I’ve been wanting to post about the recent events at UC Davis, the books I’ve been enjoying, and the beautiful ways the clouds in my neighborhood have been showing that it’s fall, but Thanskgiving cleaning and prepping has been—and is, today even more—a more immediate concern. We’re hosting this year, which is sort of a hassle, but also means we get to choose the fixins. As someone who isn’t a big fan of regular Turkey-day staples, we decided to mix it up a bit, and now I’m looking forward to our tasty line-up:

Turkey sliders: white meat patties with sage and thyme and braised and pulled dark meat with cranberry mustard, arugula, and sauteed mushrooms and onions as toppings, and gravy for dipping. Green beans not in a casserole. Roasted kabocha squash. Pumpkin milkshakes. (The slider and milkshake ideas (and photo) are from this year’s November Sunset magazine, though we’re not following the recipes directly.)

 My photos to follow, after I’ve recovered from my inevitable food coma.

What are your Thanksgiving plans? Whatever they are, I wish you safe travels, fun times, and good eats.