Not celebrating Thanksgiving?

Post by **_gramps** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 7:59 am

Hey, if there are any of you not celebrating this fine tradition, and are wondering to where all the posters have gone, well, this is the thread.

Anyone want to talk about anything other than turkeys, cranberry sauce and football?

Let me know! It is a typical working day here where I am and this board is dead!

Post by **_asbestosman** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 9:38 am

Can we talk about cheese and crackers? It's always been one of my favorite snacks especially at holiday gatherings. I only wish I were more of a cheese expert.

European chocolates are also quite delicious. Belgium had some good stuff in their bakeries. And then Germany had some excellent stuff too.

I miss quark, and also a treat which the Dutch call vla (pronounced "flaw"). I also miss fresh stroopwaffles, some of the first of which I ate in Rotterdam almost precisely 10 years ago now.

This is also the time of year when the Dutch are concentrating on Sinterklaas who will sail in to Amsterdam and then ride through the streets on a white horse along with various "Black Petes" to help him fill Dutch shoes with toys and spread candy in their houses whre they walk.

Post by **_keene** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:42 am

I'm celebrating thanksgiving on saturday, with sushi and a spa. So today I've got nothing going on. I'll probably go buy a turkey TV dinner and watch movies all day. Or I may spend the time to catch up to my ex-wife on WoW. She's at lvl 23, and I'm at 8. If I cram all day tomorrow, I could probably get close.

Post by **_gramps** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:54 pm

asbestosman wrote:Can we talk about cheese and crackers? It's always been one of my favorite snacks especially at holiday gatherings. I only wish I were more of a cheese expert.

European chocolates are also quite delicious. Belgium had some good stuff in their bakeries. And then Germany had some excellent stuff too.

I miss quark, and also a treat which the Dutch call vla (pronounced "flaw"). I also miss fresh stroopwaffles, some of the first of which I ate in Rotterdam almost precisely 10 years ago now.

This is also the time of year when the Dutch are concentrating on Sinterklaas who will sail in to Amsterdam and then ride through the streets on a white horse along with various "Black Petes" to help him fill Dutch shoes with toys and spread candy in their houses whre they walk.

I would love to talk about cheese and crackers. Crackers are a dime a dozen, but cheese....uummh! Although I know nothing about it other than I know if I like it and if I don't. Quark is excellent. Can't you find it in Washington? I found it in Washington D.C. I was quite surprised, but it was the real thing.

Maybe a German deli in Seattle?

Post by **_gramps** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:56 pm

keene wrote:I'm celebrating thanksgiving on saturday, with sushi and a spa. So today I've got nothing going on. I'll probably go buy a turkey TV dinner and watch movies all day. Or I may spend the time to catch up to my ex-wife on WoW. She's at lvl 23, and I'm at 8. If I cram all day tomorrow, I could probably get close.

yeah, I'm watching movies all day, I guess. Don't know anything about video games.

I would pick up a tv dinner with turkey and all the fixings, but can't find it here. [sigh]

edited to add: The sushi and spa sound wonderful. Wait, I thought you were in Utah, not Tokyo?

Post by **_asbestosman** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:20 pm

gramps wrote:I would love to talk about cheese and crackers. Crackers are a dime a dozen, but cheese....uummh! Although I know nothing about it other than I know if I like it and if I don't. Quark is excellent. Can't you find it in Washington? I found it in Washington D.C. I was quite surprised, but it was the real thing.

Maybe a German deli in Seattle?

I have heard of some German delis around here. There's also a good Dutch bakery, but it's a good two hours or so from where I live. I will have to ask around some more about the best place for quark. Still, one of my favorite memories was enjoying fresh quark with some fruity-syup on a farm with a family in the Netherlands. I'm sure I'd have to look for a while before I get that experience again.

Fortunately, cheese is plentiful here. I like the flagship cheddar down in Seattle. I also enjoy going to Whole Foods and munching down on Gouda of various ages. Edam cheese is tricky. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I despise it. I hated the stuff I got at BYU's creamery--far too bitter. I found some good stuff in Logan, Utah of all places.

