On this Weekend Meanderings- a fantastic persimmon bread to make for family or gifts, my Thanksgiving table, and gifts to grab now.
How was your Thanksgiving? We had a cozy low-key one with my sons and dad and we had a nice walk after the dinner. After three days of cooking, Max and I came to the conclusion that next year we are doing something else.
It’s about the 24th year we hosted, and except for my dad, we realized the kids aren’t crazy about Thanksgiving food. We really do it for ourselves and we started thinking, maybe we don’t need to! Next year we will either go someplace for a few days with all of us, or order some dishes to bring in. Have you changed your Thanksgiving traditions or is your family still keen on it all?
The best part to me is Friday and the weekend after! We were blessed with some gorgeous weather and did this hike at Aptos I wrote about here, in June, and grabbed sandwiches. I love having us all back together in one spot and I try to enjoy every second with the guys. Griffin goes back to school in Utah on Sunday.
Look what a beautiful day it was at the coast in November. It was in the 70’s.. We took a few snaps I hope I can use for my holiday cards.
Persimmon bread
I know I’ve written about persimmons a lot and I swear I am not being paid by the persimmon board!
I just love the look and taste of these very seasonal gems, so I was excited when a friend recently brought a loaf of persimmon bread to a tennis gathering.
This recipe surprisingly uses the Fuyu varietal, the most common persimmon I see around here which is pumpkin shape and kind of squat. It is also firmer and better tasting. This is my friend Adriana’s recipe… I changed it slightly with a bit less sugar.
Adriana is one of those cool people who had a very international upbringing growing up in Mexico City and attended the German school there before coming to America for college and Silicon Valley for work. She has baking talent. One thing I like about the tennis group at our humble club, is the chance to meet people I otherwise wouldn’t. It’s wonderful to make new friends at this stage of life. I adore our group of women!
Persimmon Bread
Ingredients
- 2 C sugar
- 3 C flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 C canola oil
- 1/2 C water
- 1 C persimmons pureed (Fuyu)
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground clove
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 C walnuts or other nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Chop persimmons into large pieces leaving out hard core bits and tops. Puree persimmons in a blender or food processor until liquidy, with the water. Mix together sugar, spices and then add in whisked eggs. Add in oil and puree mix. Mix flour, salt and baking soda together then gently mix into wet ingredients. Fold in nuts. Spray two loaf pans, and fill pans 70% full.Top with more walnuts, or a light sprinkling of sugar.Bake at 350 F, 50-60 minutes. These also freeze well for later use!
My Thanksgiving Table
I’m a bit of an impromptu person when it comes to holiday tables. I like to see what inspires me in nature and what is available in the grocery and such. I went to a local home store, Home by Ling Interiors, in Los Gatos, and found a cute dark green striped tablecloth that looked just like my kind of thing. I took it home and stopped by Bunches florist, also in town, and saw these pretty straw flowers and eucalyptus, and thought bingo those will pull my table together.. with my yellow napkins and candlesticks from Juliet..
I ended up using the big arrangement later on the sideboard with the pies and making small bouquets in my Glassybaby votives for the actual table intermingled with clear votives with tea lights.
The pies were my favorite part and Jackson and his girlfriend Kristin made an apple pie that was as pretty as it was delicious! Max made a pumpkin and I made a pecan pie with satsuma tangerine in it…
Gift Ideas
I know the holidays are upon us so I will post gift ideas every weekend post in December. I always need ideas for female friends and relatives. Below, a few things that caught my eye and I will add more as I see them..
These Ugg Shearling Slides are on my own wish list.
Cute flannel pjs here and here.
Some modern cool small X demi-fine earrings in gold or silver for your younger, hip relatives or friends.
Anthropologie has the most darling mug and plate collection called Holiday in the City Paris, San Francisco, New York, and London are some of the cities. They also have dish towels and candles, wrap and puzzles in this theme. The little mugs each say something, the San Francisco one says ‘Peace, Joy & San Francisco’
By Terry Rose Lip Balm, is a treat and a nice gift for a friend or relative in these winter months!
