November in a Nutshell

The events of November can best be summed up through pictures -- especially since I don't seem to have enough time to sit and write. Here goes:

Our newly registered voter was excited about getting involved in the democratic process.

 Making music

Millie Girl went cruisin' through the 'hood with Grandpa.

We're all lit up!

 Hello, cello!

As a requirement for one of her college classes, Liesey had to act upon a dream. She rented a cello and learned how to play it by the end of the semester.  We were treated to a mini concert of Christmas songs.

A Millie 'do

I love having my tresses messed with, especially when the end results are so lovely!

 History project

Looks like an "A" to me.

"Scandalous" tour

On an 80 degree, late November afternoon, my buddy Claire took me to the woods to gather twigs and berries for our Thanksgiving table decor. Along the way, she stopped to show me her deer blind and campsite. She also showed me several coyote carcasses in varying degrees of decomposition. Fun! (No pics of coyote bones...) Who knew that such a wonderland lies on the other side of our fence?!

A heaping helping of THANKS!

It was a a "two turkey" kind of day. We had fourteen people gathered 'round the Thanksgiving table, so we wanted to make sure that no one went home hungry. One bird was prepared in the oven in the traditional manner, and the second bird was grilled (to perfection!) on the Weber. Both were tasty. It took several side-by-side tase tests to determine which fowl was finer. No clear winner emerged, despite repeated samplings.

All of the traditional carb-laden offerings were present: sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, homemade noodles, dressing, and yeast rolls. Oh, sure, there was the obligatory relish tray, cranberry relish, green beans, and other healthy offerings, but this is a day when the carbohydrate is exalted. This is a day for comfort food at its finest. Let's not forget the pies that were present: peach, pumpkin, and apple, or the pumpkin roulade. Well, the pumpkin roulade WAS was almost forgotten since it had to be stored in the refrigerator in the garage. Out of sight, out of mind...

No one went home hungry, and the leftovers tasted even better on days 2 and 3.

 Twin smiles

Twin tables

 We went for a minimalist look for the table setting. I really like how the burlap made a nice canvas for the pumpkins, gourds, and twigs. I spent less than $10 on the burlap fabric for both table runners. Thank you, Hobby Lobby!

 Endless buffet

 The Thompsons -- thankful for togetherness

Smith Fam.

I'm thankful for my daddy!

I managed to do a little chalkboard art before Thanksgiving. I then had the idea that we would have our guests write something that they were thankful for on the board. This seemed less threatening (and less awkward) than having each person verbalize what they are thankful for as everyone is gathered around the dinner table. My plan worked! And I now have it recorded for all time. As you can see, we are a grateful group. I had to laugh at what my son added to the list. See if you can figure out what he is thankful for... :-P

Any Way You Slice It

This gathering was all about filling the pie hole. Thirty-seven pie lovers filled our house, and there was not a crusty one in the mix. Ten pies filled our table.

Thankfully, there were NOT "four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie," but there were more appetizing flavors entered into the 3rd Annual Neighborly Pie Bake-off. 

This year's entries included:
2 apple pies
2 lemon meringue pies
1 chocolate creme pie
1 apple torte
1 strawberry-rhubarb pie
1 macadamia nut creme pie
1 coconut creme pie
1 pecan pie

This judging stuff is serious business; however, my son, Miles, and the two Daves were up for the challenge.

Since the judges had to sample all ten pies, it was crucial for them to get a good representation of what the pie had to offer in one small bite.

As the tasting/judging commenced, I couldn't help but think back to my economics classes at Purdue and consider what effect "diminishing marginal utility" might have played in the contest. 

Diminishing marginal utility is a law of economics stating that as a person increases consumption of a product - while keeping consumption of other products constant - there is a decline in the marginal utility (or satisfaction/enjoyment) that person derives from consuming each additional unit of that product.

Given this principle, the first pie to be tasted likely was scored higher than the tenth entry. Hmmm... To add to that, each judge comes in with his own preferences and biases for his favorite pie flavor. There also might be inside information as to who the baker of a specific pie is. It's a slippery slope indeed. Especially if there's whipped cream involved.

This is a blind tasting, and we try to keep things as fair and balanced as possible. Pies were tasted, notes were made, heads were scratched, very full bellies were rubbed, and scores were tallied. All of the judges agreed that it was difficult to pick a favorite. Competition was neck in neck, or slice to slice, or something like that.

First place (The Golden Fork Award) went to Toni's still-warm-from-the-oven apple pie. Toni is new to the neighborhood, so this was her first time to attend the foodfest. Beginner's luck? I don't think so... 

Second place went to Krystin's strawberry-rhubarb creation. YUM!

Third place was awarded to Gillian's lemon meringue pie.

 The upper crust: Krystin, Gillian, and Toni

Two of the winners' husbands served as judges, but we know that these gals won fair and square, without any help from their husbands. No investigations of voter fraud will be forthcoming. Besides, all of the evidence was eaten.

Here are a few photos of some of the neighbors who attended this year's event. 

 Say, "Pie!"

Yep, getting together with our friends from the 'hood is as easy as pie.