Four years ago my Mother, Phoebe “Perry”, passed away on the Monday before Thanksgiving and since that time I have been spending the holiday with family friends in Gloucester. My mother was a graduate of the nursing school at Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester where she had two really good friends, Barbara “Mac” Mack Kennedy and Josephine “Polly” Capillo. The names in quotes are their nicknames they gave to each other based on their last name. I visit Mac’s son, Brien and his family each Thanksgiving.
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving in 2007, I was headed down the Mass 
Turnpike when I got a call and was told to go to the Elks out on Bass Rocks. I am positive that there is not an Elks in the country with such a view. It is where the Easterly Restaurant used to be. It seems on this day every year they serve over 200 meals to area senior citizens. I will never forget that day 4 years ago. I 
arrived a very sad person and walk into a bevy of activity. I was assigned to assist with putting the take out containers together as over 40 of these are prepared and delivered to home-bound seniors. This was the best remedy for my sadness. Before long the tears subsided and were replaced by smiles.
This year, for once, the weather was beautiful, not a cloud to be seen and the surf 
was smooth as glass. The seniors came and partook of a delicious meal of turkey and all the trimmings. These were not your grocery store turkey, but ones raised by a member of the Elks. Everyone always has a great time and this year the party was graced by two Pilgrims.
As like most people we overindulged on Thanksgiving with a wonderful dinner 
prepared by Brien’s wife Annette. I contributed my Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing 
along with Pumpkin and Cranberry Bread. On my way to Gloucester, I stopped at Henry’s Market in Beverly and picked up some of their delicious crab dip. This was indeed enjoyed by all.
On the Friday after Thanksgiving, I headed to Kennebunk, ME to do a book signing at Keys to the Kitchen. This is a wonderful kitchen supply store in the Lower Village on Rt. 35. After the book signing, my friend and I head to H.B. Provisions to grab a bite. Since a lobster roll was on the menu, we both decided to have one. It was absolutely delicious! The roll however was not a hot dog roll, but a hamburger bun and not your everyday bun. It was served with tomato and lettuce with a tad of mayonnaise. I will definitely enjoy these again in the future.
On the way back to Gloucester, we stopped at Tendercrop Farm in Newbury to pick up some extraordinary crackers, La Panzanella Sesame Croccantini. Use them with cheese spreads, sandwich mixtures such as egg salad or even in Meat Loaf. We also picked up some English Toasting Bread which is delicious with apple butter, jam or jelly.
Heavenly Meatloaf Appetizer
- 1 pound ground beef and 1 lb of ground pork
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 cup of La Panzanella Croccantini, finely crushed
- 1/2 cup of red onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup of ketchup
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 minced garlic clove
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly and fill ungreased loaf baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center registers at 160 degrees. Continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Let cool to warm temperature before serving.
- Serve sliced into small wedges on top La Panzanella cracker, garnished with thin sliver of sun dried tomato.
From www.lapanzanella.com
On Saturday, I drove out to Rockport to do another signing at Toad Hall bookstore. When I started Bass Pond Press, Amy was my first bookstore customer and has been 
astrong supporter ever since. Through the years I have spent many happy hours in Rockport. I would like to thank Heather Atwood, Food Editor of the Gloucester Times, was her lovely write-up on her blog. She said, “These cookbooks are the kind you take out thinking you’ll have a cup of tea and look for something to do with two pounds of cod. An hour later you’re still leaning on the counter with the tea kettle whistling dry.”
When I finished the signing I returned to Gloucester where we sat down to a second turkey dinner. This one consisted by turkey fricassee on toast with a little stuffing and cranberry sauce on the side. This is my favorite way to have turkey.
My visit over, I headed home along with several thousand other people. Quite the trip!!
In our wonderland country we have a lot to be thankful for. We should be thankful every day that we have our freedoms that the majority of people in the world envy.
Phoebe's Kitchen
weekends. The My brother and his pals usually spent a week camping at the State Park. The word Hammonasett means, "where we dig holes in the ground" and refers to the place where a settlement of eastern woodland Indians farmed along the Hammonasset River. The park has served many purposes since 1898 when it was used as a testing range for Wincester Repeating Arms Company; an army reservation during WW II and an aircraft firing range. I best remember it as a beach. My brother and his pals usually spent a week camping at the State Park. I remember going from our home in Old Lyme one evening and having sloppy joes sitting around a campfire. 
