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  1. 12-29-2021, 11:48 AM #1
    Dave Grubb's Avatar
    Dave Grubb
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    Planning the menus---of comfort food

    I don't have the final guest list yet (my preliminary planning is expecting 10-14) but on New Years eve I am making beef vegetable soup with homemade bread---actually the soup will begin tomorrow and age outside overnight.

    I had looked at many options, mostly seafood stews, but in the end had to set them aside since most all of my recipes for that family contains wine and one guest is a recovering alcoholic (many years) and avoids even the taste of anything alcoholic.

    Then on Saturday we will have another dinner, that will be in keeping with our PA Dutch heritage. That will be roast pork in sauerkraut with mashed potatoes. A feast I have enjoyed ever since I could take on solid food

    It is a tradition to honor and copy the pig---who always roots forward, never backing up. For many years I have had homemade sauerkraut, but this year in an absence of that option I am serving "Buddies" which I found to be the top rated commercial sauerkraut and carried by my local grocery.

    The mashed potatoes will be "enlivened" by all the more normal additives, including roast garlic and bacon plus a few dashes of Tabasco sauce, the same of Worchester sauce, a generous amount of diced green onions and topped with fresh parsley.

    Many of the guests will join us for both but our middle son and daughter are both working New Years eve, they will both join us on New Years day. Our SIL, who was on his way to Hawaii on Christmas day (it is a 4 day round trip from Newark NJ), is scheduled to be off and will be here for both.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
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  2. 12-29-2021, 09:14 PM #2
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    Dave Grubb
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    I was just thinking of one year I left for Rome on new years day, after having been in Germany during that Thanksgiving.
    I was both richly rewarded by the experiences of my travels, while I missed time with family and friends I can never replace.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  3. 12-29-2021, 09:59 PM #3
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    What stood out for me, Dave, was the part about Sauerkraut.

    I had a German friend die several years ago who loved Sauerkraut. I'd never paid much attention to it until I ate his creation, which was incredible. I've paid more attention to German food since that time. The only ones I avoid are the German foods made with blood. This guy even had some dishes made with fish blood. I'm obviously too squeamish to venture into those foods, regardless of how they may taste.

    May your time with family and friends be memorable. And, may your New Year be everything you've hoped for.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead
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  4. 12-29-2021, 11:10 PM #4
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    Thank you, and all the best to you and your family.

    Regarding blood, when we killed pigs they cut the jugular vein and would catch the blood, first in a enameled metal cup and then into pans to be made into blood sausage.

    Then the cup was passed around by the men as a toast. I'm not sure how old I was when I was first offered to share in that tradition but I felt like a king when I did.

    I still get blood sausage from my butcher.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  5. 12-30-2021, 04:46 PM #5
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    The soup is on for tomorrow night's dinner. It is still under construction with the meat, bones and veggies mostly in with the herbs soon to be added.

    Five hours construction time, it will now simmer all night since it is only going down to 44 F tonight. I'll check it often over night.

    By morning I should be able to adjust the seasoning.

    The good news is for both of these parties I don't have to be in the kitchen, I can enjoy our guests while dinner takes care of itself.
    Last edited by Dave Grubb; 12-30-2021 at 07:34 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  6. 12-30-2021, 09:36 PM #6
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    Man, we're down in the teens for temperature, with a low of 9 degrees F on Saturday.

    May the dinner go well, Dave.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead
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