Didn't want you to think I was forgetting about my blogging duties... after all, why start a blog if you aren't going to write regularly, right? Although a bunch of fascinating things have happened since I last wrote... and I always make a mental note, and later erase it for more important things like say... What year it was when George Michael came out of the closet (yes, this actually came up in a conversation I had today - please don't judge me!). Or... What happened to that top sheet for the king bed we've been missing since our move? Or... simply, the relentless laundry pile that seems to have a life of it's own. I usually even manage to think of a catchy blog title for my mental posts as well. On the way home from our nice visit with family in Texas today, I had a post title in mind that was really funny. I am amazed I haven't forgotten that, too. It was "Choose Life - Drink Caffeine". It was mainly about getting white line fever on our little day-trip and having to stop for coffee at a truck stop. Reeeeal interesting stuff, I'll tell you!
I was "brain-blogging" while everyone in the car was in various stages of sleep. An idle mind is a scary thing. There must be something wrong with me.
These glassy, bloodshot eyes can't lie. I'm not up for Pulitzer material tonight. I will tell you about my quaint little family-of-four Thanksgiving feast, though. It turned out almost as perfect as I could have hoped (you know, us girls always have a romantic image of how the holiday should be - food and all - even if we don't like to admit it). This year, I was not so damaged by high expectations. I cooked (all by my little self) a yummy baked chicken (turkey was too big of a bird for so few people), scrumptious sage stuffing, ("to-die-for") sweet potato casserole, tasty broccoli-cheese-rice casserole, black-eyed-pea salad, (canned - OK, I did cut a corner here) cranberry sauce, wonderful sautéed green beans (a twist on the usual casserole), and good caramel pumpkin-pecan pie with whipping cream. Yes, even ex-drug addicts without an ounce of genetically hereditary domestic skill can pull off Thanksgiving dinner with God's help and a few trustworthy recipes! Move over Martha Stewart. My husband even ate TWO helpings of my sweet potato casserole. I couldn't believe it. He hates sweet potatoes. It was my favorite recipe of all the great ones I was working from for the day... I need to re-name it "Sweet Potato Bliss". It can be found on my Gathering Manna blog (last sweet potato recipe on the post). If you like sweet potatoes, I would definitely bookmark that link and bake it for Christmas. You'll be the hit of the holiday meal.
These glassy, bloodshot eyes can't lie. I'm not up for Pulitzer material tonight. I will tell you about my quaint little family-of-four Thanksgiving feast, though. It turned out almost as perfect as I could have hoped (you know, us girls always have a romantic image of how the holiday should be - food and all - even if we don't like to admit it). This year, I was not so damaged by high expectations. I cooked (all by my little self) a yummy baked chicken (turkey was too big of a bird for so few people), scrumptious sage stuffing, ("to-die-for") sweet potato casserole, tasty broccoli-cheese-rice casserole, black-eyed-pea salad, (canned - OK, I did cut a corner here) cranberry sauce, wonderful sautéed green beans (a twist on the usual casserole), and good caramel pumpkin-pecan pie with whipping cream. Yes, even ex-drug addicts without an ounce of genetically hereditary domestic skill can pull off Thanksgiving dinner with God's help and a few trustworthy recipes! Move over Martha Stewart. My husband even ate TWO helpings of my sweet potato casserole. I couldn't believe it. He hates sweet potatoes. It was my favorite recipe of all the great ones I was working from for the day... I need to re-name it "Sweet Potato Bliss". It can be found on my Gathering Manna blog (last sweet potato recipe on the post). If you like sweet potatoes, I would definitely bookmark that link and bake it for Christmas. You'll be the hit of the holiday meal.
I think I may raid the refrigerator when I'm done here and pass over the pumpkin pie to pull out the sweet potato stuff. It beckons...
...Oh, yes... and the other thing on my mind tonight as I tried to keep the vehicle between those glowing white lines without falling asleep... Homeschooling. I've been planning our next Konos Unit. According to our schedule, we've managed to cover most everything on our list so far except Trust: Flight & Airplanes, and Trust: Ships and Floating. That is what we had planned during the 4 weeks we took off before Thanksgiving due to our move. I may make up one of those over the Christmas holidays. I think Kev will have to work during the Christmas holidays anyway, and we won't be traveling to Texas, either. Continuing to school will keep us busy and help us avoid the "rush" and "frenzy" that engulfs us most years. I'm excited about meeting other homeschoolers near me, also. So far, I've met some great moms who live reasonably close to us and may do a Konos Co-op with us after Christmas. This is great news and an answered prayer. We truly miss our co-op days with Kelly, our Texas Konos buddy.
