That red tart berry

Cranberries: 

I love cranberry sauce.  I like the fresh stuff; my husband likes the jelly stuff from a can and sliced.  We always try to have both.  I have always just made traditional cranberry sauce with just the sugar and cranberries.  I love it both warm and cold.  If I eat it cold, it has to be on top of a slice of turkey or mixed in the mashed potatoes (which is very unlike me. I like my food separate).  

I am very excited to try my friend Paula's recipe for Cranberry Relish.  I like the thought of adding a citrus to it.  I love me some orange marmalade.  I may be able to even persuade hubby and Elexis to try it.  

I am joining my friend Paula (yup the same one who provided the recipe) in talking about Thanksgiving through the month of November.  

Another TV tradition

Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving

How can it be Thanksgiving without watching this classic show.  I think I own just about all the Charlie Brown specials.  I don't own this one though.  I need to change that.  It traditionally comes on the week before Thanksgiving.  I am definitely going to set my DVR to record it.

source

My favorite quote from the movie: 

Charlie: I can't cook a Thanksgiving dinner.  All I can make is cold cereal and maybe toast.

Linus: That's right. I've seen you make toast.  You can't butter it, but maybe we can help you.  

I always love Snoopy and Woodstock's part too.  

I am joining my friend Paula in posting about Thanksgiving through the month of November.  

My Pecan Pie

I am joining my friend Paula and talking about Thanksgiving every day this month.

Today we talk pie...Pecan Pie.  I do not like nuts of any variety, so I don't really like this pie; but my husband loves this pie.  He took one to work about 10 years ago and this guy fell so in love with this pie he wanted the recipe so he could have his grandma make it.  He asked my husband for the recipe for a week before he finally remembered to give it to him.  The guy came back the next day and said "your wife makes it so much better".  He would come to my husband's office every couple of months or so and talk about this pie.  I had a taste of it and it was much to sweet for me, but this guy was very much in love with my pie (that almost sounds dirty...hehe).  Thanksgiving rolled around the following year and several people asked my husband to bring another Pecan Pie.  That became his go-to dessert at Thanksgiving.  He moved away from that department a few years later, but he still got email requests for that pie.  I found the original recipe on all recipes, but the recipe I have used is gone.

I haven't made this pie in about 5 years.  I think I will make it this year to send to hubby's new work.  I did a little searching on the internet and Emeril's recipe is exactly like the modifications I made (1/2 sugar 1/2 brown sugar) except to cut back on the sweetness just a little, I only use 3/4 cup of chocolate chips.   Here is a link to the original recipe here.

source

Ok, a little bit of great news for me.  My husband has recovered all my pictures from my pooped out drive!!!  Yay!!  Bad news...they were all renamed something else, so I have to resort and make new libraries for them.  I am hoping he can still get all my file names back to how they were, but at least I have them.  I am so happy that he is an IT guy and saved me lots of money and time of having it shipped off somewhere.  

Just for fun: Here is just a regular pecan pie recipe.  

Recipe and picture both came from here.

Thanksgiving Blast from the Past

I am joining my friend Paula and talking about Thanksgiving the entire month of November.  So far, I am having a pretty good time with it.  It has brought back a lot of memories.  Today I share another.

Back in elementary school we always had a program for Thanksgiving.  It was usually put on by all grade levels.  You know the drill...construction paper pilgrim hats and Indian headdresses.  We also had fake food and placemats and other fun things.  I always liked it when I got to be a pilgrim.  I liked the hats better.  We always had traditional Thanksgiving meal the week before the actual holiday.  Our parents and grandparents could come eat with us.  My grandma (my dad's mom...my favorite that I always talk about), always came and had lunch with me, my brother, and my two cousins.  

That was an exciting time to be at school, because we knew Christmas was on the way.  This is back in the day when our schools were allowed to celebrate holidays.  Oh, how I long to wear that construction paper pilgrim hat again.  I may just make one and wear it around my house.  ha!

