American Thanksgiving is tomorrow, Thursday, and today, cooks across the land are doing as much prep as they possibly can.  As for this cook, the menu has been selected, which varies little from year to year; all the groceries have been hauled in and my table is set.  The bird is a 20 pound beaut.  We positively love Thanksgiving leftovers and I admit to being one of those people who loves the big Thanksgiving feast more than any other meal of the year.  In fact, if we are invited out on Thanksgiving day, the next day at home I'll still make our own feast, just for the leftovers!  Right now the neck and giblets are simmering away with garlic (yes!) and sage and it smells so good.  (The stock and chopped giblets will be in tomorrow's gravy.)  I really really do love Thanksgiving.

This morning already I made curried cashews, and oh my goodness, they are delicious. I posted the recipe here and you won't be sorry to have them on your snack table. And also this morning I broke my own rule and made a second Thanksgiving batch of Salty Chocolate Toffee. The first batch disappeared even more quickly than usual.  I'm blaming our friends. Last night I made a half batch of sugar cookies. We absolutely don't need them because this afternoon I'm making a pecan pie too, but somehow, it just doesn't seem like Thanksgiving without some turkey cookies. Then my guy talked me into making chocolate chip cookies because he had a strong urge and I know what that's like, and he was pleading, and I like to spoil him because he's so nice, so I caved and now we have four sweets for tomorrow--for five people!  Later this afternoon I'll make my mashed potatoes, refrigerate them overnight and reheat in the oven right before the turkey is done.  That little trick is a lifesaver! Tomorrow I'll wake up early and busy myself, but nothing I do now or in the morning can ever avoid that last rush-hour of madness before the big dinner.  Right?  My son has been in charge of the turkey carving since he was taught by my uncle when he was 12, so that's under control. I'll put my husband on gravy duty, and the rest of us attend to all the other last minute crazy. But it's all part of the fun, right?

That little sock--isn't it dear?  It's made from scraps of Rowan Pure Wool 4-ply and Super Fine Merino 4-ply and is from this darling knitting book, Little Rowan Cherish by Linda Whaley.  The single sock is a Christmas gift for a very happy young couple who just found out they are expecting a baby.  It's the tiny 3 mos. size and I made it for their tree, but I loved making it so much, I think I'll make a proper set in a larger size so the baby can actually wear them come next winter.  The gray cabled sweater is also for this same baby, so boy or girl, the gray will work.  The pattern is Billy and is from the same Cherish book.  I just had a hankering to make some cables--you know what that's like, right?  The yarn you might recognize as vintage Rowan 4-ply Soft. It makes the cables so crisp and perfect. Do you remember that lovely stuff? A dear friend gifted me two bags because she remembered how much I loved it.  How very very kind of her. Thank you dear Esther.  As for the bunnies, I purchased them from Target while they still had plenty of stock. This bunny is perfect for the Wee Gingersnap and makes a darling baby gift.