I hope you are all basking in the glow of sweet Thanksgiving memories you made yesterday with your families... and I pray that the turkey and trimmings you'll probably eat (in the form of left-overs) for days to come don't make your jeans cut your circulation off (like mine are right now). This time of year is my favorite... the weather, the scenery, the silver bells and lights... but most of all, the focus on Thanksgiving and Jesus - God's Christmas present to us. Now THAT's a reason to be THANKFUL. I'll have to do a post on my favorite Christmas music soon... I've been listening to not much else for over a week now. Happy Thanksgiving (it isn't really "over") to each of you reading this every day for the rest of 2005! You don't need sweet potato casserole to be thankful for what God has blessed you with.
...Oh, yes... and the other thing on my mind tonight as I tried to keep the vehicle between those glowing white lines without falling asleep... Homeschooling. I've been planning our next Konos Unit. According to our schedule, we've managed to cover most everything on our list so far except Trust: Flight & Airplanes, and Trust: Ships and Floating. That is what we had planned during the 4 weeks we took off before Thanksgiving due to our move. I may make up one of those over the Christmas holidays. I think Kev will have to work during the Christmas holidays anyway, and we won't be traveling to Texas, either. Continuing to school will keep us busy and help us avoid the "rush" and "frenzy" that engulfs us most years. I'm excited about meeting other homeschoolers near me, also. So far, I've met some great moms who live reasonably close to us and may do a Konos Co-op with us after Christmas. This is great news and an answered prayer. We truly miss our co-op days with Kelly, our Texas Konos buddy.
I hope you are all basking in the glow of sweet Thanksgiving memories you made yesterday with your families... and I pray that the turkey and trimmings you'll probably eat (in the form of left-overs) for days to come don't make your jeans cut your circulation off (like mine are right now). This time of year is my favorite... the weather, the scenery, the silver bells and lights... but most of all, the focus on Thanksgiving and Jesus - God's Christmas present to us. Now THAT's a reason to be THANKFUL. I'll have to do a post on my favorite Christmas music soon... I've been listening to not much else for over a week now. Happy Thanksgiving (it isn't really "over") to each of you reading this every day for the rest of 2005! You don't need sweet potato casserole to be thankful for what God has blessed you with.
Hopefully I'll be able to get out of my blogish funk soon and come up with more interesting things to talk about than travel woes, Texas trips, and Thanksgiving foods! Until then... this will have to do.
6 comments:
Your dinner sounds superb. We had a great Thanksgiving and I'm glad that you did, too.
Take care little bee!
What a compliment! Little is a good word. When I was a kid, I had a step-sister named Heather, too. She was big Heather, and I was little Heather. I hated being called little then. Amazing what a few years and pounds can do to your attitude!
Glad to hear your Turkey Day was great, Monicar. :) Thanks for stopping in! I'll have to do some blog READING tomorrow and take the day off! I think we're gonna take some boxes to storage, visit some church buddies, go see a movie, and chill out with the kiddos.
Hope the rest of your weekend is as great as your Thanksgiving Day was.
Glad you all had a great Thanksgiving!
Texas isn't quite the same since you all packed up and left us.
I know what you mean about 'brain blogging'...I do it all the time, but most of it never makes the page. A photographer (and blogger's) best friend is the wastebasket, so consequently, I'm not nearly as prolific as so many other astute bloggers.
Keep blogging...and take care!
Thank you Sheri - I did manage to find my pots and pans, although we had to stop in at the dollar store for some serving spoons and large kitchen utinsils. Seems my silverware slipped into an un-marked box and hid out when we made our load up here! We ate on plastic, and although it wasn't pretty, it served the purpose beautifully.
Thanks, Rich. Nice to think that Texas misses me as much as I miss it! ;) Good to know also that other people are as loopy as me with the "brain-blogging".
Hey Halebee. Yes, we missed you guys. We also missed that little Christmas elf that likes to squish on kitty cats that you always have tagging along with you. Give him kisses from us.
Thanks Barbara. :)
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