Deeda Blair’s book Food, Flowers, and Fantasy is on my list and people say it’s a great. Deeda Blair shows how she lives simply, despite having an extraordinary life- and some great recipes.
This Week’s Home for Sale..
I noticed this pretty house when I was looking a few weeks ago, and honestly can’t believe it’s still listed. It’s a late 40’s charmer in the heart of Willow Glen. I adore the big windows, and how the home is situated – taking up a large corner ( 1/4 acre) lot, and is wrapped around a yard. It just needs a new kitchen, baths, and a few updates, but has location and curb appeal in spades..
Holiday Blog Posts..
This Wednesday I’ll have a special post joining some new blog friends on a holiday home tour… If you subscribe, you’ll also get a special holiday outfits edition of our Signature Style, and a hometown holiday traditions post -in addition to the regular posts in December! Kind of fun. If you haven’t yet subscribed to the blog, and would like to, you can sign up here.
And that is my weekend meanderings for this week. Please stop over at Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs to see what fun they are sharing…and have a lovely weekend!
MAKE MINE A SPRITZER
PINECONES AND ACORNS
Kim
Last weekend’s post was Thanksgiving tablescape ideas, and side dishes, Bloomingdale’s dresses and a little celebration for Juliet up in San Francisco.
If you’d like to get an email when I post, please subscribe to the blog here for a post in your inbox a few times a month and every Saturday for Weekend Meanderings.
Some links will generate a small commission here, which helps make this blog possible. Thanks so much for your support!
Good morning Kim!
Happy Saturday! It sounds like you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your boys and dad. I love the photo of your sons on such a beautiful day.
We cooked for 2 days but I do not think we will be changing anything anytime soon, my niece and nephew are only 15/16.5 and they love the tradition. My niece also has Rhetts syndrome and she LOVES traditions and holidays and doe not take to change well. And that is ok because it will keep the kid in us alive and well for many years to come.
We went to the blessing of the hounds, cooked, ate and played lots of games with the kids. Sadly we did not win but had lots of fun. More of that in the future for Christmas with them as well. I am excited, we haven’t lived in the same town with family for almost 25 years.
I found some persimmons at the market and will be making your salad and this bread! I cannot wait to try it.
I love your holiday gift suggestions, I have the Paris cup from last year. I might have to add to my collection.
Love the house! I wonder why its still on the market? Price?
Have a wonderful weekend Kim! Cannot wait to see you your holiday decor and outfits!
xo Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, Your Thanksgiving sounds wonderful. Being with family is so great and how nice you are all now close to each other. Love that you are making traditions with your niece. We did games too and my kids love that the most. I love that Paris cup and towel! Yes that house is a bit pricey for the current market I think. Happy weekend xo
After cooking and prepping for three days and wrestling a 23 lb turkey in 2021, I was done! I could barely eat. Our family ate at Mimi’s Cafe this year and the meal was delightful. I actually got to relax and enjoy it myself.
Lynn, Wow I hear you! Glad you did something nice this year for yourself and enjoyed the meal. I often have a hard time enjoying the food after all the cooking.. Not sure why that is. Thank you! Good suggestion too.xo
AS you know I got invited elsewhere and since NO SONS this year I was HAPPY TO HIT THE ROAD that had ZERO TRAFFIC!!
GREAT DAY….
I’m taking notes on all your Persimmon ideas!
TODAY I start wrapping the gifts as I think I have most of it need to organize!
I have scaled back TREMENDOUSLY in the last two years.
Our needs are quite simple these days!
HAPPY 29 days of PREP!
