I swear, this year has lasted forever and it’s still almost over.
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It's also so we can find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. Members come here to check in. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
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From the Contrarian, would you believe: Savory shortbread
Scientist to watch: Dr. Adeene Denton
By way of a favorite author, Celia Lake: Sally’s Baking, Chocolate Chip Muffins
From Reasons to be Cheerful: An article about geothermal greenhouses
From The Snack Stack: Zombie Cake. An essay about a 1950s dessert; there’s a recipe from a 1966 newspaper.
Midwest Farms Are Going Nuts
From Better Homes & Gardens: 24 appetizer recipes
Since Mark Kelly has been frequently in the news lately, here’s a link to an article about the NASA study he and his twin brother were the subjects of — published in 2019.
From Allrecipes: Easy Runza Casserole
Did I post this already? A heat pump for every climate. If so, it bears repeating.
From Allrecipes: Throw together casseroles. The blurb says they come together faster than the oven can preheat.
The 2025 Made In America holiday gift guide
From The Spruce Eats: Toasted Pasta Soup
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Last Wednesday I finally got my cast iron pans all cleaned and put away. There’s one of them that I probably should do some more work on, but it’s on top of the stack, so I don’t plan to worry right now.
I stayed home for Thanksgiving — didn’t even cross the parking lot to go to my daughter’s. I had some bad heartburn for a couple of weeks (don’t ask my why I don’t routinely do what prevents it — not eat after about 6:30 PM — since I can’t answer the question). Once that died away, I was left with a large clog of mucus right where the heartburn had been. I’m much better than I was, but the coughing really kicked my ass, and even though it was much less by Thursday, I was still coughing.
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I used to get annual calls from my firstborn: “Mom, how do you cook a turkey?” Easy enough, make sure it’s thoroughly thawed, wipe it dry (paper towels are good for this), season as the spirit moves you, stuff or not — your choice, 350F for 20 minutes a pound and 20 minutes for the stuffing (or just because). Baste every 20 minutes (which does make the timing easier) — I start with melted butter mixed with either powdered or crushed garlic, and then go with the drippings when that runs out. If you have a roasting rack, cooking the turkey breast side down is a good idea. I stopped getting those calls when I bought her a copy of Thanksgiving 101.
When I do stuffing, I don’t often stuff the chest cavity — just put a generous pile under the flap of skin at the neck end and the rest of what’s available in a bowl that will survive the oven. I like sage stuffing made with cornbread. I’ve been known to put an onion or two in the chest cavity.
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Love you guys!
