Like a 1950's Housewife / Seeing Double

Yesterday (Good Friday) the four of us went down to the city in which my sister, brother, and some of their children live. We had a very nice time eating, telling stories of when we were kids, solving some of the world's problems, and trying to get my niece's cat to sit in a square on the floor created with masking tape. (The cat wasn't interested, but my husband stood in it for a while).

Today I spent time doing the usual grocery shopping (however, the stores are crazy busy because yesterday was a holiday and tomorrow is a holiday and everyone, including me was buying what is needed for gatherings this weekend). I will have the four of us, and the kids' respective significant others, and my mother-in-law tomorrow. The menu will be appetizers of raw veggies and ranch dip, cheese and crackers, and a shrimp ring. Dinner will consist of turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots, broccoli salad, and a new adventure, creamy corn done in the crockpot, as well as rolls or rye bread. Dessert will include lemon squares, pumpkin pie, and something new, which is actually something quite old. Sometimes I like to try to make different food as long as there isn't too much riding on it! I figured this was a safe bet and it's just immediate family, so if it didn't turn out perfectly, people could just eat their Easter treats!

I made my very first pineapple upside down cake!

Ta daaa!!  Please excuse the presentation. I needed something big enough on which to flip it and go from upside down to right side up, so I just used a foil covered baking sheet. My baking sheets look like they have been used, and no I haven't tried the Pinterest suggestion of using hydrogen peroxide and lord knows what to make them shiny and new looking again. But I digress... I was thrilled with how it turned out. It looks very moist and gooey and the pineapple rings with maraschino cherries are so pretty. I felt like I should have on a gingham dress, apron, and kitten heels after making this. Pineapple upside down cake just feels like a 50's dessert, something that baby boomers ate with Sunday supper. I haven't eaten any yet. I'm saving it for tomorrow.

On a whole other note, it would appear that Sampson the cat has a doppelganger, or perhaps a body double. This cat showed up about a week ago and has shown his (her?) face around our property a number of times. Sampson is not overly fond of his mirror image and gives a combination of a low grown / moan when he sees it.

Our cat is the one in the foreground. Doppelganger is perched above him.

For my sake, I hope I can tell the difference late at night when a tabby cat asks to be let in the house. This other cat is not terribly afraid of us.

Tabbies are great cats, I'm just not sure I need two of them.