The Ides of November

That was yesterday, actually. All months have ides, right?

I can't believe the month is already half over. Three weeks until I see my family! Thanksgiving! Which apparently is next week, but we're celebrating this Friday, because that's Thursday in the US and we all thought it was this week. Okay, by we all, I mean, I said it's this week and everyone assumed I was right. Such is the power I yield. Seriously, isn't it supposed to be the third Thursday? Have I been away so long that I can't even remember when holidays are? Well, yes. I usually remember Mother's Day sometime in June. I find out it was Mardi Gras after I see the news on Yahoo. Same for Easter. I know when Christmas is, so I guess that's something.

Anyway, I'm making red beans and rice and pumpkin pie. I usually make jambalaya, but two of my coworkers are vegetarian and I'm trying to cut back on the meat myself. I know what you're thinking- red beans and rice isn't vegetarian. That's okay. They are the kind of vegetarians that just don't eat meat. Meat stock, dairy, animal products of any other kind basically are all fair game. So, I'll just serve the sausage on the side.

Maybe you're also thinking that neither jambalaya nor red beans are traditional Thanksgiving foods. Well, I have found one shop that sells turkey, but they are smaller than any turkeys I have ever seen before (Cornish turkeys, if you will) and I've never actually cooked a turkey before. With the $100-ish price tag, it's not a gamble I'm willing to take. So, we all just make foods we miss from home. We stuff ourselves silly, then as the food coma settles in, we start class.