30 Days of Thankful - Day 29

Thankful for time with our Girl.  Go tear it up during finals!

Be Thankful.

30 Days of Thankful - Day 28

Thankful for boys who wrangle trees.

Be Thankful.

30 Days of Thankful - Day 27

Thankful for the last of the hand-washables, all 36 of them.

Be Thankful.

30 Days of Thankful - Day 26

Thankful for every goofy, laughable, delicious moment.

Be Thankful.

30 Days of Thankful - Day 25

Thankful for prepped food and temps cold enough for back porch cooler storage.  #afridgetoofull

Be Thankful.

We Are

We are hosting the hubby's side of the family for dinner on Thursday.  His older brother and his wife (and her mom) are in town.  Our nephew and his fiance will be here later today.  It'll be a full house, full of food and good times. 

I started my prep yesterday with toasting of bread and making of cranberry sauce.  I'll make my pies and sweet potatoes today.  That leaves the remainder to be done tomorrow.  With the forecast of snow and barely 20 degrees for a high, spending my morning in a warm kitchen doesn't sound so bad.  Now to dig out my table linens, dust off the table leaves and haul up extra chairs.

• We are apparently attired for the day - a 30 degree day.
• We are adjusting to the hectic college pace (photo: The Girlie)
• We are hosting visitors who hockey (photo:  The Girlie)
• We are getting our "fix" (photo:  The Girlie)
• We are seriously questioning her study habits.  (photo: The Girlie)
• We are getting holiday haircuts.  Though why his older brother finds his younger brother's concern funny? Seems more concerned, than scared. (photo: the 15 y.o.)
• We are taking in the view from the Flat Irons and amazingly a photo taken by the 17 y.o.! (photo:  the 17 y.o.)
• We are not moving since the Scarecrow (aka the one without a brain), Tin Man (aka Robot) and the Lion were attacked outside the Wicked Witch's castle.  We didn't utter a sound as she started melting.
• We are never in doubt when the Girlie is home. Ever. 
• We aren't sure we need a half-pound peanut butter cup, but. . .(photo:  The Girlie)
• We are trading school for earning money.  (photo:  the 17 y.o.)
• We are prepping
• We are wondering why we've never made our own dried cubes for stuffing.  Amazing!

Happy Wednesday,

30 Days of Thankful - Day 24

Thankful for realizing too late that this was a dangerous store for me to have entered. . .with cash in hand.

Be Thankful.

30 Days of Thankful - Day 23

Thankful for lists.

Be Thankful.

30 Days of Thankful - Day 22

Thankful for sharing in a first time viewing of The Wizard of Oz.

Be Thankful.

30 Days of Thankful - Day 21

Thankful for homemade pumpkin poptarts.

Be Thankful.

30 Days of Thankful - Day 20

Thankful for putting memorabilia in a logical place to find at a later (much later) date.  The boy needs more than three pages.

Be Thankful.

30 Days of Thankful - Day 19

Thankful for some things you don't see, at least not until the leaves fall off.  That sucker is bigger than a basketball.

Be Thankful.

Food on Friday

I have a fairly open day today - sort of, lots of little things.  Open enough, at least, to think of playing with paper.  It has been on my mind since last Friday, when my 7 y.o. was looking through my 17 y.o's baby book - I pull their baby books out on their birthdays.  After the party, for said 17 y.o.'s birthday, last Friday night, the 7 y.o. wanted to look at his book.  With a huge lump of mom-guilt stuck in my throat, I had to tell him he didn't have one.  My youngest doesn't have a baby book.  The boy has exactly three pages.  Three.  Pages.  Three!  

So, this week when I was doing my planning (menu and things-to-do) I added "Create Mo Page" to my list.  I think today, I'll go find a stack of photos for him and a kit to work with and set it out on my dining table, which is already piled with popcorn orders - and in a week it'll be staged for Thanksgiving dinner.  Guess I better work fast and efficiently.

I was crazy productive this week, must be seasonal nesting.  I was less productive with the cooking though - odd.  You'd think not posting last Friday I'd have more food, but I don't.  The menu from last week became this week's.  The two nights I did cook last week were soup and a Taco Bar for the boy's birthday, the rest was just leftovers reworked.  So, I had an entire menu, already planned and shopped for, that I just moved to this week.  But, that's just one of the perks of meal planning - flexibility.

I knew Monday was going to be cold, with a chance for snow, so something warm seemed like a good idea.  Creole Shrimp and Sausage had a good spicy warmth to it.  It came together really quickly, but you could also make it ahead and just leave out the shrimp until just before serving.  I opted to leave out the Bulgar, because I had lime rice from the party left over, which I seasoned according to the recipe.  I made my go-to Corn Bread to go with it.

I'm still trying to work through an overstuffed freezer and I had two open bags of fish.  I had two filets each of cod and tilapia, which are good substitutes for catfish as they are both firm white fish.  The Cajun Pecan Catfish was spicy and crunchy.  I served them with Spiced Sweet Potato fries.  I chose to use fresh sweet potatoes, instead of frozen, that I fry-cut, roasted and then tossed in the seasonings.  I could also have tossed the fries and seasoning in oil before baking them.

I have made these Sausage Sliders with Cran-Apple Slaw before.  They are just really good and so easy; chopping the apple is the most difficult thing.  I also whipped up my go-to 40-Minute Buns.

I have had these Frosted Chocolate Chip Brownies on my menu for at least three weeks and finally got to them this week.  They are awesome.  Moist, cake-like and really, really chocolaty.  However, remember to toss the nuts and chips in a bit of flour so they don't sink to the bottom.

I'm off to deal with those pesky little things on my to-do list that I can't seem to get scratched off.

Happy Friday,

30 Days of Thankful - Day 18

Thankful for Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal (which is more dessert than meal) to start a WAY too windy day Wednesday.

Be Thankful.

We Are

I have found that mining my kids' Instagram and Snapchat accounts yields a pretty good look at the lives they lead out in their worlds . . . the 17 y.o. is less prolific than I'd like, but every now and then I get a peek.

We had a week filled with little bits and pieces provided mostly by the kids - one reason to love ProjectLife® or compilation pages, because that's where most of these moments fall.

• We are waiting patiently for our new favorite toy, because jumping is not allowed.
• We are saving two Cinnamon Twists for sister, who will be home on Friday.
• We are breaking out the Mug Meals sent by mom (photo cred to the Girlie)
• We are exploring public transportation and the world off campus.  Even if it's only to the Post Office (photo by:  Girlie)
• We are pretty uncomfortable in the spotlight, but will busy himself with presents soon.
• We are touched when the 7 y.o. insists on making his brother a card.  But then snatches it away before it's opened because "he forgot something," only to find he included $1 because many of the other cards included money.  #NotToBeOutdone.
• We are enjoying Mug Meal #2 - needed sour cream (photo by:  Girlie)
• We are more than let down by the lack of snow.  By some, there were tears. (photo by: 15 y.o.)
• We are aiming.  Luckily our front yard faces due North, which accounts for snow still hanging around when everyone else's yard looks like Springtime.
• We are always amazed with her graphic abilities. (photo by:  Girlie)
• We are agreeing, this mug cake is Ah.May.Zing.
• We are wondering if she made it?  (photo by:  Girlie)  UPDATE:  She did, with apologies to her classmate for lack of shower-time.  LOL

Happy Wednesday,