November Chitter Chatter (2019)

[Ryrin]

 

Please share your plans for Thanksgiving! If you aren't from the US, let us know your favorite things about November!

[LadyWordsmith]

We are hosting a Friendsgiving at my house this year! I am excited because I have wanted to do this for a very long time, but the majority of years we go have Thanksgiving with family (whom I love, but that means a lot of driving, and planning a dog sitter, and we do that basically every year). So this is something new and we're going to have a wonderful, relaxed, laid-back holiday! 

 

I also get to pick the MENU!!! So we are having Venison, and Lobster-and-Oyster Pies (I have a Colonial Williamsburg cookbook full of their tavern foods. This one was apparently very popular), as well as having a Turkey (which will be marinated for 'days' in orange juice and stuffed with fruit so it comes out 'drippingly' juicy). We've got lots of other things planned too, but I am particularly excited to finally get to have my venison and seafood! (They 'did' have them at the 'first' Thanksgiving. They had so many better things than some of what we eat today, oy). And I love historical cooking. All of our friends coming are also making their own favorite recipes for some of the sides and stuffing and such. ?

[LilyElizabeth]

That sounds wonderful!

 

We are having a traditional Thanksgiving with just me and the kids. Nothing special. Although my boyfriend will be moving in around that time of November. Probably Thanksgiving weekend. 

[JamesBrown]

I've read that during the American colonial period lobster was so plentiful it was seen as trash food fit only to feed prisoners.

[Ryrin]

Oh that sounds so wonderful!!!!! What great ideas!

 

Last year before Thanksgiving, my oldest son was diagnosed with cancer. He had surgery before Thanksgiving. His fiancé is not from the US so we went to her parents house and had Hot Pot. Yes, it tasted so good, her parents were very gracious, but I missed Thanksgiving and was worried about my son.

 

This year, I'm excited. We are huge football fans and there are three games. We have breakfast and I make appetizers for the rest of the day until the large meal. I set up a small card table so we can take what we want.

 

We have traditional foods. We use large paper plates and we cook in foil pans from the Dollar store. Clean-up is a breeze.

[IdleCuriosity]

On 11/1/2019 at 9:16 PM, JamesBrown said:

I've read that during the American colonial period lobster was so plentiful it was seen as trash food fit only to feed prisoners.

I've heard that too! and people would complain about eating ocean bugs. i wish that description wasn't so accurate. then again... maybe normal bugs are just as tasty?

[Ryrin]

Bugs! Nooooo

[Cross]

actually i heard there is a bug that tastes like juicyfruit

[IdleCuriosity]

I'd try it. For Science!

[Ryrin]

5 hours ago, Cross said:

actually i heard there is a bug that tastes like juicyfruit

?

 

5 hours ago, IdleCuriosity said:

I'd try it. For Science!

 

???

[Cross]

oh you know you want to try it too ryrin

[LadyWordsmith]

When I was a kid, you used to be able to get chocolate covered bugs as a snack (actual bugs.... ants...crickets). I don't remember where my friend's father bought them (also...possibly Europe), but they tasted just fine.

 

I don't think I would eat a bug that tastes like juicyfruit (assuming we're talking about the gum). Mostly cause I can't stand gum. lol. But I'm game on anything that's just cooked crunchy protein. 

 

The recipe I'm using for the oyster-and-lobster pies is documented from a tavern in Colonial Williamsburg (and also looks delicious). Nothing wrong with Commoner fair. ? That said, since they still cook the foods at the taverns using period recipes, I've never tasted anything there I didn't like either. 

[Ryrin]

I made a chicken, mushroom, and rice dish tonight in the oven. It was really good.

 

Tomorrow is watching football.

 

Does anyone watch “The Crown” on Netflix?

 

 

[JamesBrown]

My wife and I are a fan of The Crown. We haven't dipped into the new season yet--I'm still not sure how I'll react to the absence of Claire Foy, but what I've heard, this latest season is terrific.

[Ryrin]

It is. I think it’s somewhat darker too. The less flattering parts of the senior royals are shown. I like Charles and Anne is a hoot. 
 

I finished season 3.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Ryrin

[LadyWordsmith]

That's on my list to watch next (Season 3, I loved the first two). I'm glad to hear it's good! I've been very curious to see how well the age-casting would work. 

 

 

[JamesBrown]

We're two episodes in, and yeah, it's great. There's a scene in the first episode, when the Queen is looking at a person, speaking to a group of people, with at least three layers of subtext.  Whoof. Good stuff.