November 24, 25, 26 & 27

1}  I'm thankful that I'm not tied to my blog.  That I can take a few days off for the weekend and that's okay!

2}  I'm thankful for flowers...more specifically flowers growing in my flower beds and various pots around my porch.

these hydrangeas are from a tiny plant in my front flower bed.
they bloomed a pale pink and then this fall turned this dark red.

3}  I'm thankful for the bartering system that is alive and well with my talented friends and I.  I can crochet up a few things and trade with my friend that is a photographer for our Christmas picture...love that!

4}  I'm thankful that my Christmas pictures are done and my cards are printed and just waiting to be addressed.

5}  I'm thankful for books.  I love reading.

6}  I'm thankful for seasons.  I enjoy every season and I am usually ready for the next one when it's time...I pretty much think God knew what he was doing when he created the whole season thing!  He's good like that!

7}  I'm thankful for ziploc divided containers to pack my kids lunches in.  It's like their own personal lunchable without the crap junk food!

8}  I'm thankful for music.  My husband is a musical genius and my kids are blessed enough to have some of his genes and the gift of piano lessons.

9}  I'm thankful that all the Thanksgiving desserts are GONE so I can stop eating them.

10}  I'm thankful for a friend to run with on cold fall mornings.

11}  I'm thankful for the 'extra' week of November to get ready for girl child's birthday!

12}  I'm thankful for meal planning and menu's that help keep me organized!

November 22

Happy  Thanksgiving!

1} I'm thankful to be hosting Thanksgiving!  I love hosting it!  I love making the turkey.  I love all the bustling, busy, my kitchen full of people making a great meal.

2}  Thankful that the girl child and I are participating in the annual Turkey Trot...

I've wanted to do this for so long now, but no one could or wanted to do it with me, and it's just more fun with other people...Madison and I are 'trotting' with some friends, and grandma and grandpa are braving the 6 mile!  We're only doing the 2 mile this year, but we've already started talking about training for the 6 mile next year!

3}  Overwhelmingly thankful for my family and health.  Tuesday taught me that I could have lost all of that in a moment.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving...may it be filled with family, friends, and thankfulness!

the bird soup

all the work....

   which I LOVE....

that goes into the the Thanksgiving meal

and one of my favorite parts....

my own personal holiday tradition

....the day after soup!

the recipe in a nut shell

Bird Soup

1 turkey carcass or a a few of the larger bones

lots of water

    you can skip the bone boiling stage if that grosses you out and just opt for chicken broth

2 lb bag of carrots, peeled and chopped

entire bunch of celery ( washed and chopped, don't throw out those celery leaves...they have amazing flavor to add to any soup!)

1/2-1 whole chopped onion

any other veggies you want; corn, green beans, broccoli, peas (save the peas till the end), potatoes, brussel sprouts, etc....

a 'dollop' or 2 of gravy

2 scoops or 7 of mashed potatoes

bay leaf

salt and pepper

rice or noodles (optional)

yep, I'm a bone boiler...

we save the turkey carcass (could there be a grosser word?)

and I boil it for hours the next day...

just water 

and bones 

and whatever meat the vultures family didn't pick off 

all go into a pot

bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 1 hour, but 5-6 is great!  just keep adding water when it starts to get low.

then the hour before you're ready to eat, grab another large pot, and put your colander/strainer in the top, pour the boney water through catching all the wonderful broth in the bottom pot,

now return the broth to the stove and add whatever veggies you want (if you have some leftover from a veggie platter that's wonderful to use), I usually put in the 'soup trinity' (carrots, celery, & onions), then add some turkey...lots and lots of turkey (the small stuff that isn't good for sandwiches)... a few dollops of the leftover gravy helps make the soup creamy, leftover mashed potatoes are great (I like to leave the potatoes out and then heat a scoop up in the microwave and scoop the soup over the top of the spuds in the bowl...yummy!)...toss in some salt and pepper to taste and a bay leaf or 2...

if you want rice in the soup toss in a handful about 20 minutes left in the hour, if you prefer noodles toss them in the last 10 minutes....

happy bird soup!

other leftover turkey ideas

turkey salad (like chicken salad...but with turkey...so yummy with cranberry sauce)

turkey pot pie

turkey tortellini salad

turkey enchiladas

creamy turkey spinach & pasta 

what do you do with your turkey leftovers?

give thanks

I am so thankful for so much...
I didn't jump on the whole facebook thankful challenge thing...
never have...
I not sure why,
maybe it seemed insincere for me,
although I know plenty of people that are doing it and they are 100% sincere in their thanks...

