanksgiving. As usual, the food was fabulous. Mel & Dave made the turkey a joint venture and it was succulent. The sides and drinks sublime. The company, well, that too was as usual and was unsurpassed. Please enjoy these photos of some of what I was able to experience yesterday. Thanks guys! It was terrific.

I’ll let Mellie tell you about her holiday tradition and how that turned out—Mel – your turn! [okay Lori..but we did invite all of your kids..it's just that one is not home right now].

I have this tradition where everyone brings something that has meaning, but they are willing to let it go. All of the items are put on a table and people choose which item they want..and why. The person that brought it then tells why the item has meaning for them. Everyone leaves (or stays) with a new keepsake..and everyone knows a bit more about each guest. It's a nice little tradition.

Lori brought the relish tray..on her grandma's ceramic shell plate that she made herself.. in the 1950's. Doreen brought some fabulous stuffed mushrooms and some great wine. We had some Hahn Pinot Noir, some Fetzers Pinot Grigio, and some Kendal Jackson Chardonnay. We also had my grandma Rosenberg's stuffing, a great all-natural turkey that Dave had brined for 24 hours prior to roasting; my MIL brought pumpkin pies, a pecan pie, persimmon pudding with hard sauce, and yams. We had potatoes, and a cold green been salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette with Pt. Reyes blue cheese sprinkles. (I took that recipe from my prep days in Paragarys kitchen).

We enjoyed lots of laughs, and Doreen managed to escape my FIL's looooooong stories by saying she had to go find Lori. We were in the closet..looking for movies. I still laugh everytime I think of the speed reader who stuttered..so he had blisters on his fingers!! That was a good one for sure.

I only invited Lori so she would bring Em, and Joe. They brought a portable Wii...and now Dave is pricing them all over the place.

Thanks Father Sky and Mother Earth for the blessings of food, family, and good friends...and of wine.