The next 5-6 weeks will be crazy busy won’t they? I guess it’s what you put into the holidays too. I haven’t had the best few months hoping my hip would improve like my right shoulder did all those years ago-that’s the thing, I’m much older now.

We are having new young ladies at our dinner table tomorrow night, Miss Mary and her little one 6.5 yr old Miss K. I don’t have her mom’s permission to use her name yet. I was busy getting the table ready and I made these desserts also:

The top is a Family Circle recipe simply called ‘Cranberry Tart’. It’s not all the simple-the bottom layer is a goat cheese and cranberry layer. They you cook up a bunch of cranberries and pour it on top. They called for cranberry juice, I used orange juice-didn’t want cranberry overload. And I was suppose to use a pie plate with a push out bottom. I did put a piece of  parchment paper in the bottom, so maybe I can still gingerly lift it out tomorrow.

The bottom is an unbaked pumpkin bread pudding loaded with eggs and cream-a Domino Sugar recipe. I have to make the sauce and it seems like a lot more of the above. I may make half the sauce which should be enough. It is baked and put in little ramekins now for tomorrow. Don’t you love when you can use things you have?

The other food will be turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, asparagus, corn and green beans.

I’ll probably add some more photos tomorrow.

I’ve done very little Christmas shopping. I plan to do a big order from a catalog I like and fill in the holes at my favorite stores like TJ Maxx, etc. I am pretty sure I am skipping holiday card sending this year as it’s so expensive. If you still are doing yours, please don’t feel offended if you don’t get one from us. It may just be this year. I may change my mind, but I have to see.