Let’s pretend that for the past few months, you have been watching a bunch of cooking videos about baking a turkey and dressing, along with delicious savory side dishes. Visions of sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, gravy, pecan pie, and hot rolls are buzzing around inside your head and you now feel totally confident that you can pull this off on your own. It cannot be that hard. It looks so do-able on the videos with everything pre-chopped and pre-cooked. This year, Whole Foods and Progressive (yes, a grocery store and an insurance company) are offering an insurance plan for your Thanksgiving meal just in case you commit a turkey cooking fail. Whole Foods believes that with much smaller gatherings planned for this year in our circle of trust, there may be a lot of first-timers stepping up to the turkey platter, but perhaps forgetting some of the basics like thawing the turkey or turning on the oven. This is a great idea. At one of my first dinner parties, at age 19, I used sweetened condensed milk instead of condensed milk in a chicken casserole. It happens. The first 1,000 eligible Whole Foods “turkey purchasing customers” who make a turkey cooking mishaps claim will receive a $35 Whole Foods gift card under the Thanksgiving Turkey Protection Plan. I guess folks are expecting a bunch of novices this year. See below.
Pepsi announced it will be giving away 2-liter bottles of Pepsi Apple Pie flavored cola to 1,500 winners of its #PepsiApplePieChallange sweepstakes, which fans can enter to win by submitting a photo or video of your “baking fail.” How to win the easiest pie you’ll never have to bake.
Pfizer announced that early data show its vaccine is more than 90% effective against the virus, but needs to be stored at about -75°C, which is about 50° colder than any vaccine currently used in the U.S. Doctors’ offices, pharmacies and state labs don’t have freezers that cold, which would make distribution very difficult, involving the dry ice which is in short supply in some parts of the country. Moderna reports its vaccine is 94.5% effective, making it the second vaccine in the U.S. to have a very high success rate, and can be kept at -20°C, and that means it can be kept in a freezer that’s typically available in doctors’ offices and pharmacies, and then can be kept in the refrigerator for 30 days. But all this great information does not mean an overnight approval. Some heroes wear scrubs and lab coats…
Legendary country singer Dolly Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University, which helped develop the Moderna coronavirus vaccine. Her friend, physician, and professor of surgery, Dr. Naji Abumrad, says, “Her work made it possible to expedite the science behind the testing. Without a doubt in my mind, her funding made the research toward the vaccine go 10 times faster than it would be without it.”
“I am voting for the first time in my life for the President of the United States, and it’s for someone I truly trust…me.” Kanye West. He actually received about 60,000 votes in the recent election.
After a decade, General Motors is bringing back the Hummer. According to GM, this all-electric truck will have a four-wheel steering system that allows it to be driven diagonally in addition to forward and backward. Hmmm. That would be nice for tight parking spots. It’s good for more than 350 miles on a full charge and an adjustable air suspension system allows you to raise the truck up as much as six inches to make it easier to drive over large objects or get out of mud, along with video cameras that provide up to 18 different views (around and under) to help while driving around obstacles. I am sitting here looking at pictures of this vehicle thinking it is pretty sexy looking. Then I got to the price, then a screeching halt. ‘Edition 1’ will have a sticker price of $112,595, with GM following with a less expensive version starting around $100,000, then an $80,000 version available in 2024. I guess this ain’t your grandma’s Hummer. A Hummer SUV is scheduled in the future.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Rapper Eminem is 48. I really did think his name was M&M until recently. Actor Marsha Hunt is 103. She was blacklisted by Hollywood film studio executives in the 1950s during McCarthyism and is one of the last surviving actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Reggae Ziggy Marley is 52. Former American League President Dr. Bobby Brown is 96. Country singer Alan Jackson is 62. Movie director artist Julian Schnabel is 69. Plate Paintings. Actor Anne Hathaway is 38.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is 46. Actor Calista Flockhart is 56. Ally McBeal. Playwright-actor Wallace Shawn is 77. The Princess Bride. Keyboardist Booker T. Jones is 76. Booker T. & the MG’s. Guitarist Buck Dharma is 73. Blue Oyster Cult. Actor Megan Mullally is 62. Will and Grace. Singer Brian Hyland is 77. Itsy Bitsy Teeny-Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.
Pianist Yanni is 66. Country singer-songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard is 74. Actor Whoopi Goldberg is 65. Guitarist James Young is 71. Styx. Musician Stephen Bishop is 69. On and On. Rapper Reverend Run is 56. Run-DMC. World Golf Hall of Fame Gary Player is 85. Singer Neil Young is 75. Prince Charles is 72.
Since Lake Jackson is on Drought Contingency restrictions until December 15th, I pulled up their website to find out their recommendations. “Boiling water for 15 minutes is one way to release all the chlorine from tap water. At room temperature, chlorine gas weighs less than air and will naturally evaporate off without boiling. But heating up the water to a boil speeds up the removal process. The simplest way to remove chlorine is to simply let it evaporate from the water. Chlorine is a gas at room temperature, and in water it is a “volatile solute” meaning its molecules are diffused in the water, and it will escape into the air over time. The amount of time needed varies with air and water temperature. Heating or boiling the water will speed the process.” There is more info, just pull up their website before you water plants. Thank you to BASF for donating money so Lake Jackson can buy a stock of vacuum breakers for our outdoor water faucets.