XOXO
So happy for you to get too get away and not be the hostess for once! Yay for no traffic. I love that you begin wrapping gifts already! Scaling back is what we should all do! We have also. Glad we have 29 days! xo
Hi Kim,
Wow, you and Max must have been pooped out after spending three days of cooking in the kitchen. It’s good after 24 years of hosting that you will be looking to do something different. I think after being in the kitchen for three days you just become disinterested in the food. Think you’re just done. Also interesting some kids are not crazy about Thanksgiving food. I think it’s maybe ??? something you perhaps grow into. The pies are such a big tradition. Kristin and Jackson’s Apple pie looks beautiful. I can tell just by the picture it’s super yummy. You all did splendid on your pies too.
Nice picture of Jackson and Max at the beach. You captured the sky at a perfect moment.
The Thanksgiving table looks nice. I like it because it’s not look full of clutter. I decided after taking our decor down next year I will not do as much. I like to keep everything very simple.
In fact we donated so many nice Halloween, and Christmas things this year. It was very freeing. Going forward doing everything in a minimal way
I bet your “dear dad” is so appreciative of all the love everyone contributed into such a memorable Thanksgiving day.
You must be ready for a holiday where you just have to point and everyone serves you.
Hugs and always smiles
Hi Katherine, I do think there is something about losing interest in the food after three days of prep. Not sure why! I wish my family enjoyed it more, so we will change it up next time! Kristin and Jackson’s pie was so good! I know we were lucky with a perfect winter beach day. I’m with you less is more for me in decor. It is freeing doing less. My dad just does a little lighted snowman in his yard and that is it. It means everything to have him with us on the holidays. I am looking forward to being a guest one day at Thanksgiving. Wondering how many more years I have to wait for the boys?! Hope your weekend was lovely. xo
Love your casual Thanksgiving table setting! Glad you had a nice holiday with family!
Thanks Molly. Hope yours was wonderful. Everyone loved your Brussels sprouts with cannelini beans!
Kim! The persimmon board better sign you up right away … they have no idea what they’re missing. In fact, this morning at the grocery store I was eyeing the persimmons. Seriously eyeing them … wish I’d read you post first. But I can pick some up later in the week to try your bread. Your Thanksgiving table was gorgeous … so simple and elegant. I love those yellow napkins. But, mostly, I love the look of those pies. One slice of each, please. I need to get over to Anthro … those city Christmas plate/mug sets are awesome. You find the best stuff. And I’m intrigued by the book … you know I can’t pass up a good book even though (I know I’m embarrassing myself) I don’t know who Deeda Blair is … other than she must be fabulous. Glad you guys had a relaxing weekend and it’s good to reevaluation traditions and try something new. When Kyle and our nieces were young we rented houses in Capitola a couple of times and bought our turkey dinner from Gayle’s. So good. And on the years Jim and I are on our own we like to go out … and the restaurants that open for Thanksgiving are always packed. Not only with orphans like us, but big family groups as well … and everything in between. Enjoy the rest of your weekend … we just put up the new tree! xo
Juliet where is my check from them??? I’m thinking there is no persimmon board sadly. It’s word of mouth with these odd fruits. Juliet, I honestly did not know much about Deeda, except that she was in Vogue occasionally when I used to read it more. She was married to a diplomat and consults and sits on boards of biotech, I think that is how she made her money.. A Capitola rental and Gayle’s Thanksgiving is such a fun idea! Maybe that is my next year plan. xo
Pinned and printed the recipe … I swear I’m going to give permissions a chance. xo
Let me know.. Wish I could share some. My neighbors just dropped off more! xo
I love Thanksgiving food too much to not have turkey and all of the extras. It’s once a year and we look forward to the meal so that’s one tradition that won’t be going by the wayside here. We tried Christmas in Hawaii two years ago. It just didn’t seem like Christmas so we won’t do that again. Of course, I am not daunted by the preparation as I love the cooking and presentation so that might be the key for me. Happy Holidays!
