Thanksgiving Nostalgia

This year I will be spending Thanksgiving Day and sharing dinner with my boyfriend's family ~ while I'm sure it will be a wonderful feast filled with all sorts of midwest delicacies, I will miss my two favorites: The Cranberry Log and Cope's Dried Corn ~ two of my family's traditions!

While I don't remember our cranberry log being served in such a grand manner, no matter how it was served, there were never any leftovers. Too bad my mom didn't happen upon the ad below ~ I'm sure she would have put me to work making this masterpiece. The image below is from a great posting on the history of this delectable "sliceable sauce" by the bewildered brit.

The other dish I will miss is John Cope's Dried Sweet Corn ~ I don't think it is even available in Kansas City as it is a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe and I think this brand is the only one left of its kind. Cope's corn is produced in Lancaster, PA ~ I have a vague recollection that my dad's family is somehow related to the Cope's family ~ I'll have to look into that so I don't make a liar out of myself while name dropping!


Trust me, while stewed corn or baked corn casserole doesn't conjure up a very appetizing image, however my mom prepared the dried corn (I'll bet she followed the directions on the package!), it was always something I looked forward to at holidays. If you are adventurous, looks like you can order online here and try some for yourself. I always thought to myself that this corn was what the pilgrims and indians ate at the first Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving to you & yours!

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Worth pondering

Came upon this over at ECAB ~ from August 2009, but still relevant. Read or listen about the high cost of buying 'cheap'. As an artist/designer, I deal with this issue everyday ~ actually, it impacts everyone in some way. Definitely an issue to consider when making purchases. Is quality valued anymore? What price are you willing to pay for quality?

Has anyone read this book? I'm wondering if it includes any thoughts or solutions to the problem.

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Speck is 9 today!

{image via retroroadmap.com}

Today is Speck's 9th birthday ~ Speck is my black Scottish terrier AKA Spectacular, Mr. Speck and Speckita. When asked, I usually tell people that Speck is short for Spectacular, which is true, but I liked the name Speck also because it was one of my favorite places to go when I was little. Speck's (the original one) was a drive in/diner on the road we took to visit my great aunt Verna ~ I remember getting soft serve dipped ice cream cones there. Now I'm not even sure the one we used to stop at is there any more, but there is one in Collegeville, Pa ~ apparently known for their broasted chicken.

While Speck enjoys chicken now and then (although I'm not sure he has ever sampled any broasted chicken), Burger King was his restaurant of choice for his bday meal. This year he ordered a cheeseburger and fries along with the traditional Burger King headwear. The gold crown suits him well, doesn't it?

As the appetizing smells wafted his way, Mr. Speck was licking his lips in anticipation.......

Just couldn't wait, he had to sample a fry before all the guests were served.

Sprocket, the lone party guest, patiently waited for the meal to be served. Happy Birthday Speck!

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C or D? What works for you?

Don't know about you, but I could use a laugh today!

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