Thanks, guys. I thought I'd yelled at him enough after the armed robbery, but apparently I wasn't inclusive enough about what constitured an event. Oy, parents.

Just got my invite to my cousin's wedding. The FTM groom is being given away by his mother, his mother's girlfriend, and his surrogate mother at the Hasidic ceremony. I have no idea what the bride's family thinks of all this. They don't know he's trans.

The bride's family requests modest clothing. The groom's family has requested the opposite. Now I'm wondering about the dress I've bought. Because the wedding party will be covered past their knees and elbows and everything. I...not. Oy. Whose wedding am I going to?

In a parental note, my dad is apparently down in Australia for the next couple of weeks. And he as been there a couple of weeks. I never know where my dad is.

Boy, that wedding sounds like an etiquette minefield.

ita, I hope your dad comes through it all okay and that the penny drops about what's important to communicate.

I have tried to Google Metro rail schedules for today but it's looking like enough of a hassle that I may attempt to just bike to Chez PixDesigns. RT that would be about 10.5 mi. Will be interesting to see if I'm up to a 5 mi gentle but steady uphill.

Sending vibes for good test results and good health to your father, ita.

Maybe a shawl for optional semi-modesty for the ceremony? Ambiguous dresscodes are nobody's friends.

Pommes pommes savoyard sounds delicious, BTW, I looked at the recipe when you linked to it the other day.

Well, it smells great. It's Deb G.'s recipe. She made it for JZ and I am making it on her request. Deb gave us a mandoline to do all the slicing and that was fun and fast and time saving. It's basically a fancy potatoes gratin, but with a layer of tart and sweet apples.

I've created my onion tart filling which is cooking in the oven. I'll spoon that into the Pepperidge Farm puff pastries, top it with chives and do a quick finish in the oven.

The bird is browning up nicely. I've been basting it with butter, then turkey stock I made the other day and white wine and now it's all drizzling together in the bottom of the pan with the veggies and I can baste it with pan juices.

I belatedly realized that my super rich Thanksgiving spread was going to need one quick course of green and something slightly acidic. So it'll be a spinach salad in balsamic vinegarette with cherry tomatoes between the onion tart and the main meal.

Kids are not obliged to eat anything in particular but they may not walk away from the table complaining they were hungry or had nothing.

They better like something!

I did one super simple stuffing - just bread, butter and stock and a little seasoning. Then a fancier one with apples and water chestnuts and sauteed mushrooms for the grownups.

I got a steak for Emmett but he said he'd go for the turkey. So. I hope that works out.

I think I might do a quick balsamic glaze for the pan roasted veggies. That could work.

I am cooking everything way too early, but I just didn't want to sit around!!

Though I realize I forgot the brussels sprouts. I will make them closer to the time I told people dinner would happen.

I think you should shove some of that yumminess through the interpipes right here to B'more, is what I think.

ETA: I was posting in response to Hec's post, but, really, it applies to everyone. Maple walnut pie, I'm looking at you.

I am cooking everything way too early, but I just didn't want to sit around!!

Yeah, ditto. The real trick with Thanksgiving is getting everything to the table at the same time.

Fortunately I'm a basting fiend when it comes to the bird so it won't dry out.

I think you should shove some of that yumminess through the interpipes right here to B'more, is what I think.

I wish I could feed you! Come to my house and eat stuff! Then sit around in a daze and watch stuff.