Thanksgiving



(Image from: http://www.cupcakestocarrotsticks.com/2010/11/i-survived-one-thanksgiving.html)

Menu
APPETIZERS
• Devilled Eggs
• Crudités
• Cheese Balls with Crackers - H & D

MAIN DINNER
• Turkey
• Mashed Potatoes
• Gravy
• Candied Yams
• Dressing
• Corn with Butter - oops forgot to buy
• Cranberry sauce - H & D
• Rolls - Geraldines - oops forgot to pick up or bake the substitute
• Butter
• Salt & Pepper

BEVERAGES
• Spiced Apple Cider
• White & Red Wines
• Water
• Coffee

DESSERT
• Cheesecake - purchased
• Banana Cream Pie - purchased
• Pumpkin Mousse - H & D

Gingerbread Houses

Nick's traditional/realistic house

It was entertaining to have all three of us begin with the same kit box house. We ended up with three very different houses. On Thanksgiving day we were lucky to get the walls up, it took us a couple more days to finish them.

Heather & Duo came for the gingerbread house raising and appetizers. They found a train kit that had premade frosting that was ready in its own piping bag. Now that was awesome cheating.  We watched cooking and house shows and then 'How to Train Your Dragon' and 'The Incredibles'.  Terry and Robin came for dinner and afterwards we watched 'Up!', the two short movies on Up! and 'Boneknapper Dragon'. It was an animation extravaganza.

Shanna's Viking/How to Train Your Dragon inspired Swedish Fish house

I had dinner prep interruptus. I was going to baste the turkey for the first time and got a severe steam burn when peeling back the foil. I ended up with second degree burns. And while we're on it, that dang turkey was quite the trial. First I wanted to brine it. I've never tried it before but it's all the rage right now, so why not. I made the brine on Monday and left it to cool on the stove. I remembered it the Tuesday morning and had to chuck it out. You do not cook with chicken broth that's been left out overnight. Then I needed to figure out how long to cook it the way I normally do. So I took the weight on the package and did the math. Good thing Nick figured out the weight was in kilograms not pounds and redid my conversion. Now I felt I was in a hurry, eep. Instead of using my tried and true Betty Crocker for the timing, I used the Joy of Cooking. It suggested to preheat the oven to 450 degrees then turn it down when you put the turkey in. I put the turkey in and forgot the turning down part for 30 minutes. I'm really glad I remembered at all. So the Turkey was finished about two hours before dinner was on. Nick is the hero of the day. We turned down the heat and he basted it every 15 minutes till dinner was ready to be served.

My Cinnamon Bear Fantasy Cottage

The burn on my hand gave me the opportunity to do two new things. One, let go of the control of the dinner. I continued to help as best I could with a cold pack on my hand, but everyone else had to do the cooking. Nick, Shanna and Heather pretty much finished the dinner, set the table, and served the food. The second one was to cry in front of people without freaking out. I was in real pain for about 8 hours even using the prescription burn ointment, cold packs and pain killers. I was also no longer in control of my dinner and it just kinda messed with me. I do not cry in front of people. It seems like a sign of weakness. I also feel that I'll be mocked or perceived as weak and or that it will be used against me. It's one more symptom of my inability to trust people. I seem to have a huge need to keep who and what I am and what I feel a secret in order to prevent mocking/shaming/dismissing. Well Thanksgiving 2010 seems like it was a breakthrough.

Friday was a day of rest for me if not for Nick who was the hero again cleaning up the kitchen, doing the dishes etc...

Journal Entry - Preparing For The Holidays

Weekend before Thanksgiving:

With some 13-19 social engagements for the holiday season, and being the control freak I am, we started our preparations early. It took all three of us but we managed to make and freeze a bunch of stuff ...

Nov 20 - Saturday
• Huckleberry Muffins (36)
• Butterscotch Banana Bread (26 mini loaves)
• Meatballs(40 some)

Nov 21 – Sunday
• 1 (foil) big lasagna
• 2 (foil) cake pan lasagnes
• 6 (foil) bread pan lasagnes (1 noodle wide)
• 1 (glass) big lasagna (had to add prego)
• 1 (glass) sml alfredo lasagna with broccoli, cauliflower & tortellini. Serve with grilled chicken.

Unfortunately I still want to get a bunch of cookies, biscotti, truffles and other candy premade.

Cheating...Sometimes it's good to know when you don't want to or perhaps don't
have the energy to do everything yourself. I broke my toe three weeks earlier so I wasn't feeling all that capable. Our sweet real estate agent sent us a letter gifting us with free rolls from a local bakery. Our persistent auto dealer sent us a letter gifting us with a free turkey if we test drove a vehicle. Instead of making our gingerbread houses from scratch we bought kits. And for dessert I purchased frozen cheesecake and banana cream pie.