In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria. Ben Franklin
Yeti is recalling nearly 250,000 tumblers because the lid “can eject and hot contents can spill out, posing injury and burn hazards.” Microsoft announced a new once-in-a-generation security chip called Pluton, saying it will make laptops much more secure helping benefit some workers who will continue working from home. To help offset the increased workload earlier this year, Home Depot offered temporary bonuses and increased time off. They are now giving $1 billion in raises to employees, making the pandemic bonuses permanent. Mars candy company (Snickers, M&Ms, Twix) bought healthy snack company Kind that makes healthy nut bars and granola. Mars is privately held and also owns pet food brands like Pedigree and Whiskas and provides healthcare for pets through pet hospitals. Beyoncé signed a deal with Peloton to create a “series of themed workout experiences.”
The Journal of the American Medical Association researchers have found that omega-3 fatty acid supplements do not reduce cardiovascular risk. So, for now, you may want to forget fish oil supplements, hoping to prevent heart problems.
Because of the world that we are living in right now, I have decided that I want a doorbell with a camera. A little bit of research told me that Amazon announced a massive recall of a version of its Ring doorbell. The Ring received a total of 85 incidents of the doorbell having incorrect screws, with twenty-three of the incidents resulting in the doorbell igniting, causing minor property damage, and with reports of minor burns to people. So, if you have one, FYI.
The American Girl Doll holiday catalog just arrived in the mail. As I flipped through it, I wondered how old you must be to tire of dolls. I just love Bitty Baby. I remember asking for a doll for Christmas when I was 13, and my mother told me “no, you’re too old.” So, my grandma got me my Thumbelina baby. I wanted a ‘real’ baby when I was 6 years old, and even had a plan to keep her in my first-grade classroom cubby at Parkdale Elementary during the day. Again, my dreams were shattered. Mom was always so difficult to get along with. 😊 Hey, 1961 vintage Thumbelina doll on eBay right now $159.99.
You never know when you’re making a memory. Rickie Lee Jones
The CDC released new guidance suggesting that wearing a mask can help protect you – not just the people around you. If we could adopt universal masking policies, support social distancing, hand hygiene and adequate ventilation, perhaps we could avoid future lockdowns. WE CAN DO THIS. Ahh, here is more good news. New research shows that 1 in 5 people who contracted and recovered from coronavirus were diagnosed with a mental health challenge within three months of recuperating. Researchers followed 62,354 patients and found that 20 percent were diagnosed with PTSD, depression, insomnia, dementia, anxiety and more within 14 to 90 days after testing positive. To date, 250,000, COVID deaths in the U.S. A new report warns that permanent and sudden hearing loss can develop after battling COVID-19. Just another little thing to add the list of possibilities.
Did you know? Potatoes were not part of the first Thanksgiving. Irish immigrants had not yet brought them to North America. What did they eat? After the first Thanksgiving, the observance was sporadic and almost forgotten until the early 1800’s. It was usually celebrated in late September or October. In 1941, Congress made it a national holiday and set the date as the fourth Thursday in November.
Well, ‘Iota’ hit as a catastrophic category 4 hurricane, wreaking havoc to Nicaragua with flash flooding, winds, mud slides…since this is the 30th named storm this season, we are running through the Greek alphabet quite quickly, especially considering it is already November.
There is a 20-20-20 rule to follow when you sit in front of a computer all day. This pertains to adults and to children now studying from home or the classroom. Every 20 minutes take 20 seconds and look at an object at lease 20 feet away. It will help rest your eyes. Approximately $14 Billion was spent for the 2020 election according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. If adjusted for inflation, the 2016 race cost approximately $7 Billion. Ruth Graham Ray of Jacksonville, Florida, has voted in 22 presidential elections. Yes, 22. She celebrated her 108th birthday by casting an early ballot on October 31st.
Bumper sticker: If you can read this, I am not impressed. Lots of people can read.
Well, it is cooking season and I don’t know about you, but I just love parchment paper. It makes clean-up so easy. I like the Costco brand and I use it for most everything. Reynolds just came out with Pop-Up Parchment Paper Sheets that fit most standard baking pans. The stack lies flat in the box, so the paper will not curl or roll up. I have not seen it at the store yet, but I am looking. I like the no-curling idea.
Despite all the craziness that has been most of the year 2020, let’s face it, there is not one nation in the world that has more to be thankful for than us. In past Thanksgivings, we were together with our families, ate too much, played games, went to the movies or shopping. This year will be a bit different, but it will still be a time for all of us to give thanks for everything that we have. As you prepare for your Thanksgiving celebration, please plan to stay safe. Thanks for reading and supporting us.
Lisa
