2020 Week in Photos #46

 This was a fun week with Thanksgiving included! 

Here's a look back. 

Saturday and Sunday - I finally took time to just scrapbook.  I set up my card table and enjoyed watching Little Women and doing what I enjoy - creating scrapbooks! 

Monday-Tuesday - These two days were totally school focused.  

Wednesday - No school!! My mom came over and I ran some errands.  Then, we started cooking! Nate helped with the pies; well actually he made the apple pie on his own.  

Thursday - The big day! 

Nate was my chef - he helped me make just about everything going on the table. 

Our pies!  I made two and we bought two from Grand Traverse Pie Company. 

Our snacks.  My guests were not arriving until 12:30 so I cut back on my snack choices.  

Our Thanksgiving Table. 

Of course a football game happened too. 

Our pies!  First up, Nate's caramel apple pie (which is amazing), my pumpkin pie (which Nate also made), and our two Grand Traverse Pies one which was Strawberry Rhubarb and the other was Cherry . .. well it was supposed to be Cherry.  When we cut into it, it was Apple.(and not very tasty either!)  Talk about disappointment!  Uuugg! 

Friday - Today we decorated for Christmas! 

We are enjoying a nice 4 day weekend - as we come to the end of Friday night, it is nice to know that we still have two more days before it's back to the regular business of work and school! 

Weekly Menu - The week after Thanksgiving

 I always feel like the week after Thanksgiving is the deep breath before the busyness of Christmas/December. It isn't a bad thing by any means but rather just that moment of basking in the joy of one holiday before the excitement of the next one beings. It's the time to clean out the fridge and cupboards and start planning for the treats and special meals of Christmas.  So, this coming week is simple and, hopefully easy.  

Friday - So my original plan was leftovers but I didn't really have enough leftovers for dinner (barely enough for lunch!) so we will do our normal plan and get our weekly treat out! 

Saturday - The plan is to still at at my mom's.  It's a nice opportunity for us to hang out at her house with her for a bit each week.

Sunday - I never made our Zuppa Tuscana last week so I plan to make that today!  

Monday - I planned Chicken Alfredo for a week ago but we didn't end up eating it so we will have it tonight (Part of the "clean out the fridge and cupboard plan!) 

Tuesday - French toast sticks and sausage patties 

Wednesday - Darryl is going to be at his dad's to help him after he has cataract surgery so . . .well, we might cheat and get McDonald's or something. .  

Thursday - Tonight is "clean out" not - clean out the fridge and freezer of any leftovers/single items OR I'll make spaghetti.  :-) 

Thanksgiving Dinner

 

I picked up this amazing magazine that is full of amazing recipes in hopes of some inspiration for Thanksgiving dinner.  I'm not sure why I search for recipes every time I host Thanksgiving because, quite honestly, I cook the same thing every year HA! 

What is it that I serve almost every time I host?  Well, let me share! 

The most important part of the meal is . . .the Turkey!  I have two different turkey recipes that I love to make.  One is a Puerto Rican Turkey that  my brother, Jeff, made and I just loved.  It's so unique and flavorful!  The one I'm planning to make this year, though, is a Brined Turkey from the Pioneer Woman.  I've made it a few times and I love the citrus flavor that it picks up from the brine. 

Next comes the sides which, quite honestly, are all pretty simple. 

Mashed Potatoes - I totally cheat.  We love Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes so I just buy a few packs, heat them up and serve them in a serving dish.  They are the best!  Quite a few years ago we had Thanksgiving at my parents and my brother, Ken, brought amazing homemade mashed potatoes - I cannot match those so I don't even try - I just let Bob Evans do the work HA! 

Gravy - I'm not the best gravy maker to be honest but I found a "fail proof" gravy recipe I'm going to use.  Since I use a brine on my turkey, the drippings tend to be super salty so I have to make gravy without the drippings! 

Stuffing -We are very traditional in our stuffing.  I just use a bag of diced bread cubes with seasoning and buy the "stuffing mix" cut veggies.  This year I'm putting it in the crock pot to save room in the oven. 

Sweet Potato Casserole - I was looking for the recipe on my blog and I can't find it so I must not have shared it!  I will share it this year because it is so super good! 

