Vetcetera Gratuitous Thanksgiving Day family and dog blogging (and a recipe for you)
I live in Miami, but every year the immediate clan and I spend Thanksgiving with my sister in New York’s East Village where my sister's family resides. Before that it was in remote, upstate New York on a stunning tract of land she and her husband helped preserve with the Open Spaces Commission. And starting next year it’ll be in the Bay Area, where they recently decided to relocate.
My sister and her husband are filmmakers. She directed an award-willing film about my family and a tragic international event my late uncle was unwittingly involved in. I’ll be sales-ey now and tell you it just came out on DVD and it’s amazing—even if you don’t really care for documentaries.
More to the Dolittler point, my sister and her husband happen to be the most avid dog people I know well—and that’s saying a lot, given my profession. Their dogs are uppermost in their minds as they navigate the Big Apple with them in tow. And it’s a top reason for moving out of it to a more dog-friendly part of the country. (Could there be a dog-friendlier zone than the Bay Area?)
So those of you out on the charmed part of the Left Coast, be warned—I’ll be making pit stops in your neighborhood more frequently, asking you for your private vet recommendations and hitting you up for real estate suggestions (are you listening, Gina?).
Back to Thanksgiving: Today I’ll be running the dogs along the West Side Highway (after I’m done with my coffee) then settling in for a loooong cooking session in the company of a fabulous, free-range “heritage” turkey and a couple of well-behaved (but quietly salivating) beasts.
In the course of this meal prep I’ll be making my famous cranberry bread (for which I earned my County Fair’s top prize at the tender age of ten). With Thanksgiving Day in mind and all the giving things that entails, here’s my recipe for your files (just don’t feed this raisin-packed loaf to your dogs, OK?):
Ingredients:
* 2 cups flour, sifted
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 1 teaspoon orange zest
* 3/4 cup orange juice
* 1 1/2 cups light raisins
* 1 1/2 cups cranberries, slices into quarters
Directions:
1. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl.
2. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
3. Add egg, orange peel and orange juice all at once.
4. Stir just until mixture is evenly moist.
5. Fold in raisins and cranberries.
6. Spoon into a greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
7. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
Happy Thanksgiving!
P.S. Here's Morgan (looking for fish), Madison (chilling) and myself (posing) on the pier next to the West Side Highway (after our run):
November 27th, 2008
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Add Comment11 Comments
This was possibly the last place I was expecting to find recipes but this sounds really lovely-and food blogs are probably the main reason I use the internet in my leisure time!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sian November 27th, 2008 10:25:02 AM
Not only am I listening, I'm planning how we can all meet at the fantastic Point Isabel dog park for a postprandial Thanksgiving doggy play date.
As for real estate and veterinarian suggestions, though, you'll need to hit up Christie. I live in Sacramento, alas, which isn't the Bay Area. If money weren't an object (and let's be honest, it usually is), I'd recommend Marin County for your sister's family, just over the Golden Gate. It's just gorgeous, and she'd have George Lucas for a neighbor.
Looking forward to seeing you when you're on this coast someday. :)
Happy Thanksgiving, Dr. Patty!
Gina Spadafori November 27th, 2008 01:39:27 PM
If they like to hike or run, a lot of the Oakland and Berkeley hill houses back up to Tilden and Redwood wilderness areas, part of the fabulous East Bay Regional Parks system http://www.ebparks.org/parks, where dogs can go off-leash.
Lin November 27th, 2008 04:18:56 PM
Marin is nice. I've been there. But they want surf. We'll talk.
Dr. Patty Khuly November 27th, 2008 04:19:34 PM
love the pic! Have a great thanksgiving!
agadoresmama November 27th, 2008 07:23:31 PM
there's not really any surfing in the bay area. Too cold. South of the bay area they have the "maverick" surf contest, so it must be great there. If they the water just to look at, may I recommend Sonoma Co. Prices are lower, and the people aren't as chi chi as in marin. I am a tranplanted NYer and your family will wake upevery morning and be joyful with our weather. NO snow,ner too hot or cold. It does rain.
barbara m November 28th, 2008 02:17:26 AM
Mmmmm....Sonoma. Like I'd died and gone to heaven. Even my goats would love it there...
Dr. Patty Khuly November 28th, 2008 07:36:42 AM
I was going to say Sonoma County. I would have bought Christie's old place in a heartbeat, in Cazadero, a few miles inland.
Yes, your goats would be happy there. There's a really good specialty practice for you and BF in Santa Rosa.
Last time I checked, the peeps who bought Christie's old place had to give it back to the bank. Maybe we could all buy it!
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