Thanks, I'll be okay but it's just a lot going on and it's been kinda nearly non stop family stuff since..um...last week. Which is great staying with mom and helping with the baby but it's a bit much.

Plus it's worse with my dad around, I think he's getting hearing aids after Jan, but he doesn't hear things so you have to repeat it. And he has a real mush mouth and when he's tired,e sp, he just has this mumble monotone. And since he can't hear he really can't tell he's doing that.

So it was noise nad people & having to repeat things to dad so he could hear in a louder voice and...yeah just a lot.

Askye, I completely understand. Five cooks in a very small kitchen today.

ok, have finished the thanksgiving prep. Just need to pack up tomorrow morning and pray that the Mass Pike isn't a nightmare.

waiting for the cream cheese to soften so I can make cheesecake.

I'm going to make some cranberry sauce to send with Daniel to his sister's, and also some veggies. Cranberry sauce, as we all know, is modest effort yielding maximum thrill. The veggies are asparagus stir fry mix, so all that requires is open bag, pour into microwaveable container.

So for tonight, I am cooking spagetti squash, and making a meat sauce to go over it. This is the first time I've ever attempted to treat spagetti squash like spagetti. I hope I like it. I hope Daniel likes it.

Is graham cracker crust OK for pumpkin pie?

I made squash soup and espresso brownies today. I brought everything over to Mom's already, including peach nectar for bellinis and wine for Mom and stepdad. I was considering making either chocolate covered oreos or cornbread tonight, but I think I'll try to get some rest instead.

ETA: I will be making the brown butter and sage sauce for the pumpkin ravioli tomorrow.

have made: stuffing (with bacon, caramelized onion, apple & sage); green bean casserole (mushroom sauce made from scratch); sweet potato thing that has a pecan streudel on top, cranberry sauce (with pear and fresh ginger) and giblet gravy. Have butterflied the turkey.

My mother, of course, is making the mashed potatoes. They are the best!

Is graham cracker crust OK for pumpkin pie?

I don't see why not. In your shoes I might add in some cream cheese to the pumpkin filling, or else a layer on top or bottom, just for the heck of it, maybe as a substitute for eggs or anything else requiring cooking, and just do the whole thing cold. If people give you guff for it, just call it a pumpkin dessert.

ION, apparently I am now too wimpy to uncork a bottle of wine.

Ha!

I figured out how to do it with finesse rather than brute strength.