#WordlessWednesday

It's almost time to brine! 

Talking Turkey

So when it comes to Thanksgiving where do you stand?  Are you planning a feast?  Or planning major shopping?

Even though I enjoy Christmas, and I really enjoy watching all the Hallmark Channel movies, I like the gift-free gratitude-filled -ness that is Thanksgiving.

It's also fun to try new dishes.  Especially since I have lots of opportunities to create new dishes with our Tastefully Simple products and I have lots of hosts who love to share awesome recipes with me! I'm a lucky cooker as the kids used to say when they were little.

Recently my host Annette, who is an awesome cook, made the yummiest dressing. 
If you are looking for a way to wow this Thanksgiving I must recommend it.

Here is the recipe from our website:

Creamy Wild Rice Stuffing
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef

Ingredients
Creamy Wild Rice Soup Mix
5 cups hot water
2 tsp. Garlic Garlic™
2 - 3 Tbsp. Onion Onion™
6 - 8 slices diced bacon
4 stalks diced celery
14 oz. unseasoned breadcubes
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine first 4 ingredients; simmer, covered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauté bacon in large skillet until browned; add celery. Cook until celery is tender. Toss bread cubes in large bowl with bacon mixture and cranberries. Add prepared soup, season to taste with salt and pepper; mix well. Place dressing in greased 9 x 13 baking dish; cover with foil. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 10-12 servings.

It's the Time of Year for Lists!

Yesterday, out of nowhere, Anna started talking about what she would look for in a potential boyfriend.

So I asked her to write it down. 

"What a boy has to be lie to date me."  By Anna

1. Smart
2. Hamsome (I had to keep that typo!)
3. No colored hair, like purple.
4. Not a Smart Alec.
5. Not a Dumbo.

I mean it!
(Anna w/Megan a member of the Homecoming Court)

How to make your Thanksgiving Feast A success by Patrick Hamel.

Tips on planning your Thanksgiving  from Master Patrick Hamel

Today we were in the car going to pick up The Man from the Train and I flipped through the radio station and found that WLIT 93.9 has turned on the Holiday Lite.  This means from now until 12/26 it's all Christmas Music all the time. Patrick does not approve:

What You Should Be Doing Now by Patrick:

Well you know they shouldn't be playing Christmas songs now, and like, you shouldn't be focusing on buying presents for Christmas now. 

You should be focused on food. What kinds of food you are going to buy?  Get dresses and clothes if you are going to be fancy for Thanksgiving.  Don't forget to get silverware and Thanksgiving decorations like pictures of pilgrims.  You should invite family members and people over for Thanksgiving and get everyone nice and clean for it.

*****
On the Turkey front I see that Target has turkey for 79 cents a pound (Limit 2) and wait here I have a flyer for a small local supermarket, Fairplay, and they have Premium Butterball Turkeys (and a mighty fine website) for 98 cents a pound. (Limit 1).

Or you can go totally organic and free range with your feast, by having a special Thanksgiving Box of Organic Fruit, Veggies, Herbs and a plumb free range turkey delivered from Timber Creek Farms out of Yorkville.  We get an organic produce box delivered from Timber Creek and it's always full of great stuff to play with even if I don't know what the heck it is that I going to be cooking with before it arrives at my door.

Mystery Squash from a Timber Creek Organics box.  I roasted it with just a sprinkling of Seasoned Salt and it was delish!.

The boredom sets in.

Oh for pete's sake, the boys are so 'bored' today all they are doing is bickering and fighting. Too bad, I can't say go outside and play and come back at dinner time. I should probably take them out to a park or the local high school to run around the track...but yesterday I wound up getting to have a suprise root canal--lucky me!--and I don't feel much like going to the park.

Last night I made a turkey breast so today I took the leftovers and tried out this recipe:

Turkey Pot Pie

1 Box of Creamy Wild Rice Soup
1 pkg of frozen mixed veggies (thaw)
3-6 tblsp butter
2 cups chopped turkey
1 can of beer
1 Bountiful Beer Bread Mix

Follow directions on the box to make the Creamy Wild Rice Soup. Simmer for 45 minutes and then add the package of veggies and the chopped chicken and mix together. Then spread the mixure into a 9x13 pan. Then mix the can of beer w/the Bountiful Beer Bread Mix and spread the bread batter on top, drizzle w/butter if desired and bake at 375 for just about 40 minutes.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Yesterday was the Parent/Teacher conference for me and Patrick's teacher. She said he is doing very well and that he is up to the reading level of 1.5 (which is 1/2 way thru first grade). He is almost ready to move up to the next reading group---so I have high hopes that he'll be up to grade level by the end of the year. (fingers crossed) Beyond that he is doing well in school because his classroom is 9 kids which means each child gets all the attention they need and problems are found quickly. It is too bad that througout the school system kids and teachers don't enjoy the benefits of smaller classrooms. I know 9 kids in a room isn't feasible --but it should definitely be less than 20. So that was wonderful right there to hear Patrick is doing well and that everyone in his class gets along, since last year Patrick suffered due to a rotten bully.

Bryce didn't have a conference because he is doing so fabulous at school.

Anna's conference is on the 15, I am not sure exactly what they'll have to say about Anna--I am guessing it will be all good--she loves school and what's not to like...they play, sing songs, read books and have a snack!