At this hectic holiday time of the year, we all tend to keep our heads down, focused on the task at hand and the next task on our list. Is the turkey thawed, the gravy silky, the mashed potatoes lump free, the linens pressed, and the table set? But, if you’ve taken a class with me before, or you know me well, you know my thought is, it’s not what’s on your table, it’s who’s around it that should keep our focus.

But what about those not around your table? How do we keep them present this holiday?

Perhaps the hole in your heart is fresh, maybe still aching, or now a brief tug, but the absence is present, the chair once filled, empty. We can choose to be sad or we can choose to celebrate, in some way, somehow, what they would have shared at the table.

For the nine that gather around our table this Thanksgiving, more than half that number that don’t.

Bud, Dan’s dad, creator of “Bud’s secret spice” seasons our bird. We still have a jar with his special label and handwriting. He preached the importance of great stock as the foundation to any great gravy; ours is silky smooth for this reason. The apple trees on the Northern Michigan property where he chose to retire, still bear fruits and fills our apple pies.

It’s Eileen’s (Dan’s mom) stuffing that fills the big bird’s cavity. We always laugh that ours doesn’t taste quite the same. We’re convinced her secret ingredient was the ash that fell from her cigarette while she chain smoked her prep! The kid’s split up her dishes so we would all have a few. Our table-setting is mismatched to include some of hers and some of Grandma Wilma’s.

Yep. Grandma Wilma, not the least bit warm and fuzzy, but she brought the shrimp each year, and we shared a slice of mincemeat pie since we were the only two that liked it. We keep the coffee hot since she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Aunt Helen didn’t make it often but when she did, we would always play cards after dinner. She taught us a game called hand and foot and we usually played while eating dessert. I laminated the rules she wrote out to make sure her instructions never faded away.  Aunt Helen was the most giving person I have ever known. When I shop for our meal, I shop for someone else’s too.

Barton, my mom’s husband, Warren’s brother, was an artist in New York. His art fills our walls. It’s edgy, thought provoking, and opinionated. It makes for great conversation.

Warren’s mom Marie, was a woman of modest means with a rich heart. She was a linen maker in her younger years. We try and keep the cranberry sauce from spilling and the gravy from dribbling on her work, but the stains just end up being covered with filled dishes instead. We fill our plates with her serving spoons and our pie with her servers.

And he hasn’t been seated at my table in over 35 years, but I mentally set a chair for him. My dad used to tilt his head back and laugh deep from his belly. Every time I set the table, I set it for people who gather around it to do the very same. My dad was a lover of bread. Rolls are never missing from the table.

Set the table for those who can come, toast those who can’t make it, honor those missing from yours by folding them into the day.

Happy Thanksgiving to all~

Here’s a little something to toast those, no matter how they are present.

The Beauty of the Scale – as told by the Chocolate Crinkle Cookie.

I have to say, I’m a little confused with all this back and forth weather.

But I have decided to take full advantage of the recent snow that we received (even though it was on Halloween!!) and go full on Christmas baking mode – with my favorite recipe for the holidays, Triple Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.

The snow and smells of holiday baking start to put my soul in a good place. For me, the holidays are all about the people and the food. It is all about gathering around the table with the people most important to you and always with a plate of cookies.

This cookie is one of my favorites due to the intense chocolate flavor, the additional option to add peppermint for the holidays, the chewy texture, and the super easy mixing process. If I’m really organized, I try to make a larger batch, and once I scoop them, keep a stash in the freezer for when I need a quick dessert for an event or late night pick me up.

You will notice below that the recipe is in grams. If you have ever baked with me before, you would have definitely noticed this as well. The way I defend this point is that it really allows you to begin the creative and flexible process of baking. When all of your ingredients are weighed in grams or ounces, the end recipe becomes that much more consistent and exact.  Then, once you start to develop the ease and consistency with weighing ingredients, you can begin to play with the quantities and types of ingredients. Look to slightly increase the fat content by adding a yolk to the recipe, or look for additional chewiness by switching out brown sugar for white sugar. I love to keep track of my process in recipe development through excel spreadsheets and percentages. It also comes in handy to help reduce dishes – no need for all the measuring cups and spoons!

Embrace the scale, take the chance on it! It will become your best friend with your baking! And help with all the upcoming holiday baking.

Note: Marcel’s sells cooking scales that are easy to read and use.