Sylvia's Scenario

Tonight, we were pampered with a most delicious dinner of temaki and miso soup.  We've been having too much fun since Nick and Sachiyo arrived two days ago with our new little grand baby, Hana, and we've been enjoying every minute including a wonderful dinner tonight.  The first night they were here we had  beef stroganoff  and last night we had roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. If you're wondering why the gravy is so light colored, it's because the roast beef didn't have much juice so I made the gravy using some of the  turkey stock  I made on Saturday.  Nick just needed his red meat fix and mashed potatoes and gravy fix.  He also wanted a pecan pie for dessert since he missed Thanksgiving so I made a  bourbon pecan pie and he had it with both ice cream and whipped cream. Tonight, he was ready to go back to his Japanese diet so he and Sachiyo made a very common Japanese meal to share with us called tem...

Our house is aglow with Christmas spirit after today.  I spent yesterday putting away the Thanksgiving decorations and spent all day today putting out the Christmas stuff.  I was able to get all the Christmas decorations done in one day because we put the tree up last week which really helps.  I put up lots of lights this year because those copper wire lights that I discovered last year are still my ultimate favorite things .  They are on the fireplace mantel and in the dinning room table centerpiece. These are the copper wire lights that are run by batteries but there are also ones that you can plug in.  I have that type at the entrance way, in the kitchen, and in the bathroom. These lights really eliminate the need for candles which is fine by me.  Or you can use the battery operated candles which I also like using. I have a couple in the windows in our front, main floor guest room ...

It is the day after Thanksgiving, time to start putting away the Thanksgiving decorations and start put ting up our Christmas decorations, but I just want to sit here and sip on my  pumpkin spice brûlee tea   ( my new favorite this season) and contemplate all that I'm thankful for.  I don't want Thanksgiving to be over yet. It's my favorite holiday and it goes by so fast because the Christmas season starts so early.  I guess I can't complain since I did put up the Christmas tree last week. This was the first Thanksgiving hosting in our Seattle home since we moved back last year and it was nearly perfect.  I say nearly because Nick, Sachiyo and Hana were missing but they will be coming in a few days from Japan.  This year, I made a fall favorite sangria , doubling the recipe for our crowd.   We  brined   the turkey again this year  so it turned out incredibly tender and full of flavor. Bruce coo...