Halloween 2013

Yes, so I am almost a week late posting about Halloween.  That was a busy day for me.  I hit the gym that morning and then the real fun began.  I went home and put on my costume for the day.  Every year for the last 7 years, I have been Minnie Mouse.  I paid a lot of money for the costume and I want to make sure I get my full money's worth out of it.  Whenever I put on that red polka dotted dress, I instantly feel happy and giddy and down right pretty.  I love the compliments I get on the costume.

First I went to my mom's work and delivered the goodies I made for her work party.  I made Halloween Puppy Chow and Oreo ball ghosts.  Both turned out really cute.  While I was there, I made frosting and frosted cupcakes for a lady.  Powdered sugar and black sleeves and tights make an interesting combination.  Luckily, I didn't get it all over me...  After I left there, I was on a baby gate mission.  We had a baby gate up until 2 years ago.  It was one that screwed into the wall and we used it to keep our dogs confined to one part of the house while we were gone.  My pug, Delilah, is very mischievous and you wouldn't believe some of the stuff we found in her bed.  So after I left my mom's work, I went to Walmart.  I didn't really like any of their gates (or some of the prices) so I went over to Babies R Us.  I am still in my costume.  People stop me a lot and tell me that they love it.  I have only had one person in my 7 years of wearing it, say something negative about it.  He said I was too old to dress up and I should act more like a lady.  Whatever!  Babies R Us' gates were a little high, so my husband (who was in the woods 'hunting' (if you call texting me all day hunting)) suggested a resell baby shop.  I thought that was a good idea.  So I went to a resell shop and found a gate, but I couldn't figure out the gate.  Finally the people at the front helped me figure it out.  Some of them didn't even know how it worked.  One of the workers was so excited I was Minnie Mouse that she wanted to take a picture with me.  So, I took a picture with a complete stranger. haha.

So after purchasing my baby gate (which I am taking back today), I decided that since I was in that part of the city, to visit the Disney Store.  I walked in and all the workers pretty much flipped out.  They were so in awe of my costume and asked me where I got it.  I got it from the Disney Store online, for the record.  They said that people come in all the time looking for adult costumes.  They loved it.  I did go into the Disney Store with a purpose: to find a cute little purse to hold my key and cell phone because my costume has no pockets.  I did not find one.  I left there and came home and made no bake cookies for my mother in law whose birthday was the day before.  I also took some red velvet cupcakes that were decorated as monster eyes over to my neighbor.  I got to see their new little fluffy puppy.  I went and picked my daughter up from school and took her home to get ready.

This was her last year to trick or treat.  This makes me very very sad.  This also means I don't get to walk around with her.  Like last year, this year we went to her best friend's neighborhood (our neighborhood doesn't really participate in trick or treating).  Her neighborhood gives out good candy. Elexis even got a full size kit kat this year.  After the girls finished getting ready, we started out.  It was cold.  I had on a jacket and gloves and still froze my booty off.  After walking the first half of the neighborhood (its two giant circles where the houses are on acre plots) we went back to her house and regrouped.  I decided that I was just going to drive them to the second circle and follow in the car.  Therefore, I got to be toasty in my car, and by that time my feet were killing me.  All in all it was a really fun day and I look forward to it every year.  Next year I am thinking a Halloween Party!  Elexis got a great haul of candy which she has not touched since that night.  But...we also have a lot of other sweet stuff hanging out around the house.  I need to start gathering recipes to turn that candy into desserts.  Here are some pictures from that night.  Also thrown into the mix is some pictures from the previous night when we did Haunt the Zoo.  Basically a trick or treat trail at the zoo.

Monster eye red velvet cupcakes

Oreo Ball ghosts

At Haunt the Zoo with some storm troopers

Haunt the Zoo with Cinderella.

Me in my costume.  

Elexis was a pirate this year.  Yay for free costume from her voice teacher.

Me and my girl.

Her candy haul.

I am a bit OCD about it.  I like to see what all she got.  What better way than to organize it.

Elexis' first 4 years costumes.  I still love the Honey Pot.  You can definitely tell mom picked out the costumes.

What can I say...like mother like daughter.  

Elexis and I at a pumpkin patch.  This place was destroyed by the tornado.  I am so glad that they got it rebuilt in time to open this year.  

