I've always enjoyed Costco's Cold Shrimp platter with Cocktail sauce, so that would be on my Costco list!

I often buy pumpkin seeds already roasted. But if they are raw, you can toast them just like you would sesame seeds, in a skillet or in the oven (my preference depends on quantity needed). And frankly, toasted sesame seeds might also work very well, given the Asian vibe.

My son, a PA in Upstate NY, got his first shot today. So far, so good!

Something a little different than what has been mentioned (and is a great favorite of ours) is Mushroom Bourguignon. Here's one take from Smitten Kitchen and another one from NY Times. I use those as a recipe template and make it my own, using plenty of normal mushrooms (all that is available to me), coarsely chopped onions (no baby onions here either) and extra carrots. So, so good!

Thank you! The recipe is printed and I look forward to trying it out--both ways! 😉

Who or what is Mr. Linky?

@Dynamite5 Do you have a link or recipe for the rosemary nuts? TIA!

From XKCD:

SO TRUE! It's great--suggestions of all kinds PLUS thoughtful discourse. All my past "I love to read so I WILL read this year" resolutions never got anywhere until I joined the 52BinYear thread. Even though I seldom post, I do read through it at least weekly, often daily. I ❤️ it.

Hey @Robin M! I'm around--for some reason, every time the board goes through its glitches my user name that works alternates between @vmsurbat1 and my current one as VickiMNE. Annoying but not worth fussing about.... However, let me just give you all BIG THANKS as I just hit my 52 Books in a Week goal! Out of the 52, I'd say less than 5 were true fluff---you know, the Kindle Freebies that seemed interesting but you realize afterwards were free for a reason. For the rest, I'd say I'd gotten out of the rut of reading only mysteries and classics: from The Warmth of Other Suns (still consider it the most important book I read this year) to The Starless Sea (fantasy) to The Book of the Dun Cow (beautifully written) and more. I'm amazed at all of you with your special reading challenges and 10x10s; I was happy just to read 52 books and I'm looking forward to continuing with you all next year, in my own haphazard way. 😎

@mumto2 It's bedtime for us (Montenegro), but I'll think about it and post tomorrow.... Thank you for your willingness to help!

@mumto2 Your list gave me inspiration for buying for my hard-to-buy-for hubby who loves mysteries and has just gotten himself a kindle (see what I mean? He usually buys what he wants when he wants....). I'm going to search your Goodreads for ratings/comments. But, off the top of your head, are any these books particularly gritty and/or explicit? I'm not looking for "cozy" mysteries per se, but neither do I want to wade through a dark, depressing story, IYKWIM. And, if you are looking for more mysteries in the future, I recently finished The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra set in Mumbai and enjoyed it.

Done!

Ebook now on hold! Thanks for the recommendation!

Ha! We ended up having red apples and didn't even know it was Red Apple Day. Sometimes the stars align..... 🙂 In book news, I just finished The Traveling Cat Chronicles. I'm thinking of gifting it to my young adults who love all things to do with cats and Japan. My Goodreads Review:

FYI: The link you shared actually goes to Polish Christmas carol.

Yes, take it. The idea of the program is to benefit families hit (in some way, any way) by Covid. That takes all forms. Yours isn't necessarily loss of money but loss of health and strength. The program IS for you and your kids.