  I am thankful,
      I don't want you to think I'm not,
maybe I felt that facebook was too impersonal...
like I was posting my diary for all to read...
...so, then why would I post it on my blog...
...because it is MY blog and it's more like my online journal...
and I may never actually publish this post, we'll see!

I'm thankful for my parents that raised me in a Christian home
thankful for the country that I live in that gives me so many freedoms
....freedom to serve my Lord Jesus Christ
freedom to teach my children and other peoples children about his love
....freedom to learn,
      not only allowed to be educated, but making it possible!
   seriously, I remind both of my kids that it is such a gift that we live in this country,
education is huge, and it's GIVEN to all of us!  no matter our gender or income...

I'm thankful for the people that came into my life at various points sharing with me God's love and truths...

I'm thankful for a college education (that we're still paying off)
thankful for an income to pay off my college education.

I'm thankful for meeting my husband at that college.

thankful for in-laws that raised my husband in a Christian home.

I'm thankful for the Christian couples that were in both of our lives at different times giving us the desire, goal, and tools for building a healthy Christian marriage.

I'm thankful for choices we both made before we ever met that led to pure, loving, wonderful sex life (yep, I went there!).
Thankful for communication with my husband.
Thankful for his love of God, his desire to serve God, his desire to share God's love.
Thankful for his love of our children.

I'm thankful for our children,
  healthy, beautiful, loving children...
thankful for the health care, doctors, medicines and God's miracles that have blessed us with two healthy beautiful, loving children....
Thankful for all the people in our children's lives that have shared God's love with them.
   thankful that they have a faith in God and a heart to share his love with others.

I'm thankful for a daddy's girl,
     that will talk to her daddy about anything...ANYTHING!
thankful that she is all girl...all silly, giggly, sparkly girl!
thankful that she is loving, tender, hopeful, & kind
thankful that she loves God, and wants to serve Him.
  thankful that she will not look for a boy to fill the needs that both God and her daddy have filled already!

Thankful for a momma's boy...
  a boy that has a heart to share love with the 'women' in his life...
a boy that is tender and loving and gentle...
   and rough & tough and funny and amazing...
thankful that he loves God and wants to serve Him.
thankful for a boy that will make an amazing husband
     because he will look at his father to see how to love and care for his wife and children.

I'm thankful for the grandparents that our children have...
the legacy of love, marriage, and loving God that they share with our children....

Thankful for so much more...
  for the turkey sitting in the kitchen waiting to be stuffed...

Happy Thanksgiving!

the bitter sweet

cranberry relish....
this is way better than any ol' canned cranberry jelly goop...
   ...what is that stuff anyways?

this has becoming a new tradition in our family...
it's a recipe from my sister-in-law's grandmother...
...my husband's, brother's wife....
she shared it with us a few years back
(can't remember now, but maybe 5 years ago?)
my mom made the recipe last year
and this is the first year I've made it...
so yummy...and so easy...
actually I should say the kids made it this year...
I was only in the kitchen for parts of the process
....the big knife process
...and the taking pictures process

girl child cutting and coring the apple
boy child peeling the orange
big knife sitting just haphazardly in the mix!

and this recipe is so simple that I actually walked them thru the recipe from the other room while I folded clothes!

lets pretend that I didn't just yell at them to stop yelling at each other

Grandma Grace Carlson's Cranberry Relish
Prepare at least 2-3 days before using so ingredients blend
1 pkg. cranberries
1 orange, peeled and seeded
1 lemon, peeled and seeded
1 apple, cut and cored, no need to peel
1 16 oz. can crushed pineapple
     (I had a 20 oz can, that I just measured out 16 oz/approx 2 cups)
1 cup sugar

Wash cranberries in colander.  Grind first four ingredients; cranberries, orange, lemon, apple. (Grandma used a meat grinder; food processor is best next option, and probably safer if your leaving the kids unsupervised your letting your kids make the recipe...). Add pineapple, with it's juice, and the sugar to the ground fruit. Let stand 1-2 hours and taste. Add more sugar if needed but keep it fairly tart.
Relish will sweeten some as it stands for a few days.
It will also darken, I was worried, I remembered it being darker, and when the kids were finished it was a pale pink, I think all the air bubbles from the food processing...it darkened up pretty fast, like within an hour...

