Yesterday's Record Breaking Veteran's Day

Snow was predicted yesterday, but not as much as we got!  The previous snowfall record for November 11th was 4.1 inches and some areas of southeastern Michigan got up to 10 inches. We got 6-7 inches.  You can tell by the top of my car when I went out to shovel the driveway and sidewalks yesterday afternoon.  All the schools are closed today and the kids are happy!

Below are two of my favorite veterans that I posted on Facebook yesterday.  On the left is my hubby, Jerry, who was in the Air Force during the Vietnam conflict [but he only did some air reconnaissance missions over Vietnam, he wasn't stationed on the ground like his brother was].  My dad is on the right and he was in the Marines during WWII serving in the South Pacific.  God bless our military who sacrifice to keep us safe and free!

UPS made a delivery that I enjoyed looking through last night - the official Downton Abbey cookbook.  Also included in the order was a package of 100 red lace hearts that I'll be using to decorate my favors for my Lucille Ball presentation at the assisted living facility at the end of the month.

Another delivery that came on Saturday was a relish dish/tray, small enough for week night meals.  Martha Scott, blog writer of Lines from Linderhof [name of her home in Kansas] recently wrote a post about relish dishes/trays.  She commented that they were a gift all brides of years gone by used to receive, but they have fallen out of popularity.

I have a large clear glass lazy Susan relish dish/tray that I received for a wedding shower gift, but it's too large for everyday use, and I never think to use it for large family gatherings. My mother and mother-in-law always had a relish dish/tray on the table at family gatherings, and they always left it sitting out after the meal ended to nibble on.  I'm going to use use mine this Thanksgiving to see if my kids and the grands will even eat relishes.

Martha posted a picture of a small relish dish/tray that she got at a church bazaar for $12.  Her article piqued my interest, or maybe it was just nostalgia, but it sent me searching on e-bay.  I found her identical relish dish for $6.99, but as usual shipping was more than the item [$7.89].  I bought it anyway because I know my hubby will enjoy relishes with his evening meal [and I will too].

It's embossed with the relishes that go in the divisions.  Celery in the top section, pickles in the lower left, and olives in the lower right.  Of course, anything can be put in the sections - carrot sticks, radishes, cucumber slices, bell pepper slices, cherry tomatoes, etc.  Do you use a relish dish/tray?

Today is my hubby's and grandson, Landon's birthday.  I asked for the day off from work so I can go to Chelsea to celebrate with them.  My son, Steve, and his family are going too and will be picking me up.  I made Jerry & Landon's favorite cake to take - Chocolate with cream mounds on top.  

Lastly, yesterday a member of the Facebook group Afternoon Tea Across America [ATAA] posted the picture below of chocolate baby grand pianos filled with chocolate mousse. Aren't they beautiful? I went online and found the chocolate mold at Amazon for $6.15 [plus shipping].  The mold has great reviews and a 1 lb. bag of chocolate discs makes two pianos.  I'm ordering two molds to use when I have my daughter and her two piano teachers over.