The Hostess with the Mostest

Yes, retailers go straight from a Halloween mindset to a Christmas one, but that needn't be true of us in Bellevue, since we have the final three Farmers Market weekends pointing like an arrow straight at Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday, food-wise. If the thought of the entire family gathering fills you with tension, print out this picture and put it on your fridge:

Clearly the Market is the place to come for the freshest greens, potatoes, baked goods, hors d'oeuvres cheeses, and even cider for the Thanksgiving meal, but don't forget that it's also a great place to pick up hostess gifts.

Lately I came away with two varieties of Marilyn's Nut Butters, Pistachio Hazelnut Butter with Cumin and Black Pepper for my mother and, for my sister, the sweeter Cinnamon Walnut Pecan Butter. There are plenty of recipe suggestions at the booth, but my own personal recommendation would be to dip a knife in the jar and eat it straight. Yum.

Or maybe your hosts might prefer the Pete's Perfect Butter Toffee or a bottle of Sweet Sadie's Fudge Sauce. The only drawback on these gift ideas is that they may never make it to the recipient. The last box of toffee I bought for my mother-in-law I broke into and didn't even share with my children. (They had all that waxy, fake chocolate from Halloween to keep them quiet.)


If you or your hosts are dieting and trying to avoid goodies like I mentioned above, there are always the flowers, for which the Market is famous. Or, for those crafty types among you, consider building your own squash garden like Martha Stewart:

 (For all of you showing up at my house, if you're not bringing a treat, I would like the Snail. Thanks.)