Thanksgiving in January

Angela's Thankgiving Dinner

Since Ariana was not home for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner this year, her mom made her the feast today. I was happy to be included. She made a turkey, green bean casserole, yams, mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing. It was all delicious. Usually this is the kind of food that, when prepared in a way that is different from you were raised on, you don't like it. But that is not how I felt today. The turkey was pretty much exactly the same. It was very moist and tasty which are two important qualities in a good turkey. The green beans were pretty much the same except much thicker than how the ones at my house end up. The mixed vegetables had green beans, carrots, and corn, which I think I prefer to the plain corn I've traditionally been fed. I still mixed the vegetables into my mashed potatoes though, and poured the gravy on top of the whole thing. The mashed potatoes were hot and smooth with a little bit of bite to them, which was nice. The gravy was excellent, and I'm pretty sure it was made with the real turkey juice, which adds something special to the meal. At my house we usually mash the yams, because my mom is afraid to prepare them in the chopped up yam style because she doesn't think they will be as good as her mothers. But I definitely prefer them this way. For one thing it is harder to scrape the marshmallows off the top, which my sister is notorious for doing. But also you get a better yam flavor and don't feel like you're eating baby food. Overall, a great meal.


Angela's Yellow Cake with Homemade Chocolate Frosting

We were a little hesitant about this cake because we heard that the icing had sour cream in it. I love yellow cake with chocolate frosting though. Besides funfetti, this is my favorite kind of cake. It was moist and soft, and totally comforting. I for one like the icing. I could taste the sour cream in there, and it definitely added something... I want to say it made it juicier but that doesn't make any sense.



Gachet's Café Français

I learned tonight that this drink just means drip coffee with whipped cream. In the past I always have said "café français with whipped cream" not knowing that I didn't need to add the last part. I'll probably keep saying that, and if you're ever my barista, take it to mean "with extra whipped cream." This is pretty much my favorite coffee in the world. I do love Flightpath's bacon flavored iced coffee, but this drink actually tastes like coffee. And it is never bitter. You could drink it without sugar or milk and be fine. The whipped cream at Gachet is the best whipped cream in the world. They have a secret coffee-related ingredient that I am not comfortable sharing over the internet. I used to help make it though, and it is a very labor intensive process. You have to stir it until it gets to the color of... the Sahara? is that what it is? And then shake it. It is beautiful.