Kim your Thanksgiving table looked so beautiful! I loved the natural elements and soft colors. I hear you about the cooking for three days. We normally don’t cook and are lucky enough to have family that usually host but this year Dave and I were both recovering from Covid- so it was just the two of us. I had to laugh that we were clueless on cooking a turkey since it had been a long time. I’m vegetarian so I left it up to Dave to figure out and he did a good job considering. It was nice having a laid back day but I definitely missed being around family. Your persimmon bread recipe looks yummy and I may try that since I haven’t used persimmon in a recipe before. I so look forward to your posts – always interesting and inspiring!
Oh Michelle so sorry you guys were sick. I hope you’re doing better. That’s a bummer it was at Thanksgiving! Good for you guys doing it for yourselves! A laid back day is nice too though. Michele so many people are vegetarians or vegans now, I think the traditional Thanksgiving meal is really changing. My son calls it old people food! I was like what do you want an açaí bowl??
Let me know if you try the bread. Take care! xo
Hi Nancy, I think it’s so great when people love the Thanksgiving food and I wish my family did too. You love it and that makes it not a chore, but a joy I think!
I hear you about Hawaii. We did Hawaii after Christmas a few times and New Years and we thought that was fun, but I wouldn’t want to do the day of there. I love being at home and around the tree and all that. Hope you had a good weekend.
Funny that you found out your boys are not that much of a fan of turkey dinner. Our Thanksgiving was a sort of a dud. My daughter had to work a 12 hour shift and then every day through today so it was just my husband and I. I made a Jamie Oliver chicken dish but I have a turkey in my freezer waiting until I can have my daughter and her family over….probably after Christmas. We used to have my husband’s family over but it was getting to be a hassle for various reasons. Funny story though, my sister-in-law left a message on Friday morning wondering if we were coming over that night at 5:00 for Thanksgiving dinner??? We never got an invite! Not sure if it was an oversight or a last minute decision. Knowing them probably the latter. My husband was in the middle of a plumbing project so that was our out. I am one of those people that hate last minute stuff, I need some kind of notice.
I used to make persimmon bread all the time in the Fall when I was in my twenties…so long ago.
My husband works with a volunteer at his school who belongs to a gay male tennis club. Every year they have a toy drive and serve appetizers and drinks. The principal always asks my husband and I to attend so we can help load up the toys in our cars. It usually is fun and quite interesting because my husband is the only straight guy there other than the waiters lol.
Thanks for taking the time to post during such a busy time of year. 😍
Linda
Linda, I know and here I sit on Sunday with like 8 pounds of turkey I am trying to pawn off on them..Oh it’s so hard when someone can’t make it because of work. It just doesn’t feel the same. Nice you can celebrate later with your daughter I hope! I agree with you- the last minute invites always throw mw off.
Doesn’t persimmon bread kind of go with zucchini bread? I swear all the moms in our neighborhood used to make it. It was very California in the 70’s/thought to be healthier..
Gosh that toy drive sounds like a blast- and a nice thing to do!
Aw thanks for the kind note-and hope you have a beautiful holiday season too. xo
Hey Kim – I completely get where you are coming from on the three days of cooking, cleaning, setting the table, flowers, moving furniture, etc etc! And my hubby is out of town until the last minute, so guess who does it all? Moi! My sister in law is really helpful and brings food too.
Ours is uber traditional, and will be until my parents are not here any more. My mom had it for probably 30 years, after my Nanny died. So I will too, until they are gone. My family all lives in town. I think they all come for the turkey gravy….
PS – Your hubby is so cute! 🙂
Gray you totally get me. It’s a lot. I also do it for my dad! How nice your family comes and pitches in. That would be nice. Aw thanks about max. Couldn’t resist him with the apron and baster. LOL.
That persimmon bread sounds amazing!
Thanks Lisa!
It looks like you had a very easy Thanksgiving. I like the last minute table decor. Could you please share the information on your white dinner plates?
Hi Janet!
The white dinner plates which I love are here:
https://rstyle.me/+jPvD01nViEgkJbWbWVV6gg
Looks like they are still on sale too. They look handmade, but are durable and even go in dishwasher.
Hope that helps!