almost thanksgiving

So it's less than a week until thanksgiving.


It really doesn't feel that way. I am not hosting or organizing or cooking any dinner this year. It's strange. I am a planner. It's strange to have an event on the horizon and not be planning.

Last year a week out, I had a table set up in my kitchen with recipes and ingredients all lined up. I had been shopping the ads and was buying up my ingredients at great prices and needed someplace to store the food. I managed to make thanksgiving for 10 adults & 4 kids and buy groceries for the month within my normal grocery budget. I was shocked! No way could I have done it if my mom hadn't bought the turkey. We buy fresh free range turkey. It's pricey turkey but worth every delicious penny.

Needless to say if i had my dry ingredients lined up: the menu was already set and the hours spent perusing the web for holiday dish ideas already done.

With no additional shopping, cleaning, or cooking that goes along with hosting a big dinner this year, the nearness of thanksgiving hasn't sunk in. With out the crazed rush that I usually prepare for thanksgiving it feels strange. It's strange but in a good way. I think I like this new way.
Happy turkey day everyone!

Felt food

Ok.... I'll admit it..... I have become a little obsessive about felt food in the last week or so.

Have you seen it though? I mean really can you blame me?
Esty has pages and pages of finished food or food patterns. It is all so cute and fun and yummy looking. I have not bought anything but I am seriously tempted. Very Very tempted.

Instead of buying it already finished I decided I wanted to try making some.
Reason 1. I have several felt scrapes from another project I am working on.
2. At 25 cents a sheet it's well within my "I tried and failed" craft budget.
3. If I make it myself, I won't spend a small fortune filling a play fridge.
Anyway add all that up and I was off on my adventure to make felt food.

My adventure has led to some serious belly laughs. My first whole egg, well i almost peed my pants, I laughed so hard. I have hunted down free patterns, read lots of tutorials, and actually assembled several items. So far I have invested $2. I think I will be returning to the fabric store soon and buy more bread color & ham color along with some white or pink embroidery floss. Christmas is coming and my girls are getting a new big kitchen from Santa. They have lots of plastic fruits & veggies but I don't think it will be enough to fill the new fridge & pantry.

If you start to get that felt food itch, I have loved these sites.
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/06/05/making-doughnuts/
http://snazzlecraft.blogspot.com/2009/01/free-felt-food-pattern.html

stew

I'm making stew today.
It's super easy almost foul proof stew.
So easy and so good I figure i should share.

Add these ingredients to your crock pot and cook on low until potatoes and meat done. I have gone as little as 6 hours and as long as 10.

Add 1-2 pounds of stew meat
I cut mine into bite size pieces but if you like big chunky stew leave them big. I also remove any large chunks of fat, marbled meat is great but fat chunks yuck
I then chop up @ 4 cups of potatoes
Any kind- bakers, red, yellow. I leave the skins on but if you don't like skins peel them off. Again chopped size of potatoes is up to you, I make them about the size of the meat
Then chop up some onion about 1/2 an med onion
I prefer to use sweet onions. But yellow or white work fine too. I chop mine really small but if you like big bites of onion go for it. Again adding more or less onion changes the flavor so have fun. I have tossed in a whole onion or just a little it's good both ways
Add other chopped vegetables if desired about two cups
You can add carrots, celery, what ever you like. My family not huge fans of cooked carrots and if I add celery they will eat everything but celery. I instead don't add veggies at this time. I will however add a drained can of green beans later.
Chop about a clove of garlic
I love garlic so i may add more if i have it. Chop it small, crush it and leave chunks, rough chop, add almost none, use pre chopped garlic, you really can't go wrong on the garlic step.
Now add one undrained can of mushrooms
you can add two if you like, just make sure to add juice and all
At this point I will add chicken stock until everything is covered.
Depending on what you added and how much of it you used this amount will change. Just be sure sure to leave room to stir, add green beans, and 1/2 cup of water. Things get messy if you don't leave the room.
Now add some salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
Just add some, I taste later in the process and see what it needs more of. Since different amounts of meat, different types of potatoes and varying amounts of liquid will change salt, pepper ration I try and under season. It's much easier to add more later than tone it down.
Stir and mix, then cover and let it do it's thing.
I check back when it starts to smell good and adjust seasoning
A 1/2 an hour before serving blend 1/2 cup water & 1/2 cup of flour. add to pot and stir. Turn heat to high and cook for 30 Min's
This is also the point that I add the can of drained green beans. The flavors should be strong before you add the flour mixture, don't worry. Before serving check salt, pepper, and Worcestershire levels. add more if needed.

pictures pictures pictures

I have finally uploaded pictures from our fun Train Ride in Ione. Halloween pictures are next, along with some awesome leaf jumping shots and a Madisen Birthday party.
I hope hope hope to be current with my pictures on flickr by the end of the weekend.
Then I need to get into high gear to finish up work on my Hawker Year Book submissions. I took like 3 times as many pictures this year as last which means I can't include them all. I will have to select only some. I have a hard time giving the axe to pictures of my girls, even when they are blurry or not in focus or not doing anything or not looking at the camera. I am a wimp! Anyway.... edit it down to a manageable few I will do.
Have a great day all.
I plan on getting Eric on ice skates this afternoon. Plan on funny tweets and some great photos to follow.

mid november

So it's getting to be mid November...
The list of things i wanted to do this fall and winter are slowly being check marked off. In the next few weeks we have a flurry of events that I can't wait to take the girls too.

Train Ride in Ione to see the fall colors- done
Green Bluff for the apple festival- done twice
Disney on Ice- On wed
Ballet- Nutcracker in December
Lake cruise to see lights on Cour de'lane- starts after thanksgiving
Welcome Santa festivities with caroling and story time- on the 20th of November
Breakfast with Santa- Not sure?
Winter KPBX Kids Concerts- Nov 21 & Dec 19
Horse drawn carriage rides downtown
Ice Skating downtown

I love taking the girls out to experience these wonderful things. I love seeing their eyes light up with wonder. I cherish the squeals of delight even when they burst my ear drums. These fun filled winter activities really are the holiday season to me. Not the gifts, tree, or decorations but the rosy cheeks of happy girls enjoying all there is see and do.

today

Ate a surprisingly good dairy free cheesecake.
Made Easy Bake oven heart cookies
Made a vegan eggnog cheesecake
Had a wonderful dinner of Eggs Benedict
Spent a fabulous day outside in the wonderfully sunshine with my family
Had an unusually easy morning....... while children tried to draw as little attention to them selves as possible; so they could continue eating lots & lots of candy.

Today was Great!