the Thanksgiving spread

This year's menu:
1. Pre-dinner Recchiuti Chocolate
2. An amazingly juicy bird (basted every 30 minutes).
3. Stuffin' Muffins
4. Homemade mashed potatoes with skins
5. Whipped yams
6. Homemade crescent rolls (with the secret ingredient: mashed potatoes)
7. Parfaits with quinoa, apples, Greek yogurt, pomegranate, and apricot yogurt.
8. "Vegetables in a cloud" dish
9. Fresh green and albino aspargus
10. Fresh green beans
11. Cherry, Apple, Pumpkin, and Banana Cream Pie

one wild summer

2011 included one wild summer for the Abbotts. Sandwiched between two amazing adventures, Russia in May and Disneyland in October, was a whole lot of hoopla.

Picking buckets of raspberries in our neighbor's yard, hiking, 

and checking out the wine country in Napa Valley.

Camping and hiking at Sugarloaf State Park.

A real African Safari. I think the lady in back wished 

the giraffe like her as much as Margo. (no surprise)

Margo's surprise birthday getaway for me: 

a long weekend on the Mendocino Coast.

A few new sights in San Francisco: 

fireworks on Pier 39 on the 4th of July, 

the tiled staircase, 

and a symphony at the Davies Concert Hall.

A visit from Margo's brother Alex.

A visit from Margo's sister Maren and baby Adelaide.

A cross country drive in a U-haul to get these two cute guys 

(and their parents) moved from Washington DC to Heber Utah. 

A trip for Margo to Seattle for her cousin Mollie's wedding.

And a great week for Margo at girl's camp.

A day exploring San Jose, including the Winchester Mystery House, the San Jose Rose Gardens, and finally cashing in a 

3-year-old gift card to Maggiano's Little Italy.

The last home game for the Oakland A's. I had to include the second photo to prove there were actually people at the park.

And last, but not least: a few amazing 

discoveries and rediscoveries of incredible foods. 

1) White Chocolate Raspberry bark from here. 

2) The most AMAZING bread in the world from here. 

3) Bread, pizza, and pasta that will change your life from here. 

4) Delectable drinks from here, and

5) Classic shakes from where they do them right, here.

Whew! Can't wait until next summer.