Broccoli Cheese and Rice Casserole

My grandma made the best broccoli cheese and rice casserole.  I am sure she just used the standard ingredients, but OMG...it was amazing.  I always sat closest to that pan of deliciousness so I could get it first.  I have collected a few recipes from around the web.  I am anxious to see if any of them are just as good.  I don't really like cheese now, so I doubt any of them would taste good anyway...haha.

The first one is just a standard go to recipe.  Some of the pictures I came across, did not look pretty.  This is similar to the dish my grandma served it in.

This recipe and picture came from here.

I found a healthier version that didn't use any cans.  It involves mushrooms.  I would already have a hard time convincing my family to eat it without the addition of mushrooms.

Both recipe and picture came from here.

And lastly here is a recipe with a twist.  It can be made gluten free and this one uses quinoa in place of the rice.  

Both recipe and picture came from here.

One of these days I will make this.  I will definitely have to scale down how much I make.  I don't think the picky eaters in family would like it.  I know you can add chicken to it and make it a dinner.  Or, leftover turkey with the leftovers the day after Thanksgiving.

I have joined my friend Paula in talking about Thanksgiving every day this month.  

Ghost of Thanksgiving's past

I am joining my friend Paula and talking about Thanksgiving for the month of November.  Here is a memory from my childhood.

My parents are divorced.  This means that every other year, my brother and I spent the holiday with a different parent.  When we were with our mom, we went to my grandma's/aunt's.  When we were with my dad, we went to my step-mother at the time's parents house.  Today I am going to talk about Thanksgivings with my dad.

The day before Thanksgiving, we would pack up into our car.  My two year old sister always sat between my brother and me.  We would drive 2 hours down to my step-mom's parents house.  They were my Grandma and Grandpa Russell.  Side note: my Grandma Russell is the one who taught me how to cook and sew.  Since my step-mom's brothers lived in different states (GA and TN), it was usually just our family.  My Grandma Dale (my favorite grandma who I lived with) would sometimes join us (those were my favorite).  When we would get down there, my dad would go watch football with my grandpa and my brother would get stuck playing with my sister or he would watch football too.  I would head to the kitchen.  My grandma was a short round lady.  She had blue hair that always was done up in a bun.  She was the epitome of warm matronly grandma.  I would help knead the dough for homemade rolls.  We would get veggies prepped for the next day and other various tasks.  My step-mom didn't really like to cook, so she usually abandoned ship to play with my sister.  It was just me and my grandma.  We would talk about school and church (my grandpa was a preacher).

The next morning would begin very early.  We would turn on the Macy's Parade and start with meal.  My grandma always took care of the bird, but I did get to help with the sides.  I always got to be in charge of the mashed potatoes.  Adding the precise amount of milk and whipping those suckers good.  I was put in charge of the corn and carrots.  I would transfer everything to pretty dishes and take to the set table.  My grandma always brought out the good china and silver (that I had to help clean before putting away).  We always ate at noon.  My grandpa would lead us in blessing and my grandma would always be the last to sit down.  My grandpa carved the turkey and all the food got past around.  We would stuff ourselves and the guys would return to football and the women cleaned up.  My grandparents were very traditional in rolls of the household.  I helped transfer everything to tupperware containers to be put into an already packed refrigerator.  After all cleaning was done, we would play dominos or cards or look through catalogs.  Even though these women were not my family by blood, they were still mine.

A traditional day after Thanksgiving breakfast always started with mashed potato cakes.  To this day, I still try to replicate how my grandma did them, but I have yet to find the right recipe.  Thanksgiving food is even better the next day.  My grandma, step-mom and me would usually do a little shopping in the afternoon (this was before all the 3-4am craziness that happens now).

When my grandpa passed away a few years later, my grandma came to live with us.  This means a new tradition.  My grandma passed away about 9 years ago.  After my dad and step-mom split up, her and her mom moved to Ohio and I didn't get to see her very much.  Every time she came down to visit her sisters I would go and spend time with her.  I miss her dearly.

I will be talking about food that trigger memories from these Thanksgiving's next.