I haven’t read a ‘romance novel’ in years…i couldn’t even tell you how many…but today I got sucked in in a major way. slightly annoying in that it was 1) on the computer & 2) not completely finished yet (but close enough that i don’t feel completely left hanging). It’s the “how we met & married” story of a blogger I stumbled on recently (the dinner rolls recipe). Absolutely riveting, funny & relatable (at least to me…minus the whole city girl/country man dynamic. ryan & i are both born & bred suburbanites). Then again maybe it’s just that she mentions she’s a middle child. I’m impressionable like that, “Hey! I’M a middle child too! We’re the same!”.
So pretty much the entire naptime (should’ve been cleaning the kitchen) & after the kids went down (should’ve gone to bed about 2hrs ago), I was glued to my laptop. I’m a sucker for a good story. It’s one of the reasons I don’t read books for fun that often anymore…I have problems with self-control.
You know you want to read it:
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, by Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman
The camera is upstairs, otherwise i would’ve taken a picture & then likely never gotten around to writing this (with the whole ‘having to upload the picture’ thing..the excuse today is that ryan is doing web-work this weekend so he’s hogging the computer). Anyhow, wanted to share a recipe. The kids & I had Curry and Cranberry (turkey) Salad. Thanks google.
Of course I made some changes, so here’s “my” recipe:
4 cups cooked turkey (or chicken
2.5 cups (very finely diced) apple
3/4 cup cranberries
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup mayo
2TBS apple cider vinegar (or red wine)
1TBS lemon juice
spices: 1/2 tsp salt, 1TBS curry powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (+/-)
Dressing
In a large bowl thoroughly combine mayonnaise, ginger, cayenne and vinegar.
Mix
To the dressing, add the chicken and all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly so that ingredients are evenly distributed. Chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before serving. (says the ‘rules’ but i did not do this & it was great) I could’ve left out the salt since the turkey already has a hint of saltiness to it from the brine, but I forgot to account for that.
Even though it was a teensy bit on the salty side, it was as grace says, “dishis-oso” (delicioso). I had to cut myself off so there would be enough for lunches later in the week. The kids’ verdict: Grace hated it & refused to eat more than one required bite (no gagging though). Asher gave absolutely no complaint & ate his all up saying it was good. However, i think it would be more accurate to say he didn’t HATE it. Because he’s now at a place where he will out of obedience eat darn near anything we tell him he has to, but if it’s a hated food there will be a touch of complaining &/or asking of how much HAS to be eaten. Anyhow, he did none of that, but he did eat a tad slow & had a contemplative expression while chewing as if to say, “ok, it’s not GROSS…just keep chewing..”.
Ryan of course detests mayo & is not a “fan” of curry, so he had a more traditional post-thanksgiving lunch of a warm turkey sandwich that has all the sides (except stuffing) + cheese in it.
we ate. ooh my word. it was awesome. at some point late morning there was a passing of the baton & ryan took over without me noticing. he’s tricky like that. he even took over the camera (that’s good for you guys though). i wandered in & out of the kitchen to finish toppings & make sure my rolls were still happy, but ryan did the timing on most of the stuff. Nothing failed. 
The rolls…tasted like they needed salt (though i was the only one to complain), ryan thought the stuffing (ahem, dressing) tasted almost too salty (almost), but i thought it was perfect. I have to say it was the most successful meal I’ve ever made (with some su chef help at the end. I’m glad, organization & timing are my weakest links). Even the kids….neither of us once had to say, “eat your ___”. Grace won the piggy award (well…ryan & i battled for a close second), and scarfed her heaping plate, asher’s unfinished seconds & asked for more. We told her she could have more at dinner…by that point it was all ryan & i could do to get them down for naps before we succumbed ourselves. I just woke up…think i hear asher puttering around in the office, i’ll go get him after i finish here. I can’t remember the last time i slept that hard during the day. And it wasn’t the tryptophan. According to a show i saw on food network that only works when all you eat is turkey w/no carbs. it was just the food overload, heavy on the carbs & some amazing wine (thanks Oma & Opa).
