Pie oh my

Must...put...down...fork...and...blog...

The wonderful thing about not hosting Thanksgiving: you don't have to deal with the leftovers.

The bad thing: you don't HAVE any leftovers.

I have been thinking about my mother's stuffing all week. Nothing compares. I haven't had Thanksgiving with my side of the family since before we were married, and while I've learned new tastes and traditions, it is HER dinner I yearn for each year as I sit down at the table. Sometimes the simplest things are the absolute best.

I did manage to bake this year, in between fighting the bug that has returned to torture my chest yet again. I am trying to cure it with pie. I won't go into the whole tale here, but if you are in the mood, it's on my own little blog, Fat Lady Sings. And to answer the follow-up question, no, you really can't tell it's Splenda.

For those of you who don't give two toots about pie, there's an update on the Hope for Hoops page regarding the Rick show. For those of you with Gold Tickets, heads up. The reception will now take place after the show. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30.

And now to Amy:

Hello everyone!

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We stayed home, just the three of us, and had a perfectly lovely day together. It was one of those days when everything just fell into place and was completely stress-free. Our friend Bill deep fried our turkey (which just HAS to be the best way on earth to prepare it....YUM), I baked a small ham, sweet potato casserole, corn, dressing, mashed potatoes, Parker House rolls...our family loves our carbs...LOL. I made a pumpkin pie for Sahara, a chocolate pie for me, and cheated on Shannon's pecan pie (got it at Wille's Bakery...they are incredible!). We watched movies and football and ate all day long. We are truly blessed and have so much to be thankful for.

Sahara had the last dose of chemo for this cycle on Monday. She's now off of it until December 18. This week she's also been weaned off of the prednisone, which is kinda tough. I had gotten used to her being so wired while she was on it, but now she's more subdued, and isn't quite as perky today. The roller coaster ride continues. Her PT and OT are going really well, and they are really giving her some good workouts. She looks forward to her sessions each week.

Just two weeks until the Rick show!!! She's looking SO forward to it and it is going to be a great time! Rick and his crew are absolutely the best.

I've been promising a "Best of Cape" list for all of you wonderful out-of-towners, so here goes:

Best restaurants:
O'Charley's (Sahara's official restaurant...try their Loaded Potato Soup, and if you want it Sahara-style, have them strain out the potatoes, which makes it "Cheese Soup"...lol...their Zesty Orange Chicken, Caramel Pie...oh yeahhhh!)
Texas Roadhouse (great salads & steaks)
Pagliai's Pizza on Broadway (wood fired and absolutely incredible...best sauce on the planet)
El Torero on Broadway (best Mexican food around - ask for Antonio)
Blimpie's on Broadway (great subs)
Cracker Barrel (always, always good)
My Daddy's Cheesecake (has a cafe and all kinds of treats...try the Key Lime Cheesecake!!!)

Best shopping:
Kohl's (who doesn't love Kohl's, I ask you)
Barnes & Noble (brand new at our mall)
West Park Mall (it's small, but there are some good stores: Macy's, Old Navy, Steve & Barry's, JC Penney, American Eagle, etc.)
Downtown Cape (kitschy shops, antiques, cool cafes)

Best place to find Rick stuff:
P-Mac Music on William Street (the official welcoming store for Rick, and Sahara's official CD store...ask for Eric or Paul) - check out their banner in front of the store!

Best hotels:
(okay, we're not a big city, but these should be nice)
Drury Lodge (offering a special to Rick fans)
Drury Suites
Holiday Inn Express (just opened this summer and is close to everything)

Cool places:
Downtown riverfront....right on the Mississippi River, great views, really beautiful
Trail of Tears State Park (where the Native Americans came across the river...there's an interpretive center that is very moving)
Old St. Vincent's Church downtown (if you enjoy history and architecture, you must see it)

There are several wineries in the area, and I will get their info and post their websites asap. If there's anything else I can come up with, I'll post those things as well. I hope this is helpful!

It's great to have a few days off to relax and recharge. I hope that everyone who reads this is enjoying some time with family and friends. I think I need more chocolate pie. :)

With love,
Amy