Ahh...Pie!

How many cooks does it take to stuff a turkey?  One, but you really have to squeeze him in...

Would you like some crackers to go with that cheeeeeze?  It made me laugh, but I'm not that smart.  So, I wearily hung up my apron as we observed one more milestone to mark the passing of yet another year. There was something very satisfying about having a quiet day at home with just Hunky Hubby and the little ones, even if they are not all that little anymore!  I talked to some 'far away' family too. Always nice. Brother was baking a lemon custard pie with Meyer lemons off the tree in our parents' yard.  Yummy!  I wish I could have been there to try it.  He gave me a hard time for serving chicken instead of the traditional turkey, and omitting some of the less healthy albeit customary dishes of Thanksgiving.  He can be quite set in his ways at times! Our dinner was perhaps different (lighter) than the standard Thanksgiving fare, but in the end it was tasty (yes, I do say so myself) and we enjoyed the nice day together--thankful for family, friends, food and a nice, cozy home.  I hope we all take this spirit of gratitude into the coming holidays and the new year.  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Quote of the Day: "I am thankful for our house because it has a family in it."

--Rebekah accomplished 1st grader, ballerina and future princess

GiveThanks

Happy Thanksgiving all.  We will be spending a quiet day at the house with our little fam.  Here is the menu for the day...

Roast Chicken--the six of us cannot eat a whole turkey, plus I found a good deal on organic freerange chicken--go with the flow ya know!

Asparagus --with a nice sauce I saw Emeril make on TV

Sweet Potatoes --not sure how I am going to do these yet, I will see what they say on Thursday

Mushed Potatoes --This is Idaho--it's the law!

Apple Cake --Thanks to my friend Eve for the recipe, really yummy and easy. I can use the last of the apples from my own tree, and it is great topped with fresh cream from the dairy down the road--let's hear it for eating local baby!

Pumpkin Pie --wimping out with canned stuff, but I will do my own crust--does that count?

Crudites, Crackers & Cheese--gotta have something for everyone to munch on while we are cooking. Of course everyone will be full by the time dinner is served, but hey, it is Thanksgiving, right?

Salad of course will make its way to the table as well, and we will top it all off with a nice sparkling cranberry/lime punch that I am going to make up as I go along :)

The most important part of this holiday is celebrating our earthly abundance with food, family, friends and gratitude for all of it!  I hope that each of you has a pleasant day and that we can all be truly grateful for the blessed lives we lead.  For those friends and family whom I will not see around my table this year...I love you and God Bless!

Adventures in Simplicity the Final Chapter

Today we are playing hooky. The kids have a day off school today, so we are eating yummy whole wheat banana pancakes (recipe will come up soon) and lounging around for now.  The weather looks to be quite nice today, so we will eventually venture outside to play in the leaves or perhaps head to the water to feed the geese the leftover pancakes.  The "Adventures in Simplicity" are at an end, for now.  I had so much fun I intend to revisit the theme periodically.  It taught me something quite miraculous.  I was forced this week to really look each day for something that brought me a simple bit of joy.  And darn it, if I haven't had a pretty great week!  Sometimes it only takes noticing the wonderful things that surround us to make us grateful.  We do have to look though.  I am as guilty as the next busy woman of sometimes neglecting to do this.  But, if we look, it often is the simple things that bring us the most joy.  So, I loved my little adventure, and even though I may not blog about it everyday, I will try to be more conscientious about noticing.  Simplicity rejuvenates! 

Quote of the Day: "In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity."

--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poet

Adventures in Simplicity Chapter 4

Sunshine, Saturday, wooly yarn & football! One of those simple, lazy weekend afternoons.  I do not get these very often, so I know how to appreciate them when they come my way. Just getting started on a few wintery hats.  I always seem to gravitate toward little homey projects this time of year.  The weather forces me indoors & the holidays are just around the corner.  Nesting syndrome I suppose. Comfort foods make their way to my table more often than they probably should this time of year as well.  If it had not been unseasonably warm, I would have likely had a fire going too, but the sun shining in through the big picture window was warmth enough today.  Just a few simple pleasures for a somewhat simple gal and a rather lazy cat, who kept trying to play with the yarn! Simplicity comforts...

Quote of the Day: "If there is a solution to a problem, there is no need to worry.  And if there is no solution, there is no need to worry."

--The Dalai Lama