I had most of this newsletter written before Sandy hit the East Coast. So let me preface what follows by saying on behalf of everyone at The Morning Star that our thoughts go out to those affected by Hurricane Sandy and that we sincerely hope that the recovery process is as quick and painless as can be.
   It will probably come as no surprise that I am thinking of this as the Thanksgiving issue of The Update. What may come as a surprise, however, is that thinking of a recipe for this issue has filled me with the memory of ruining last year's Thanksgiving dinner. We had 20 people over, and despite what was literally the most careful and detailed planning imaginable, our turkey was ready more than an hour early and everything snowballed from there. At least the desserts were fine ... and the company, thankfully, was wonderfully gracious. Still, if I hadn't had so many previous years of successful Thanksgiving dinners under my belt, I think that I might be afraid to ever cook a turkey again. I had special-ordered a fresh bird last year and my theory is that it was smaller than what I had ordered and had based my cooking time upon. Ah, the best laid plans ... . So here is wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving that goes every bit as well as planned and hoped for!