I doubled the recipe because I think it's a nice gift to 'bottle' up and hand out to friends

lots of cranberry relish
 there was one other sm jar already gifted to the piano teacher

if you give as a gift remind them that this needs to be refrigerated.... 

the Bird

I've 'hosted' most of the Thanksgiving meals since we've been married...

so, 14 years turkey feast and maybe 5 of them have been elsewhere....

I love it...and really it's not something to stress over...

    ....or maybe it's because my family (in-laws included) 

     are low key, roll with the flow, kind of people

...yes, I'm thankful for our families...them are good people!

our menu this year...

the bird

mashed potatoes and gravy

stuffing/dressing

green bean casserole

salad 

cranberry relish

rolls & butter

(no yams or sweet potatoes, none in attendance this year really like them)

and then the desserts

pies; dutch apple, pumpkin, & chocolate

molasses cookies

easy peasy...

I wanted to share a family secret recipe to make your Thanksgiving center piece, the bird, low-no stress and perfectly moist and juicy!

ready for it...

it's all about the bag...

the Reynolds, turkey size oven bags...so simple!

make sure the bird is defrosted 

take out all the innards

stuff it if you stuff your bird

butter it up

toss a few tablespoons of flour and some salt and pepper into the bag

place the turkey in the bag

if you're feeling festive and creative you can put some rosemary and thyme on the top of the bird or even some lemon or orange slices

close up the bag

poke some holes in the top

and cook it according to the baking table inside the box...

no need for basting throughout the process

no need to add anything to 'brown-up the bird'

you can use a meat thermometer if you'd like 

     sometimes I have.... 

          sometimes I haven't, GASP!

the bird is always perfect

don't ya just love stock turkey feast photos...?

does anyone really sit down with the bird whole!

I searched the intra-web and not one photo could I find of the feast with the bird all carved up and on the table...so funny!

have a great day...now off to do some 'cooking' with the kids!

Thanksgiving Recipe Blog Hop 2010

Welcome to the Hop...

this is the last stop in the hop...you made it!
if you've been 'hopping' then hopefully you just came from Jamie at Creating Home
and just enjoy browsing all the wonderful recipes that everyone posted for you

if you are just starting the Hop, then go to the beginning with Robin at Creative 2x Mom and follow the blogs thru, they will bring you back to me...

this is my very first blog hop and I am so excited to be sharing it with all of these wonderful ladies..

if you have NO idea what I'm talking about...just trust me...

grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and start hopping

I am actually sharing 2 recipes with you...
first it's my mom's sweet potato recipe...

and I totally cheated on my own blog hop and I'm using my Mom's recipe for Sweet Potatoes...and actually I think she uses Yams but we still call it sweet potatoes.... (you say potato we say yam)...

this is a tried and true recipe that isn't even written down anymore, but right out of memory (you know those are the good ones!)...but I did recently see a very similar recipe that called for pears rather than apples...since we've never tried that I didn't want to add it/change it in the recipe, but I wanted to give you guys the option....sort of on a pear theme today in my recipes!

When I asked her the name of the dish she told me that she got it from a long time family friend...named Linda (also my mom's name...and 20% of the ladies from that generation!) so it's appropriately called

Linda's Sweet Potato Recipe

2 large cans Yam/sweet potato

2 red apples (I use either Fugi, Gala or  Braeburn-my mom)  (maybe pears?)

½ cup brown sugar      

½ cup chopped walnuts  

     (or pecans...my suggestion not moms, my family will not eat walnuts but will eat pecans...such snobs!)

¼ cup butter

Marshmallows

Wash core and thinly slice apples into large casserole dish with yams.  Add brown sugar and walnuts. Gently fold together so that everything is evenly mixed and dot top with butter.  Bake for 25-30 min or until apples are done. Put marshmallows on top as thickly as you prefer and put under broiler until golden.

