How nice to be talking on this list, off-topic and not about the list or religion! (I have opted out of the latter topic here entirely). On 29 Nov 2002, David Dyer-Bennet wrote: #Mia McDavid <mia_mcdavid at attbi.com> writes: # #> For me, the be-all and end-all is a free-range, fresh-killed (and I #> don't mean "fresh" as in has had ice crystals in its gizzard for two #> weeks) turkey, which I *finally* scored in the Twin Cities!!! # #My mother and sister used a fresh, free-range turkey this year, and it #came out very well. Much more expensive, of course. I'm not at all #sure it was worth it. We had a kosher turkey, of course (since we keep kosher)... #> Oyster dressing has a very creditable source; I found it in Joy of #> Cooking. Of course, anyone who doesn't like oysters shouldn't go #> there... ... and, likewise of course, no oyster stuffing! Alas, I was able to partake only in moderation. Tuesday evening, pains in my middle took me to the ER. They found EKG normal but admitted me, and diagnosed a pancreas inflamed by a gallstone and ordered Nothing By Mouth and Stay For Observation. Bleah. So I spent Wednesday in bed with an IV drip and somewhat dopey. Thursday, at least, I was well enough for my sister, up for the day, to spring me from the joint. (As my wife had said to them, "You DON'T want my sister-in-law on your case!") So I went very light on the meal. But the white meat, the squash stuffed w vegetable ragout for our vegetarian daughter, and Nana's egg custard made a great meal. Oh, and definitely something to be thankful for. I said shehecheyanu before the meal as well as hamotzi; that is, as well as thanking God for bread (and by extension all the rest of the meal), the blessing for "keeping us in life, and preserving us, and bringing us to this time". -- Mark A. Mandel http://world.std.com/~mam/Cracks-and-Shards/ a Steven Brust Dragaera fan website