This is the final menu for the Early Thanksgiving taking place this Saturday! I am slowly gathering all the necessary ingredients and am eager to show you the end results. I also finally made up my mind about the salad dressing. I threw away the idea of using maple syrup and instead I am relying upon good ol’ bee vomit. Dessert will be pumpkin flan cheesecake. I have never made it before but I am crossing my fingers that I don’t end up serving mush with caramel sauce. Pictures and stories to come! Happy Early Thanksgiving everyone….

Two weeks ago, the weather was chilly and you could feel the incoming winter weather in your bones. Today, it is mild and reaching close to 70 degrees. It’s no wonder everyone I know is sick or getting sick or freaking out thinking that they will contract swine flu.

Well, I got a chance during one of those chilly and incredibly crisp Sunday afternoons to continue with my Polaroid Project. I hope these shots show you how beautiful the fall season can be, despite the prospect of a miserable winter it ushers in a couple months later. The usual fall weather also gears me up for the annual Early Thanksgiving my sister and I host. It is now in its fourth year and I hope to make it a continuing tradition for us and friends that we can’t see during the actual holiday season.

Above is the menu I am preparing! I am thinking about adding Balsamic Onions to the list. Pearl onions caramelized in honey and sauteed in balsamic vinegar sounds delicious and I can’t resist vegetables that end up tasting like candy. I am also NOT making all that dessert. I have not made up my mind. I used to know how to make Vietnamese flan (known as Kem Flan), but I lost my touch and figure I don’t want to disgrace my mother. Pumpkin flan cheesecake is a twist on a Mexican classic. I think it would be interesting to bring two of my favorites into one dessert and add pumpkin because I have to have pumpkin during Thanksgiving. I’m also still on the stupid diet with my co-workers and thought the frozen pumpkin mousse pie would be good on the waistline because it uses low-fat ice cream. But then again I deserve full fat dessert! I think it just comes down to what I can make without it causing me a stress headache. I guess I will have to think about this more. Decisions, decisions….