The turkey operation was fun. We went on a very snowy day to the dealer and test drove a Toyota Highlander. It was awesome! I'd really love to have one, but can't afford it at this time.

The rolls became a comedy of errors. Hubby got them reserved then we forgot to pick them up. So late Weds night he was running errands and picked up Pillsbury crescent rolls, which I forgot to bake. First Thanksgiving in a long time without rolls of any kind.

The cheesecake was lovely with huckleberry jam (from the Idaho store) as a topping.

Heavy duty paper plates and glasses were the final, lifesaving, cheat.

Cheating. Definitely going to try it again next year.

(Images, I have no idea where I got any of these on this blogpost... Sorry)

 

Journal Entry - ILA Business Mtg in Boise

ILA BOARD MEETING - NOVEMBER 14 -16

As the Academic Chair for the Idaho Library Association, I went to Boise for a meeting in mid November. I left on Sunday the 14th, driving my little red car. I listened to Janet Evanovich's book 'Hot Six' (Stephanie Plum). I didn't stop till Mountain Home when necessity overwhelmed me. I ate a late lunch there at the truck stop, chicken and potatoes. Later I got to the hotel (Safari Inn http://www.safariinndowntown.com/). My foot was a problem and I was happy they had an elevator, I was not happy with the five stairs up to the elevator. Ack. After settling in I drove off looking for a grocery store where I could pick up cheese and grapes for a late snack/dinner. I then returned to the hotel and continued reading: 'One Hex of a Wedding' (Chintz 'n China, Book 5) by Yasmine Galenorn.



The meeting began at 8:00 a.m. in the hotel. A box lunch was provided so we worked on through the afternoon, finishing around 4:00. It was quite interesting, lots of conversation about the next conference, budgets, strategic plans, and subcommittees.



Phil and I arranged to meet up at 5:00 to do a little shopping - Cost Plus (Where I bought a bottle of wine for Nick) and Barnes and Noble (Where I got the Transiberian Orchestra Xmas album). Then to Bar Gernica http://bargernika.com/ for Basque food dinner. MMMMMMmmmmmm Potato/egg tortilla, which was more like a quiche for appetizers, then croquettes and other stuff for dinner. I can't remember all of what I ate, just that it was scrumptious.

On the drive home, I had planned to listen to another novel, but instead found myself thinking and listening to music. I LOVE driving. My brain always feels more relaxed after it has had that kind of time to ponder.

I did not take any of these photos but found them on various sites.

Journal Entry Oct 31-Nov 4

PUMPKIN TOSS & HALLOWEEN PARTY - OCTOBER 31



The ISU physics department sponsored a competition Pumpkin Chuck. Shanna and I went and had an awesome time. The trebuchet's launched pumpkins near, far and even in the wrong direction.



Heather, Duo came over later and we hung out and watched movies and feasted on candy (candy corn, mini chocolate bars...) and popcorn (cheese & caramel). We only had two kids stop by for trick or treating.

Movie List
Hocus Pocus
John Carpenter's Vampires
Van Helsing
Van Helsing Cartoon



BIRTHDAY - NOVEMBER 1
As fall roared in I made another change to my bedroom. I had fallen in love with the autumn jewel tone picture of a pair of tango dancers. I left it at the store cause I just didn't want to be spending the money. It was still there when we went back a week or so later. I bought it. It went well with the rich reds and golds I had as my regular bedding. Still, I was hoping to add another level of panache to my winter bed. I went shopping in Idaho Falls, looking for something in a jewel toned orange or amber. Kohls had a great set but it was over $500, TJMAXX had nothing, Ross had nothing, Bed Bath and Beyond was strike three. I had wondered about Target and there is where we found an amber velvet bedspread with pillow shams. It was fine. I brought it home and it turned out to be perfect. I swapped out the green palm leaf art for my autumn leaf painting in my yoga room. This was another perfect fit as the palm leaves echoed the palm tree (fake) already in the room. Now if I can just figure out how to get rid of a few more clothes, or shoes, or bags, or ...



THE TOE - NOVEMBER 4
Sometime in the middle of the night on the 2nd of November I had to get up. On my way back to the bed, fate decided to lend a hand and between me being groggy and the dog and a piece of furniture I bashed my little toe really hard. Apparently I broke it. I never did go to the doctor cause there's nothing they can do for you except tell you to stay off it. Friends encouraged me to tape it to my other toe but that was excruciating. My little toe doesn't move much when left alone.

For the first few weeks the weather was lovely and I was able to wear sandals to work. Then winter came in with a blizzard. Luckily my snow boots are large through the toebox. I wore them for the next couple of weeks. At week six I finally was able to wear boxy shoes. At week seven the tendon/muscle/ligament I damaged settled down enough to wear regular shoes, and by week eight I finally put my workout shoes back on.

I really appreciate being able to walk without pain and to be able to wear shoes. (dec 28, 2010)