You can add more nuts if you really like them and it’s still yummy if you don’t put marshmallows on top although you might want to add a little more brown sugar. I actually prefer it without marshmallows, but to my husband aka my father, it’s not a sweet potato casserole unless it has golden marshmallows melted on top! (my mom's notes)

okay now my REAL recipe is for a pear tart...

and -confession- I've never made or had this for Thanksgiving...

but I feel like pears get the short end of the stick during this season...
it's their season too...
why do the apples and pumpkins outshine the pear...
maybe I'm just more supportive to pears since I grew up in pear town...
aka the Rouge Valley (Southern Oregon)...

or maybe it's because I have my kitchen decorated in pears...

whatever it is...I feel we need to give the pear it's rightful place at our Thanksgiving tables this year....

just to clarify...I HAVE made this recipe, just not for Thanksgiving!

Brown Butter Pear Tart

Browned Butter Pastry Recipe (follows)

1/4 cup sugar

4 tsp flour

1/4 tsp ground ginger (more or less depending on your taste...)

     or substitute nutmeg and cloves if your family doesn't 'do' ginger
4 cups sliced & peeled pears
1 Tbp lemon juice
1 Tbp sliced almonds or pecans (optional)
milk/cream
sugar
1.  Prepare browned butter pastry (recipe follows), set aside.  Cover a cookie sheet with foil, sprinkle lightly with flour.  Roll out pasty* into a 13-inch circle and place on foil.
2.  In large bowl stir together sugar, flour, and ginger.  Add pears and lemon juice; toss gently until coated.  Mound pear mixture in center of pastry, leaving a 2-inch border.  Fold border up over pears.  Sprinkle center with nuts (optional).  Lightly brush pastry with milk/cream and dust with sugar.
3.  Bake in a 375 oven for 35-40 minutes or until crust is goldeny brown (the color will be different than a 'normal' pie crust with the browned butter pastry) and filling is bubbly.  If necessary, cover edges of pastry with foil for the last 5-10 minutes to prevent overbrowning (aka burning!).
4.  Cool 30 minutes on the baking sheet.  Serve warm (you can microwave slices to re-heat them) with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

Browned Butter Pastry
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup flour (wheat flour is very yummy with this)
1 Tbp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4-5 Tbp cold water


1.  In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat until butter turns the color of light brown sugar (slightly hard to tell because the butter will be frothy), stirring constantly.  

Cover and chill browned butter until solid, about 1 1/2 hrs (you can do this a day ahead).
*2.  In medium bowl stir together flour, salt and sugar.  Using pasty blender cut browned butter into flour mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbs or smaller.  You can work your flour/butter mixture as long as you want...pastry gets tough once you add the water...but at this stage it's still forgivable...
3.  Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour your cold water (the colder the better) and mix water into flour using a fork, work quickly, until dough forms a ball (you may need to use your hands).  Place pastry onto lightly flour surface, use your hands flatten out ball, coating it with flour on both sides.  Roll dough into a 13 inch circle with a floured rolling pin.

* If I can teach you anything about baking it is this....

handle pastry as little as possible, the more you handle it the tougher it will be, so opt for taste over beauty, if it's falling apart try to patch the pastry with extra pieces rather than starting the whole thing over and re-rolling it!!!  trust me on this...I have served many pies, and once it's cut and served how it looked gets WAY over shadowed by how it tasted!

Thanks everyone for joining us on my first every blog hop!  Hope you had fun visiting all the ladies on our Thanksgiving Recipe Blog Hop 2010!

just a re-cap here was the hopping order...

Robin from Creative 2x Mom http://creative2xmom.blogspot.com/ 
Kristin from Sweetheart Moments  http://www.mysweetheartmoments.com/ 
Krista from ~LopezFamily~ http://kristasuz.blogspot.com/ 
Becky of From Rookie to Rockstar http://rookietorockstar.blogspot.com/ 
Lisa from Juella Designs the Blog http://www.lisaski.typepad.com/ 
Jamie from Creating Home http://www.jamieschulz.blogspot.com/ 
and then ME...Kiera (that's me) from ChambersMade http://chambersmade.blogspot.com/ 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, have a safe and thankful day!