Green Bean Casserole - This ONE is my favorite. 

Cranberries - I'm a little sad this year because we can't get my favorite cranberries from the store in the town where my parents lived.  It was amazing.  So, I have done some research and found a recipe to make my own. 

Broccoli Salad - I like to have something cold.  This is just the standard Broccoli salad that so many make but it is super good.  

Finally, dessert.  This is about the only time all year I make pies.  We will have pumpkin pie  and I plan to try a new apple pie recipe.  We might have another one or two depending on what I feel like doing HA! 

Now, in this house hold, I have appetizers out on the table mid-morning.  I think it makes it more festive and, honestly, we had Thanksgiving at my brother Jeff's house one year and they served appetizers.  I just loved it!  Here's a few things on the list: 

Pickles and Olives

Cheese Ball and Crackers

Fruit and Dip (My favorite dip from my sister-in-law, Deb - best stuff ever) 

So yes, it should be a great day with lots of wonderful food!  

Weekly Worship - Ben Rector - The Thanksgiving Song (Official Video)

Last weeks Thanksgiving song was fun and a little silly.  This weeks song is a little more heartfelt.  This comes off of Ben Rector's Christmas Album.  

2020 Week in Photos #44 and #45

i did not get last weeks post up on Saturday (I may or may not have fallen asleep on Friday night on the couch at 8:30 . . .. ) so I'm going to combine it with this weeks!  

Week #44 - 

Saturday and Sunday - We didn't do much :-)  I ran errands, we started working on sorting and cleaning Josh's room, and we watched FooTball.  

Monday - It was a beautiful day.  Add to that, our friends did not have school after 11:00 so we took advantage of this unexpected development

and had a picnic at the park.  Funny story.  We love this park because of the shade due to the HUGE trees.  When we got there my first thought was, "We must not normally come at noon, there is no shade!"  We started eating and I was kind of annoyed by the lack of shade . . .then I looked up and realized that there was no shade because there were no leaves HA!  Oops!  

Tuesday and Wednesday were school as normal. 

Thursday - I had a leadership team meeting and went grocery shopping.  

Friday - Nate had TKD and that was it.  Our lives are pretty "stay at home" right now - Covid-19 numbers are skyrocketing here and we are doing everything we can to not get it! 

Week #45

Saturday and Sunday - We didn't do much once again :-)  Actually I did some cleaning and general pick up and we worked on Josh's room more.  We had dinner with my mom, I had zoom with my family, and Darryl and Nate worked on his science project.  I guess we did do "something".  

Monday - This was not a normal school day - this was totally 100% science day because both kids had a science project to work on.  Nate had to test out two catapults he built and Josh is still working on making a plant and animal cell.  

Tuesday- School!

Wednesday - We had a virtual field trip with our on-line school to a pig farm!  It was actually pretty cool!

They had to put a piece of paper on their head and try to draw a pig face. 

Thursday - More school

Friday - A free day!  My extra kids took the day off and my kids were done with school for the week so we got a totally free day to just do what each person wanted.  I did a whole bunch of scrapbooking!  Yeah! 

Weekly Menu- Thanksgiving Weekend

 This year has been so unique (and maybe crazy) but it is nice to have some normalcy which, in this case, is a holiday that we all enjoy.  Thankfully, we have almost always had a pretty small Thanksgiving gathering so we didn't have to make a decision, or even a choice, about what to do this year.  Instead we will share the day with my mom and Darryl's dad, as we have done for the past few years.  We enjoy snacks, the traditional dinner, Football, and, of course, dessert.  I try to keep the cooking easy the rest of the week! 

Friday - Our normal "night out".  

Saturday - Dinner at my mom's! 

Sunday - Sloppy Joes and Fries 

Monday - Chicken Alfredo, green beans and garlic bread

Tuesday - Tacos, of course! 

Wednesday - Zuppa Tuscana and Garlic Knots (I like to do something totally 100% not Thanksgiving!) 

Thursday - It's Thanksgiving!  I'll share my menu later.  :-) 

Weekly Song - Matthew West - Gobble Gobble (Official Music Video)

Here's a fun song for you this week!  There are so few Thanksgiving songs but one of my favorite Artists, Matthew West created one!  (and guess what, I have another one for next week too!)