Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Prep of one kind and another


My loves! Come follow me over at Instagram if you haven't already, will you? I can't remember my handle, but you'll find me. Ha ha ha. Okay, wait. It's @catherinewman. I think! Then you will get to see my parents peeling another 10 pounds of potatoes *this* year! Which they will definitely be doing, even if they think they can just quietly work on the jigsaw and crossword puzzles all day. Poor things.

Oh, is Ben home? I hardly even noticed! [clutches heart weepingly during Silver Bells]
I am really just checking in from the chaos of multiple gravies (vegan! turkey! gluten-free!) and stuffings (gf! not gf! with mushrooms! without!) and pies (vegan cranberry cheesecake! gluten-free pecan!) to say that despite my long, unexplained absences, I will be posting a gift guide this year, probably early next week. But if you have any advice, please feel free to share it: I use the amazon postings to generate revenue, which I donate all of (usually to Partners in Health, but sometimes to a mix of places), but I hate to support Amazon in particular and world-destroying billionaires in general. Thoughts? I'm wondering if it would work to have links to independent sites, and then to have a button for donating, like a little charitable tip jar... or if that's going to be too complicated, and the good of the huge donation outweighs the bad of the Amazon links. Anyhoo. Just thinking out loud, it seems.


Some T-giving-ish recipes, in case you don't have them from years past (plus mashed potatoes with and without copious amounts of sour cream and butter and/or Earth Balance and creamed cashews):

  • Basic Brined Roasted Turkey
  • Turkey Gravy
  • Vegetarian Brown Gravy
  • Herbed Goat Cheese
  • Wild (or not-so-wild) Mushroom Pate
  • Boursin-Style Cheese Spread
  • Holiday Crudités with the best-ever Green Dip
  • Butternut Bisque
  • Sparkling Cranberry Centerpiece
  • My Mom's Cranberry Sauce
  • Butternut Galette
  • Parmesan-Rosemary Butternut Gratin
  • Classic Pecan Pie (but with this gluten-free pastry)

  • Also, I have some lovely new low-carb holiday sides up at diatribe, if low-carb is your dietary family of origin or choice. 

    If you need a psychological palate cleanser, please read Chanel Miller's exquisite book and visit https://native-land.ca/ to acknowledge whose territory you are living on. 

    In unrelated news, did I mention my new book? I mean, I see it over there in sidebar, but I am so excited about it that I am going to remention it here! It comes out in May, but books basically live and die on preorders, so if you would, I would be so grateful. Amazon here. Indie Bound here.

    Illustrated by the amazing Debbie Fong, whom you can follow on Instagram!  @pommopress


    The menfolk in my household were BAFFLED by this page.
    I mean, who doesn't want to learn how to vacuum?
    Can you see the blurbs here, or do you have old-lady eyes like me? They are from Jess Lahey and Lisa Damour, and I love them so much.

    Sending you warmth and courage, my darlings. xo



    21 comments:

    1. Deirdre5:28 PM

      Overjoyed about the book, congratulations!

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      1. Deirdre, thank you so much! <3

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    2. Hold up: vegan cranberry cheesecake?! Yes, please!

      So, so very excited to get your next book for my family.

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      Replies
      1. Thank you, my old friend! The recipe is this(ish): https://evergreenkitchen.ca/recipe/vegan-cranberry-cheesecake-bars I use sugar instead of maple syrup, and a slightly different crust and topping, but that filling is so good. Also, it really needs to set up overnight! xo

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      2. These look amazing! OK, now how can we use this base recipe plus your eggnog cheesecake bars plus vegan eggnog to make dairy-free eggnog bars....

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    3. Catherine, I was just thinking about you this very morning! Specifically, thinking “I wonder where Catherine’s gift guide is...” as I scanned some other sad, unCatherine’s gift guide. And here you are!
      Congratulations on the new book! I will check it out. I hope you enjoy your holiday and bask in the glow of having your gorgeous babies and parents all around.
      Dana in Petaluma

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      Replies
      1. Thank you so much, my dear Dana! I hope you had a lovely holiday too. xo

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    4. Congrats on the new book! Yay! :) Wishin you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving. Always good to see you in my inbox. (Also.. have you seen Rachel's Getting Married? Rachel always reminds me of you. :)

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      Replies
      1. Ha ha ha! I don't know if I have, but now I will. Thank you, dear Jen. xo

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    5. Allyson3:03 PM

      Ahhh. A Ben and Birdy update. *Now* it's Thanksgiving! (Isn't glorious having our wayward college kids home with us again?)

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      Replies
      1. It really was, wasn't it? Sigh.

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    6. Hurray! Buying the book for the kiddos now! :-) Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

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      1. Thank you so much, dear Hanna! xo

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    7. My holidays are full of you -- your Holiday Crudités with the best-ever Green Dip, Sparkling Cranberry Centerpiece, and Parmesan-Rosemary Butternut Gratin are all expected by the extended family at any gathering this time of year (the Green Dip anytime of year). Thank you for giving us food traditions!

      PS Pre-ordered the book for my Birdy-aged kid.

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      Replies
      1. Thank you so much, dearest Librarian Mama. xo

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    8. Hi! I've been a follower of your for a long time. I'm taking an int'l trip with 1 kid (teen) and 1 spouse. I was thinking it might be fun to burn up some of the painful in-flight hours with some games. I'm looking for something small enough to shove into a carry-on and set up on a tray table. Would The Mind and Cheating Moth work? Any other suggestions?

      Also, I imagine this isn't your speed, but if you have any digital app games to recommend, I'd love those too. All I ever play on my phone is Sudoko and I need something new ...

      Thanks!!

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      Replies
      1. Dear Lisa, definitely neither Cheating Moth nor the Mind would be a could 3-abreast tray-table game. I am thinking. Maybe Love Letter? It has the advantage of packing up *tiny*. . . Have a wonderful trip! xo

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    9. Hi! Can you throw me an affiliate link to Mastermind Jr., which you had in the 2010 gift guide? I'm trying to click through from that post and the link seems broken, but I want you/PIH to get that sweet sweet affiliate cash!

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      1. Yes, and thank you so much for asking! https://amzn.to/2Pt3MCQ
        xoxo

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    10. Anonymous1:58 AM

      Thanks for the annual list--duly pored over and many items ordered (including pre-ordered, i.e. the new book--hooray)!

      Only one thing-- dear Catherine, why a roofie joke? And in a post with Chanel Miller's book, even/too? I know you relish being salty & irreverent, but when is there ever anything actually funny about a roofie? Makes me sad, and disappointed...

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      Replies
      1. Ah, thank you for this! I genuinely appreciate being called out on things that could hurt someone. I am going to rethink my tendency to make jokes like this so as to be salty and irreverent without being triggering or harmful. I'd love it if you signed off with a name! Only because then it would give me more of a person-to-person feeling. But I'd definitely rather anonymous than you not writing to me here. Sending love to you and yours. xo

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