Post by **_gramps** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:35 pm

asbestosman wrote:
gramps wrote:I would love to talk about cheese and crackers. Crackers are a dime a dozen, but cheese....uummh! Although I know nothing about it other than I know if I like it and if I don't. Quark is excellent. Can't you find it in Washington? I found it in Washington D.C. I was quite surprised, but it was the real thing.

Maybe a German deli in Seattle?

I have heard of some German delis around here. There's also a good Dutch bakery, but it's a good two hours or so from where I live. I will have to ask around some more about the best place for quark. Still, one of my favorite memories was enjoying fresh quark with some fruity-syup on a farm with a family in the Netherlands. I'm sure I'd have to look for a while before I get that experience again.

Fortunately, cheese is plentiful here. I like the flagship cheddar down in Seattle. I also enjoy going to Whole Foods and munching down on Gouda of various ages. Edam cheese is tricky. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I despise it. I hated the stuff I got at BYU's creamery--far too bitter. I found some good stuff in Logan, Utah of all places.

I thought some of the cheese in Afton (I think) on the way from Logan to Jackson Hole wasn't too bad. Not great, but fresh and tasty.

I just had herb quark with boiled potatoes and some liverwurst which is stuffed into a condom like thingy and sealed off on both ends and then warmed in water (not boiled). I love that stuff. Did they have blood sausage in Holland? It is prepared just like the liverwurst and really tasty. Two of those babies will allow you to have a great nap if you can finish them.

Oh well, that was my Thanksgiving dinner.

p.s. Thanks for keeping me company. How was your dinner or haven't you eaten yet?

Post by **_keene** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:42 pm

gramps wrote:
keene wrote:I'm celebrating thanksgiving on saturday, with sushi and a spa. So today I've got nothing going on. I'll probably go buy a turkey TV dinner and watch movies all day. Or I may spend the time to catch up to my ex-wife on WoW. She's at lvl 23, and I'm at 8. If I cram all day tomorrow, I could probably get close.

yeah, I'm watching movies all day, I guess. Don't know anything about video games.

I would pick up a tv dinner with turkey and all the fixings, but can't find it here. [sigh]

edited to add: The sushi and spa sound wonderful. Wait, I thought you were in Utah, not Tokyo?

Yup. Still in utah, and still trying to win back my ex-wife. She's an extreme otaku, so sushi alone makes her legs weak. I'm surprising her on saturday with a full day of fun and romance, laser tag, spa, surprise candlelight dinner, carriage ride, and blindfolded fruit-feeding.

All my roommates are helping out too. It's gonna kick some major bootay.

A movie I would highly reccommend watching today of all days is Reefer Madness: The Musical. Definitely a movie to be thankful for. Especially if you have any reefer with you. Right now I'm just catching up on House, Scrubs, The Office, and Family Guy. I'm too tired for video games at the moment.

Post by **_asbestosman** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:51 am

Did they have blood sausage in Holland?

I never saw it there even though I found the Dutch word for it in a dictionary. I like trying various things so I will have to put that on my list.

How was your dinner or haven't you eaten yet?

Just finished dinner. It was good with the usual Thanksgiving stuff. Different this year is that we ate with a family from Benin in Africa. The woman only spoke French. The man is going to school here to become a translator.

Post by **_gramps** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:23 pm

asbestosman wrote:
Did they have blood sausage in Holland?

I never saw it there even though I found the Dutch word for it in a dictionary. I like trying various things so I will have to put that on my list.

How was your dinner or haven't you eaten yet?

Just finished dinner. It was good with the usual Thanksgiving stuff. Different this year is that we ate with a family from Benin in Africa. The woman only spoke French. The man is going to school here to become a translator.

Yeah, definitely try the blood sausage. It is very rich. One is enough, but darn tasty, if I do say so myself.

I'm wondering if the Benin woman enjoyed Thanksgiving food?