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i couldn't find my pyrex ramekins after all, but the show must go on, as i cobbled together a mix of different-sized ramekins and did the best that i could. who knows, maybe some people want a smaller sized flan, while others might want a bigger sized.

i started making my flan preparation the moment i got out of bed around 9am, but i didn't start cracking and mixing and boiling until almost 10am.

THANKSGIVING FLAN(21 servings,
14x 6 oz. ramekins,
7x 4-3/4 oz. ramekins)

12 eggs
7 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
3-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar (for caramel)

the flan mixture was perfectly portioned, i had nothing left over. i filled the trays with boiling water from the electric kettle. i should've boiled some water on the stove as well, because the water in the first tray had turned lukewarm by the time i filled the second tray and was ready to pour the caramel into the ramekins. 1/2 cup of sugar makes enough caramel to fill roughly 6 ramekins. i probably ended up melting close to 2 cups of sugar to fill all the ramekins. everything went into the oven by 11am.

as i recall, it takes at least 2 hours for all those flans to finish baking in the oven at 350°. i took the flan out of the oven by 1pm, most of them with a nice brown crust, a sign of a well-done flan. i moved them into cooling racks, then later back into the trays so i could store them in the fridge for the next few days.

i went to belmont in the afternoon to do some cleaning before my mother came home later tonight. there wasn't much to be done, i'd already cleaned the house last week when the energy auditor came to inspect the house. it was mostly moving pots and pans from the kitchen into the sunroom.

for dinner my father heated up two trader joe's indian curries in the microwave oven and pan-fried some raviolis.

my mother's flight from hong kong (cathay pacific CX 812) was supposed to arrive at 8:55pm, but it estimated to arrive early tonight at 8:15pm. my father said we can leave as late as 8pm, since it takes some time for the plane to taxi, and then to get through customs and pick up the luggage.

everything was normal until we arrived at the airport around 8:20pm, i'd never seen so much traffic at logan airport before. at first i thought maybe there was an accident that's causing all this car congestion, but then i realized it must be due to thanksgiving, everyone trying to get out of town early, but inadvertently creating this bottleneck. as evidence to support this theory, once we arrived at the international terminal (E), everything was calm again. i thought my father was going to park in central parking, but we ended up parking in a smaller lot just outside of the terminal.

we waited in the lounge area. there's free wifi at the airport (just a captive portal page with legal disclaimers you need to click through). my mother came out of the gate around 8:50pm, pushing a stroller stacked with luggages. while my father went to go pay for the parking ticket at the automated kiosk, my mother seemed like she was about to cry, thinking about my grandmother back in taiwan. in the car on the way home she told us my grandmother asked her not to leave and to stay with her and take care of her (currently my california aunt is in taiwan temporarily taking care of my grandmother until christmas).

back in belmont, while my mother was unpacking, i left and returned to cambridge via motorcycle.