thanksgiving leftovers

Some final thoughts generated by one of the most fun food holidays of the year:

• I picked up some of these paper loaf pans from Sur la Table, and used them for my pumpkin breads. These oven-safe pans were very easy to use, and they make even a humble quickbread look elegant! (Btw, the recipe I used was my mom's--featured along with two other recipes in the November issue of Cooking Light.) We gave the breads to the people working the toll road booths in Ohio and Indiana.
• At home in Kalamazoo, I tasted a fabulous lox, artichoke, and cream cheese scramble at Cosmo's--definitely a recipe to try at home! (Though I will most likely try to create a healthier version with light cream cheese and egg beaters.)
• I brought St. Julian's sparkling apple cider to my in-laws, as a special beverage for the little kids. It's a fizzy, festive treat!
• Here in Columbus, I had the pleasure of an hour-long brownie tasting at Sugardaddy's in Powell, Ohio. I tried all eight varieties, and they were the best brownies I've ever tasted.

The Advent of Advent

• I love the Advent season--a welcome excuse for some extra reflection time in the midst of pre-holiday madness (which I also love.) In this house we're using reflections from Edward Hays' book for our mealtime grace, and, for the third year in a row, Bishop Untener's Little Blue Book reflections to close out the day.
• On the web, Beliefnet has a great online Advent calendar.