'My Apologies' and 'If I had a Goose I MIGHT Have Cooked It.'

I have to apologize for my ramblings about the 'good old days' the last two blogs. I guess it comes from my frustration at not being able to complete the decorating on my new place. I kind of wander around trying to decide what to do about curtains and where to hang pictures. So instead of grasping the situation firmly and getting it done, I spend time reading philosophy and then more time philosophizing! Meanwhile, my 86 year old mother is telling me all her plans and accomplishments. (This week she is painting her shed - one side per day). Some day I'll figure out her secret. One thing - she isn't distracted by reading philosophy. Cookbooks, yes, but philosophy, no.

Yesterday, I was wasting time researching Michaelmas Daisies and came across information that there are all sorts of things associated with the name 'Michaelmas'. One of them is a harvest feast that usually includes a roast goose and things made from apples - apple stuffing, apple jelly, apple desserts. A goose used to be essential, but I found out that nowadays a chicken is considered more than adequate. This is a good thing - one Thanksgiving my Mom decided to cook a goose instead of a turkey and it was quite a project. It was a hilarious project! I'll tell the story in a future blog.

Well, anyway, since I hadn't planned dinner yet, I decided to make a Michaelmas feast (with a roast chicken). I went to my local market and found that all the whole chickens at the meat counter were frozen solid! The breasts were all frozen, too, but I did find some good looking thighs that were pot-ready. I picked up some apple butter and some bread that had a 'harvest time' look about it.

When I got home, I cut up some apples and put them in the bottom of a baking dish. I placed the chicken thighs on top, smeared them with butter and a little salt and baked them at 375 for an hour. I threw some baking potatoes in the oven, too. A tossed salad with lettuce,apples, dried cranberries, and nuts topped with a sweet-sour dressing was a last minute inspiration.

I must say that my 'feast' surpassed my expectations! It looked very 'harvesty' and tasted great! The apple butter on the bread was a great touch. We finished off with some pumpkin spice bars and a little cranberry wine from Wisconsin.

My feast wasn't planned, but sometimes serendipity works, too.

P.S. The fall term at Oxford is also called 'Michaelmas'; the spring term is called St. Hillary. See what useful info you can find when you waste time!