I agreed to buy only a 15# turkey; it now sits happily in the fridge waiting to be submerged in the apple cider brine tomorrow. DW tested the green beans that she plans to serve - garlic makes them wonderful.
Drizzley weather made outside time unpleasant yesterday - it's beginning to act like November around here.
We had frost yesterday Bill. I brought along winter season clothes to the dog sit and was really glad I had my fleece gloves. I'm back home tonite and will have to pull out the rest of my winter gear I guess. I ordered replacements for worn out stuff in September so I'm all prepped.
Now to get my mind into the winter season. SIGH. I'm getting closer and closer to 60 and really don't want to be outside all day any more.
I wanted a 18-19 pound turkey and all the store had were either 14 or 24 pounders. I settled for the 24 as I do want leftovers. I'm doing a dry brine this year.
I bought a myriad of root vegetables and squash that I will toss with olive oil and roast. That will be one side. My Mom's green beans will be the second as well as yams and mashed potatoes. I'm looking forward to a day of cooking and REALLY looking forward to this short week and long weekend!
We usually eat outside but this year they're predicting it to be quite cold. While we have a heater outside, we might be moving indoors this year. I'm getting my parents dining room set, but the moving company hasn't contacted me yet to get it moved down here. I hope I'll get it by Christmas. I found two additional chairs and bought them off of eBay. Once the rest arrive, I'll have the seats reupholstered. I'm also ordering a sputnik light fixture. I'm so into MidCentury Modern!
I'm having one of Those days. Went to the store @6:30 to get the last of the T-day fixings. No sage to be found, anywhere. Forgot the apple juice. Bought 2 cases of diet soda (yeah, yeah, I know) and left them on the bottom of the cart. Drove off to Store #2 to get the sage. Made it half way home and remembered the sodas. Ran into the house, forgetting to bring in the groceries I had just purchased. Called the store and -- thank goodness for small and honest towns -- they found the soda, some 30 minutes after I had left it, and will hold it for me. Had another cup of coffee. Remembered the ice cream for the apple pie sitting out in the car. (No pumpkin fans in our household.) Oh, fudge... Rescued the ice cream, but still have to make *another* trip down to the store to retrieve my sodas and the apple juice.
I'm off to the gym. I'm double checking to make sure I'm wearing pants. Given how mind-fogged I've been this morning, you never know...
I'm glad it isn't just me that has days like that, kaw.
We pulled our new Christmas tree out this weekend because I was anxious to see if it worked - I bought it from a woman on EBay after the holiday last year from a woman who realized it was too tall for her space and couldn't return it. Realized it had no tree stand with it, so had to pull the one from the old tree, which I plan to use somewhere else so had to buy another one. This morning I got up, did some yoga, wandered downstairs to go into the garage and exercise. Came around the corner from the hallway into the living room and went face first right into the damn tree. LOL
We went grocery shopping this morning. We don't do traditional Thanksgiving, so our basket looked rather different. A 2-pound boneless ribeye steak to share--that will be our T-day meal. Also, we have a bottle of nonalcoholic Cold Duck, makings for cornbread stuffing, a lot of vegetables, including some baking squash and green beans, and a small cake for dessert needs.
I am incredibly thankful for a 3 day work week. The next couple of days will be interesting - we are hosting the meal but only for a total of 8 relatives, and we are having free-range, heirloom small-farmed, well loved pig. The shank-cut fresh ham is in the brine and DH has some truly mouth-watering plans for it. I don't have any place in the cooking process, LOL - between DH, my mom, and his mom, everything is covered. Sweet!
We are having a calorie-laden potluck breakfast at the office today. At least I'm not going to the decadent Thanksgiving buffet at Harris Ranch this year (they were sold out). At home for just the two of us I'm planning to make crockpot stuffing and maybe a couple of chicken veggie hand pies. No dessert planned.
I hope everyone enjoys the day, whatever you are doing!
Checking in on a lazy Sunday morning. The turkey carcass is simmering, the last of the non-perishable items that were displaced from the fridge to make room are back home again, and the leftovers are down to manageable proportions. Almost back to normalcy.
I did well on Thanksgiving itself: I rode the bike for an hour in the morning, went for a walk in the afternoon with my family, and ate a reasonable-but-celebratory dinner of turkey breast, cranberry sauce made with stevia, Brussels sprouts, a couple of salt potatoes, apple pie, and wine. I've never liked stuffing, and I can take or leave the mashed potatoes and gravy.
Friday was another story: I started eating leftovers as a late lunch, and for some reason I just couldn't stop. I walked 3.5 miles to the gym and back on Friday, and did a long-ish leg workout while I was at the gym, but I'm sure my net intake was well over maintenance.
I managed to jump back on plan on Saturday, though. Tomorrow I'll be back in the office where there are fewer temptations staring me in the face. Leftover apple pie, I'm talking to you.
kaw Well done! I wonder why we all are so set on keeping tempting leftovers around though? I know there are a lot of people who don't get enough to eat every day and I know I should feel guilty throwing food out but it's easier for me than trying to eat it sensibly.
I just bought all the stuff to do the Christmas desserts baking for my family's get-together. We have split the food - one household does appetizers, one does mains, and one does dessert - for the last 3 years and it works well.
I'm not a baker - had had no counter space for mixer, canisters, etc. for years - so I picked easy stuff and one is a no-bake thing. I had to buy a pan which was available at the surprisingly complete baking section at the bulk food store. I had a bad moment at the candied ginger tub - love the stuff - but was able to bypass it and the dried cherries as well.
Still, I bought 4 different kinds of sugar. Whew! So glad none of this stuff is going to stay at my house. I have to make it a week in advance as Christmas eve, when we celebrate, is on a Thursday night and I'll be too tired then. it will all sit in storage containers in the fridge. I have opaque containers and for some reason am able to stay away from the contents of them quite well. Weird but it works.
Maintainers Weekly Chat November 23 - November 29
and will have to pull out the rest of my winter gear I guess. I ordered replacements for worn out stuff in September so I'm all prepped.