It was sad not to be sharing the day & food (good lord, someone please come over this weekend to help with leftovers!) with friends & family. However, it was (thus far) a super relaxing, fun & sweet Thanksgiving. Asher & Grace decorated not only the table (pictures later), but carefully placed toys throughout the living room declaring that they had “decorated”. We also had a sweet “What are you Thankful for” circle time before lunch. I’m super thankful for my super sweet family here. It’s been great hanging out all together.
Other than the fact that I look like i’m about 5months pregnant (really, not exaggerating), I’m feeling good.
Ok rinse & pat dry. good morning turkey
Into the oven you go (don’t worry we covered it w/some foil later in the game)
Warming up some cider
Asher smelling it: “hmm…smells like apple juice….and…something else…i think…oranges? It kinda smells like oranges too”
I’m telling you the kid will at least have culinary arts as a hobby. Perhaps a wine connoisseur like his Pop?
Breakfast. Note turkeys that have been sitting on the windowsill for a few weeks.
Rolls on the rise (whew)…note: one of these things is not like the other….got a heat blast from the oven vent
we’ve been lounging around, cooking & watching the Macy’s parade. The kids have been watching the parade (much more excited about it than i expected) & playing various pretend games together. just now starting to irritate each other. Ryan’s pulling turkey out of the oven as I type.
So, on this thanksgiving I am doing an morning ritual I haven’t done in months… drinking coffee and browsing the interweb. One site that I visit from time to time is “google trends.” This site basically shows you what queries are currently being searched the most on the day/time you visit the site. It is a VERY interesting way to track the day’s news.
So, I went there this morning and was not too surprised when “thanksgiving” was #1. As I scanned down the list I was happy to see that prayer made it in the top 15. While it isn’t a top 10, at least it beat Walmart!
Pretty much the moment my alarm went off it hit me that 6 is 1 hour too soon to put the turkey in. Thankfully I was a double idiot in that I had my alarm set for 5:50. As though I were going to get the turkey out of the brine, rinsed, dried, oiled, seasoned & in the oven in 10 minutes. Can you tell I’ve never done this?
Also Thankfully, it’s really only 10 minutes earlier than I usually wake anyway, so not a big deal (other than having stayed up too late to watch a stupid movie i should’ve just given up on halfway through). Had I set the alarm for 5:15 (ya know…giving time to actually GET OUT OF BED too) like I ’should’ have if it was REALLY supposed to go in at 6….i would’ve been a bit frustrated w/myself.
Anyhow, happy Thankfulness day.
In other news, the kids and I have been learning hymns in the morning together. By hymns I mean in the past 2.5 weeks we’re still on Holy Holy Holy. They’re long! I think I might move one b/c they we at least have the first 2 maybe 3 stanza’s out of 5 down. For the sake of variety I think it’s time. Anyhow, yesterday (again w/my amazing forethought) I thought, “hey, maybe we should find a hymn that focuses on thankfulness”. I flipped through the book I’m using as a hymnal & almost immediately landed on “O Come all Ye Thankful Come.”
Since I’ve never in my life heard or heard of this song, I had to turn to the internet for help (the book doesn’t have music, just lyrics). After a cursory search this was the one I found with the least muddled melody. Organs are cool & all (ok I admit it..I usually don’t really like them. Sorry ryan I still love you though), but they really are hard to follow when you aren’t familiar with the tune. The kids liked it since it was kids, but I still couldn’t get a hang of that melodic line. Hey, maybe I should’ve learned it a week ago BEFORE introducing it to the kids! There’s a thought! Ha. I had visions of us singing it around the table before or after ‘dinner’. Perhaps we’ll just play it on the ipod instead. Bench it for next year.
I am inclined to nit-pick the first stanza on a “need vs. want” diatribe, but ya know what? God DOES provide my wants. Honestly, darn near everything I have, including an amazingly patient, longsuffering husband & 2 kids (and a feast set up for today) are not “needs”. And yes, I’m so thankful for them. I wish I could say I always am. Mark 9:24 seems to mark most of what i do.
1
Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.
2
All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown
Unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.
3
For the Lord our God shall come,
And shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day
All offenses purge away,
Giving angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store
In His garner evermore.
4
Even so, Lord, quickly come,
Bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified,
In Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels come,
Raise the glorious harvest home.
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