Cabin Bound!

This was the view through my windshield as I headed up the highway toward Wilkesboro, NC.

The mission today?  STOCK THE CABIN with all the fixings I need for a week with family.  That’s ME – and 4 men all over 6’2” tall!  And they can EAT!

I started out at Sam’s Club – what a DUMB idea on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, but it couldn’t be helped.  I got there as early as I could, and I did okay – the lines weren’t too long.  My basket filled quickly and I was back out to the parking lot, loading everything for a week away into the back of Shamu, my van.

There are some things you just can’t get at Sam’s –or you can, but you don’t want to.  Seriously.  I do not need a GALLON of cranberry sauce.  Or a two pack of jumbo sized salad dressing --- so I headed up to Wilkesboro and stopped.  At the Wal-Mart.  Big mistake!  But on that main drag there are only 2 grocery stores, and I needed some things that were NOT groceries, so I thought I could do the one stop shopping routine ---

Me and every other person that lives within a 20 mile radius of Wilkesboro!

I remembered ALMOST everything on my list --- but this was stop #2 and STILL – NO PEARL ONIONS!

My dad has made a special request.  Both of his parents are long gone, his brother has also passed.  He is missing family and wanting pearl onions – in cream sauce.  I didn’t think it would be that hard to find them, but it took another trip to another store – and I kept my fingers crossed as I scanned the aisles of the frozen section at the Lowes Foods across the street from the Wal-Mart.Grocery stop #3 for the day.

I FOUND THEM!  And they were Buy 1 Get 1 Free!

Thanksgiving dinner will now be complete!

For those wondering –here’s the recipe:

ingredients

• 1 bag frozen pearl onions.

• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 1/2 cups coarse fresh white bread crumbs (from 1/4 lb bread with crusts removed)

preparation:

Put onions and 1 teaspoon salt in same pot and add fresh water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until onions are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well in colander and transfer to a buttered 2-quart baking dish.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add cream in a stream, whisking, and bring to a simmer, whisking. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pour sauce over onions.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then add bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

Sprinkle toasted crumbs evenly over onions and bake until sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Note: Creamed onions can be assembled (without bread crumbs) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before adding bread crumbs and baking.

 
Onions found, I headed further west, climbing in elevation as I reached the mountains, finally arrived at the cabin --- boy is it windy up here and quite a bit chillier than it was down in the valley.
 
Groceries put away, I unpacked the two goodies I brought home from my antiquing day in Fort Worth!
 

 

Sweet Doily!

 

When I saw this hand crocheted doily with its adorable variegated pansy edging, I knew it had to come adorn the top of Betsy Ross’s Treadle Cabinet!

 

I also fell in love with another larger doily that I thought would look great on the dining room table for Thanksgiving dinner:

 

 

Only ONE small ((VOLCANIC!)) problem!!!

 

 

How did I not see this at the antique mall!?

 

 

Thinking that wetting and re-blocking might help, I soaked it in hot water in the kitchen sink.

 

EWWW!!

 

After rinsing and sqeezing excess moisture out with a towel ((NO WRINGING!))  I have it laid out on the living room floor, patting it into place, and hoping to get it to lay a bit flatter:

 

 

Still a bit poofy!

 

Oh well….there is always the solution of a REALLY BIG CENTER PIECE to hide that sucker! LOL!

 

 

Lookie what else I found at Sams?  Regularly $49.99 –the 3 set of lit pumpkins was $19.99!

 

SCORE!

 

There will be a nap in my near –VERY NEAR ---future.  And some hand sewing tonight.  And tomorrow ---I’ll go back home. 

 

All is ready here.

 

I can’t wait to come back up on Monday!

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