Gobble Gobble

Small crowd this year -- just the 4 of us. We had enough to feed probably MORE than 6! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Too many L.O.'s. We're not much of an L.O. family. Oh well.

Hope everyone out there in cyberland had a wonderful holiday as well.

I'm stuffed!

Best,

Jane

BYE BYE LEAVES

for 2008! I love/hate this time of year. Love the turning of the leaves from green to red, to orange to brown, HATE THE MESS OF THE LEAVES FALLING TO THE GROUND AND RAKING THEM TO THE STREET! Oh what a chore that is. In our town they come around to get the leaves whenever they feel like it! Not really, I just felt like saying that because it's how I feel. Driving around the streets in town feels similar to a roller coaster ride - swerving and serpenting! Being the crazed neat nick that I am, when the leave men came up our hill I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped some shots. I also asked if this was the last leaf pick up and they assured me they would be back up my hill twice more this season. YEAH!

OK Happy PRE Thanksgiving to you all - the Prep is almost as fun AS THE ACTUAL DAY!

Jane

I Baked

today. Our Russell is applying to college. Anyone who hasn't done this with their kids in the last years - WELL TIMES HAVE CHANGED. And lemme tell you, they changed FOR THE WORSE! Oh lordy. Essays have to be written, and for some schools more than 1 essay. Teachers have to write recommendations for the students, guidance counselors have to write recommendations as well as sending off their transcripts to the various schools. And all this amounts to many hours and A LOT OF MONEY! A TON OF MONEY - a RIDICULOUS amount of money! (don't even ask me about tuition's!) So as a thank-you to the teachers who have helped Russell this fall, I have baked ... YUP BISCOTTI! (you were thinking something different?!!!) So, most of Russell's applications are finished (I think he has 3 more to complete) and now we have to wait wait wait to see if he will be accepted!

Emily is home! She needed the break from college - and has not missed any classes this semester, so she decided to come home to take a load off and regroup for a week. We are happy to have her home. She's looking great and relaxing before she goes back to finish up her first semester. She's got a ton going on - A TON! She's hopefully being made an Editor next semester as well as being an Intern at the CBS National News - investigation dept. Talk about being busy - 4 courses, News editor position, and 20 hours a week working? WOWZERS - I hope she can manage it all! We'll take it 1 day at a time and see how it goes.

4 Days until Thanksgiving!

Bye for now!

Jane

Injured Gordie

Yesterday we had a little mishap here at Private Stock. Gary stepped on Gordie's back paw and his whole entire toe nail came off/out! YIKES! Gordie yelped, but that was it! He's such a GREAT GREAT dog - you have no idea!

Anyway, I rushed Gordie off to our VET who is also our friend. Marc the Vet told me Gary did a fantastic job stomping on Gordie's foot and made a complete cut/break of his toe nail. All the Vet did was cauterize the area. Poor Gordie limps from time to time - and I think he was in a bit of pain last night. But he slept well and this morning did his morning walk and ate his goodies.

Now here are the good and bad things about the Vet visit.

The good - I got to hold and sniggle Gordie for about an hour which I loved.
The bad - The Vet was such a Debbie Downer regarding the economy. He told me such doom and gloom I was ready to head off back home and hide under my covers for like FOREVER! BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! The Vet ended the conversation by saying, "Hey lets have dinner soon!" I'm like thinking in my head - yeah RIGHT - so I can cry in my soup some more?

Anyone out there with some uplifting news? SHARE - come on now don't be shy!

Best,

Jane

Pecan Buns

My sis gave me this jar of pecan spread and it's been hanging around my kitchen for 3 weeks driving me INSANE! I just didn't know how to use it. Welp, I had a brain storm! Make my pecan sticky buns I learned from my Viking Cooking class. I only whipped up 1/2 a batch of dough - it's only me and Russ eating them. THEY CAME OUT SO GREAT! 1/2 a recipe was perfect - as the buns were even lighter and not too filling. Russ ate 3, I ate 1. OH WERE THEY TASTY.

At night time, instead of falling right out on the couch watching BORING TV I can't stop knitting up these XMAS trees. What am I going to do with them all since I only need to bring 1 ornament to my party I'm invited to in December. I find them so creative and easy to make.

Other than that, today is THE BIG RAKE. We've had buckets of rain and most all of the leaves have fallen. The leaves are wet, but we'll tackle the job later on today. I'm sore just thinking about all the work involved.

Best,

Jane

I've been meaning to show you

RED HOLLY BERRIES CUTE ORNAMENT HANGING IN A TREE
CUTE ORNAMENT FOR THE ORNAMENT EXCHANGE
REALLY COOL NESPRESSO COFFEE MACHINE - YOU NEED TO HAVE 1!
what my sister gave me while I was down visiting. Have you ever seen these espresso machines? My sister has a bigger model of the same company, and back in August I kept drinking cup after cup. I LOVED IT! So this past trip, my sister couldn't WAIT to hand me my model. You see she took a 1 day course to learn about these machines so should sell them in the store she works in. Russell and I have been loving it! Now that's it cooled down, we like to have a cup either at snack time or after dinner. It's fast and fun and makes a good cup of coffee.

The other photo I'm showing you is of a XMAS Tree ornament I made. I am invited (along with 39 other women) to an Ornament exchange! I know, you are saying what the heck is Jane doing at an Ornament exchange when she doesn't even celebrate XMAS. Well no one wants to leave me out of a gathering! (too bad it wasn't a cookie exchange...now there's something I could use -- FOOD!)So my Mom suggested I KNIT an ornament. She said, who needs another glass ball? So I sat down the other evening while watching CNN and look what I made! I emailed it to my family - and only 1 close friend I could count on for telling me the honest truth. You see at this ornament exchange (I went to 1 4 years ago - same friend - didn't have so much fun) the women can either choose to HOLD the ornament they picked out of the basket or someone could STEAL it away on their turn. 4 years ago there was a tiny scene of catty women. So I'm thinking, oh good lord, not only am I not a XMAS celebrater - well what if the women think my ornament is the CHARLIE BROWN of ornaments and NO ONE WANTS TO KEEP IT! Not only would I be embarrassed, but I'd be HUMILATED too! So I got the OK from my MOM, my EMILY, and my friend. So there! It is kind of cute -don't ya think?

Tis the season - tap tap tap - IS ANYONE HAVING A SEASON OUT THERE???????? HELLO -- ARE YOU OUT THERE STORES??????????????

OK bye for now!

Best,
Jane M --> PS Every other year I get berries on my Holy Trees - and LOOK they've turned RED already!

Haven't posted IN FOREVER!

I was so so wrapped up in the election. So much to read, so much to watch - JUST SO MUCH! Now that's it's all over - I'm having MAJOR withdrawals. My TV flicker goes right to CNN. Haven't tuned into any fun TV in 2+ months. Yep, even I, Jane Cahn, GAVE UP ON DANCING WITH THE STARS! Horrors.

I haven't even taken any pictures as of late. Wow I've neglected most EVERYTHING but cooking! Funny right? I still click around on my FAVORITE food blogs so that keeps me a little more rounded - in BOTH WAYS - ha ha!

On that note, it's so FALL like here in NJ. The leaves have turned, actually they are past their peak and are really falling steadily to the ground now. Oh my shoulders already ache thinking of all the raking and schlepping of the heavy tarp to get the leaves to the street. Last year, I strapped on Russell's leaf blower - hmmm will I do it again this year? 1 never knows! Stay tuned.

Best,

Jane