I'm almost afraid to say this, but things are going pretty well in terms of Thanksgiving prep. (Listening for the sound of shoes dropping....) I made some progress over the weekend (some GREAT rolls baked and in freezer, more in a bit), table set with an interesting centerpiece that eliminated a last-minute trip to the grocery store for flowers later in the week. I'm especially pleased with that. It meant I could do ALL the grocery shopping yesterday, late in the day, and all that's left is to pick up the turkey this afternoon. (Done)
Well, almost all. I got the bright idea to make new napkins to go with the turkey china. Found fabric, cut napkin-sized squares, dragged out the serger and.....spent two hours trying to rethread it (almost successfully, but fixed the mistake I made quickly) and then whipped through the six of them in about fifteen minutes! Seriously the best rolled hem I've ever done (patting self on back), but.....my Fray Check to secure the ends is nowhere to be found! A quick trip to a local fabric store should fix that. (Done.)
So, those rolls. I found the recipe on the King Arthur Flour website (or in a daily email, can't recall) and thought they sounded intriguing. Hawaiian Buns. Made with pineapple juice and brown sugar and vanilla and butter and eggs. Unbelievably good. The recipe isn't going to be easy for someone who is new to bread baking, but it's not that difficult if you have a little experience. Do it in a stand mixer. At that, you'll have to do a little hand kneading, but once the dough has risen, it is easy to shape. Check the website under "recipes".
Next up: start some Vanilla Ice Cream. By the way, have you SEEN the price of vanilla lately? OMG. I saw a woman nearly have a heart attack in the baking aisle of my market yesterday: over $16 for a little tiny bottle! What the heck is up with that? Well, I googled it and there have been weather disasters in Madagascar that wiped out the crop and....severe shortages. Just so you know.
More to come....