I have been working on one of my "to-do's".... find a place for us to eat Thanksgiving dinner in Kansas City.  So if you have any thoughts or suggestions, please send then along.  Some of the restaurants advertise a wonderful brunch with all the "traditional" items; turkey, dressing, cranberries, etc.  Others are blending "regular food" with "traditional".  It got me to thinking about what is "traditional"? I think all of us have traditions, although, we may not think about it that way.  We go to the same house, with the same family members, enjoy the same family recipes and see familiar relatives for that once a year holiday.  I also know that as families grow and move, traditions change.  As a child we always went to the same Aunt and Uncle's house in Missouri, then when I married it changed to alternating between families and now it's a tradition to take my Mom on a trip somewhere.  Sometimes it's distance, death or marriage that makes that change for us.  I suppose it's never too late to change or create a tradition.   I do think that tradition is important.  It's our connection to each other and the history that we share.  Whether it's the long time green been casserole or the breaking of the wishbone from the turkey, we should cherish those memories.  Which brought me to this thought....maybe we should bring back some of the traditions we have lost along the way.  If this strikes a cord with you, check out this book "Let's Bring Back" by Lesley M.M. Blume.  This book is an encylopedia of past traditions.  One that I thought was really neat...many years ago the TV channels decided to not broadcast for so many hours on Christmas.  Instead of showing a black screen, they displayed a fireplace with gas logs burning while they were "off the air".  What a change from today, when many families will watch a favorite football team play while eating a Thanksgiving meal! Another one of the ideas was to bring back the guest book.  You know, when you go to someone's house, you would " I thought this would be a great hostess gift.  Perhaps you are going to someone's home for dinner and want to take a little gift.  A great tradition to start...and won't it be fun to look back on a history of all the comings and goings!  Do you have a tradition you would like to share?
 
Enjoy your day!

Just had to share this with all of you.  One of my former colleagues has a company (with two other ladies) called Center Stage Kitchens.  They custom make covers that go over your stove.  It is so great because it makes your counter usable for "staging" buffets, pretty decorative pieces or simply hiding those ugly burners.  I use my counters for buffet lines and having a cover over the stove would give me twice the amount of space.  The other way to use the cover is to put it on your island as a platform for building your buffet display.   Take a look at their  website to get more ideas on how you can use it... www.centerstagekitchens.com.  They have a portfolio of their work and some testimonials.  If you are interested, tell them you heard about it from Southern by Design.

It certainly feels like fall here today in McKinney.  It's pouring rain, windy and  sweater weather!  Finally, I think the heat is gone.  This is the kind of  day that always makes me  think about warm, cozy houses and comfort food.  I have taken away all the summer seashells and hydrangeas and replaced them with fall pumpkins, gourds and sunflowers.  I found the neatest thing in Maine this summer.  It's a very roughhewn chicken feeder.  We did a little sprucing up with some stain and sealer and it fits perfect on the kitchen island.  For those of you with these big islands, sometimes it hard to find something that doesn't block the view.  This is perfect for several reasons.  One, it's low and long, (7 1/2 feet long)  with plenty of room to fill with whatever...for whatever season.  It can be used in the dining room as well as the island, although, I think it's better here because it's more casual.  A few folks have seen it and thought it looks fabulous!  I also started on my breakfast room table...not done yet, but getting there.  Here is a picture in process.  I am layering with different patterns,  with  fall colors of brown, black, cream, and pumpkin.

And then there's the food thing.  If you have never been to Stonewall Kitchen (www.stonewallkitchen.com) or used their  products, you are really missing out.  They are based in York, Maine with corporate offices, cooking school, production line, restaurant and retail store. Everything they do is top notch, so you can't go wrong buying their products.  In the retail store they offer tastings and include many recipes that incorporate their products.  I am going to post a couple on the recipe page today so make sure and take a look.  Finally, I took some treats to my dentist office today (www.mckinneydentist.com)  to announce my "holiday trays".  I will be baking holiday trays to order this year, so if you are interested, check back later this week for more information, or send me a note.