Meetup #84: Invitation to Thanksgiving Celebration
Details
Dear members,
It is very sad that I needed to drop some members because of no payment and no communications. It was tough for me to do it, but I'd rather open up the spots to someone who can really come.
So, now we have three spots available.
I know it's such a short notice, but if there's anybody who'd like to join, please sign up with the payment, and call me at 310-770-9298.
Rich is going to make some home-made ice cream with mint and also orange-cranberry sherbet. Yum!!
Thank you for your help and support.
Happy Thanksgiving, hope you can stay dry!
Sally
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I HAVE SENT AN EMAIL WITH ADDRESS INFO TO THE MEMBERS WHO RSVPED YES AND MAYBE. AND NOW I HAVE PAYPAL ACCOUNT AS WELL, AND RICH AND I WILL GO GROCERY SHOPPING SOON, SO PLEASE MAKE PREPAYMENT THROUGH EITHER AMAZON PAYMENT OR PAYPAL. THANK YOU!
Sally
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Last Friday, I went to go check the hotel before making reservation to reflesh my memory. I asked Rich to come with me as he was to smoke turkey. Unfortunately, the place was much smaller than I remembered, but the worst thing was they'd done remodeling and took away ovens!!!
No oven for Thanksgiving feast?!
Ahhhhhh
should I do.....?! My face could have been pale from despair.Then, Rich opened his mouth and said something I could never forget.
"Sally, I don't do this usually, but I always kind of felt bad about not putting my effort to the group while I enjoy lots of meetup activities. Now, it time for me to make some contribution. Only for you and your group, I let you guys use my house for Thanksgiving meetup."
............................................. O M G.
Tears welled up. I couldn't believe what I just heard and needed to ask him to repeat it.
Ah, Lucky me! He told me he has a big house in Northridge. Large kitchen with island and all kinds of appliances including the smoker, and large living room where we can sit together and even pool and jaccuzi!!
Fiding venues for meetups, especially cooking ones, is one of the toughest jobs for me , and although I usually welcome challenges, I have been so discouraged....I have asked so many members and friends. One time I downloaded members' lists for all my groups and started calling the people that I know the phone number for in search of positive answers.
I've heard so many Nos. Diffrent reasons but the same nos one after another. Small kitchen, messy house, bad experience, not enough space, remodeling, moving out....I understand them all. But hearing endless Nos was not really fun thing.
For this special event where people who are without or away from family get together on Thanksgiving day, I wanted to have some family touch. Private residence was ideal to have that homey feeling. But nobody was able to do that. Of couse, it's Thanksgiving and everybody is busy entertaining on their own.
Rich went out of his way, he even asked his mother to have fun with her friends to make it possible for us to have a gathering at his house.
He's going to smoke turkey, and you know what? He'll brine the bird too! I always wanted to try that for such a long time.....
Thank you sooooo much, Rich, for the generous offer! I don't know how to describe my gratitude.....
And here's the menu again. I'll go there early to help cook. And you can too if you like.
(Thank you, P Benjamin, for sending me your menu. It sounded so yummy! I might make some adjustment or addition, too)
- Smoked turkey
- Stuffing (any good recipe you may have?)
- Candied sweet potato (Thank you, Rhonda, for senging me the wonderful recipe)
- Mashed potato with gravy
- Glazed baby carrots with Balsamic Vinegar and honey
- Green bean casserole
- Cranberry sauce/relish
- Assorted olives
- Cooked Broccoli (or broccoli-bacon-raisin salad?)
- Butter rolls
- Pumpkin pie (or Pumpkin cheesecake...we'll learn how to bake from Kei soon and he's going to give us pumpkin cheesecake recipe as well)
- Beverages (water and apple cider, soda, etc.)
The address will be sent only to the attendees. Also I'll email how you can help cooking if you'd like.
I'm sure this is going to be one of the best Thanksgiving I've ever had.
Counting my blessing,
Love,
Sally