****DON'T FORGET THE DAILY TRIVIA LINK LOCATED ON THE MAIN PAGE IN THE RIGHT COLUMN UNDER THE NEWS LINK.

SPECIAL CONTESTS WITH WHIPPY

TURKEY SHOOT: Names of all staff will be put on turkeys, which will be randomly placed on tour pages. Win the tour--you shot the turkey!
Most admin shot $25 e-gift card or diamond membership / Most TD's shot $25 e-gift card or diamond membership

GAME OF THE MONTH FOR NOVEMBER WILL BE FRIZZ. WINNER OF MOST FRIZZ TOURS WINS 1 MONTH DIAMOND.

IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!! IF YOU WON ANY OF WHIPPY'S EVENTS IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO WIN THIS MONTH!!

SPECIAL THANKS TO WHISPER & WHIPPY FOR FUNDING NOVEMBER GAMES!

  NOVEMBER RECIPE OF THE MONTH: PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Crust
6 ounces chocolate-wafer cookies, such as Nabisco Famous (about 34)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 3 tablespoons sugar

Filling
3 packages (each 8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature, 1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 3 large eggs

Caramel
1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F with a rack in center. Bring a small pot of water (about 8 cups) to a boil. Assemble a 9-by-3-inch springform pan with raised side of bottom part facing up.

Crust: In a food processor, grind wafers until fine (you should have 1 1/3 cups). Add butter, sugar, and salt; pulse until evenly moistened. Press evenly into bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of pan.
Refrigerate 10 minutes. Bake until fragrant and firm, about 12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack; reduce oven temperature to 325F.

Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth; add flour and beat to combine. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and salt; beat to combine. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition.
Wrap springform pan in foil (to keep water from seeping in during baking); place in a roasting pan. Pour filling into crust. Place roasting pan in oven, add boiling water to come halfway up sides of springform pan.
Bake until pie is puffed around edges and just a tiny bit wobbly in center, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Transfer springform pan to wire rack; remove foil and let cool 20 minutes.
Run a paring knife around edges and let cool completely on rack, about 4 hours. Transfer pan to refrigerator; cover loosely and chill at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.

Caramel: Release sides of pan and remove cake. Cook sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring and cook,
swirling pan occasionally and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until amber, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream and salt (it will bubble up).
Return to heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring to dissolve any hardened caramel. Stir in chocolate. Let cool 20 minutes, then pour over cake.

Return cake to refrigerator until set, at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. For the cleanest slices when serving, use a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each.

LITERARY CORNER

Thanksgiving

The winter-storm may rack and roar;
We do not fear its blast;
And we'll bear with faith and fortitude
The lot that thou hast cast.

But Father, Father, O look down
On the poor and homeless head
And feed the hungry thousands
That cry to thee for bread.

Thou givest us our daily bread;
We would not ask for more;
But, Father, give their daily bread
To the multitudes of poor.
--Hanford Lennox Gordon

****************************** In memory of our friend and spades partner, JC_RAMS2001 ******************************

After Apple Picking

My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
--Robert Frost

"There is a debt of service due from every man to his country. I love to see honest men and honorable men at the helm,
men who will not bend their politics to their purses, nor pursue measures by which they may profit."
--Thomas Jefferson