Just a quick update to let everyone know:
Poe is home! He's doing fine, feeling much better, and is currently napping on my lap.
Glad to have you back, Poe! We missed you! Thanks for all the well-wishes everyone!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Poe Update
Well, Poe is spending the night at the animal hospital. He was dehydrated when I took him in, and wasn't eating. The vet is giving him IV fluids, and said he's already eaten a little and is keeping it down. She's going to keep an eye on him, give him more food to build his strength up, and hopefully he'll be back home tomorrow afternoon.
We aren't sure what the cause of all this, but I have my suspicions: dried basil. I found...let's call it evidence...that Poe had decided to spice up his life and eat some dried basil, stem and all. We think the stem might have been agitating his stomach until he was able to get it back out, but by then he was already getting dehydrated and didn't want to eat because he kept getting sick.
So! Lesson learned. The basil is going in the trash. We hope that's all it was.
Thanks, Cima, for pointing out the dangers of possums, and so sorry to hear about the run-in your kitty had with one. We'll definitely keep an eye out for this big one.
And thanks to everyone for your well-wishes for Poe. I'm sure he's feeling better already. :)
We aren't sure what the cause of all this, but I have my suspicions: dried basil. I found...let's call it evidence...that Poe had decided to spice up his life and eat some dried basil, stem and all. We think the stem might have been agitating his stomach until he was able to get it back out, but by then he was already getting dehydrated and didn't want to eat because he kept getting sick.
So! Lesson learned. The basil is going in the trash. We hope that's all it was.
Thanks, Cima, for pointing out the dangers of possums, and so sorry to hear about the run-in your kitty had with one. We'll definitely keep an eye out for this big one.
And thanks to everyone for your well-wishes for Poe. I'm sure he's feeling better already. :)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Get the SWAT Team!
Yesterday, as I was pulling into my driveway, some questions were answered. Namely, what was the nature of the beast whose footprints we had seen in the yard (and questionably on the porch)? We thought it might have been a raccoon or dog. But no. Because yesterday, as I pulled into the driveway, someone was strolling OUT of the driveway.
The biggest possum on the planet.
Seriously, this thing is the size of a large raccoon. I've never seen one get this big in my LIFE. It froze in the headlights, and I'm not embarrassed to say I froze too. Was this thing going to eat my tires? Was it going to attack the windshield with its pointy face?
It stared for a second and then walked off, onto the other side of the road. I just sat there. Seriously this thing was HUGE.
Anyway.
In other animal news, I had to take the kitties in to the vet on Friday for their semi-annual checkups. Everything went well, although there was a lot of drama. It went well, that is, until yesterday, when I noticed that Poe was having some stomach issues. He wasn't able to keep his food down. He seemed better this morning, able to eat a little, but then got sick again this afternoon.
So tomorrow, we get to go BACK to the vet. (Don't tell Poe). Hopefully it's nothing. I think he either has a bad hairball in his tummy or he ate something that disagreed with him. We'll keep you posted. Poor little guy. It's so sad when your pets are sick and they can't tell you what's wrong, except by barfing on the carpet.
The biggest possum on the planet.
Seriously, this thing is the size of a large raccoon. I've never seen one get this big in my LIFE. It froze in the headlights, and I'm not embarrassed to say I froze too. Was this thing going to eat my tires? Was it going to attack the windshield with its pointy face?
It stared for a second and then walked off, onto the other side of the road. I just sat there. Seriously this thing was HUGE.
Anyway.
In other animal news, I had to take the kitties in to the vet on Friday for their semi-annual checkups. Everything went well, although there was a lot of drama. It went well, that is, until yesterday, when I noticed that Poe was having some stomach issues. He wasn't able to keep his food down. He seemed better this morning, able to eat a little, but then got sick again this afternoon.
So tomorrow, we get to go BACK to the vet. (Don't tell Poe). Hopefully it's nothing. I think he either has a bad hairball in his tummy or he ate something that disagreed with him. We'll keep you posted. Poor little guy. It's so sad when your pets are sick and they can't tell you what's wrong, except by barfing on the carpet.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Chirp
Pie safes are beautiful, elegant, and practical pieces of furniture, designed to protect pies and other baked goods from insects and varmints. (They do not, however, protect against varmints that can actually open the doors and retrieve said pies, namely men and teenagers. But I digress.)
These lovely items are crafted from wood, with doors that contain small ventilation holes. Homemade versions often feature thin wire mesh over the door panels, while more high-end models, such as the one below, showcase handworked copper or tin door panels, with designs punched into the metal.
It's been said that many of these unique hand punched door panels were crafted up in the high north, during the bleakest days of winter, as a way to pass the time and avoid the ravages of cabin fever.
Which is why I may soon be starting my own pie safe making business.
It has been snowing for DAYS, people. DAYS. We have about a foot of snow on the ground right now, and it's STILL SNOWING. I haven't been out of the house since Sunday, and that was only because my kind and loving cousin came by with his tractor to plow out the driveway.
(Side note: Noel is in Texas. He got out of here on Saturday morning, hence he missed the brunt of this Apocalyptic Misery weather. Again. I am perhaps starting to take this personally. Just kidding, honey! Enjoy your tacos!)
So! What have I been doing with myself this week, seeing as I have no way of getting out of the house and no cable? And crappy internet so I can't download tv shows? And I can't take a walk because the windchill is SIX DEGREES and my Wellies are under the RV, which is buried in an avalanche right now?
I've been pacing.
And...um...eating. Oh, and reading, and knitting. And knitting. And....pacing.
And I fear going outside because of things like this:
The Icicle Of DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!! Hanging by the kitchen window, this thing is about 5 feet long now. Scary!
However, despite my Oscar-worthy overdramatics, there are those who have it worse off than I do right now, namely the little birdies who need food and are cleaning out the bird feeder daily (thank you Camille, for the lovely feeder - the birds love it too!).
The porch has been popular among the Avian set.
We've been getting so many birds at the feeder when it snows, and when this weather started getting bad (Saturday late morning), the number of birds visiting our porch skyrocketed. I went out on Sunday to stock up on supplies (propane, food, cat treats (no mutiny forthcoming, hopefully!), and wine), I got a big bag of birdseed too. And it's a good thing! Noel filled the feeder up before he left on Saturday, and by Sunday it was empty again.
The cats are going INSANE.
And this one:
He thinks he's the Bird Whisperer. So far it hasn't worked.
Part of me wonders if this is cruel, to taunt them with birds that they can't get to. Then again, it's interesting for them, and hey - these are the cats who didn't want to chew pieces of roasted turkey at Thanksgiving. I seriously doubt they want to deal with actual BONES. Besides, apparently a lot of native songbirds are less common because of cats eating them. And Loki would probably try. Poe would chase, Loki would just wait for one to get tired and fall asleep near his paws.
Cardinals:
These lovely items are crafted from wood, with doors that contain small ventilation holes. Homemade versions often feature thin wire mesh over the door panels, while more high-end models, such as the one below, showcase handworked copper or tin door panels, with designs punched into the metal.
It's been said that many of these unique hand punched door panels were crafted up in the high north, during the bleakest days of winter, as a way to pass the time and avoid the ravages of cabin fever.
Which is why I may soon be starting my own pie safe making business.
It has been snowing for DAYS, people. DAYS. We have about a foot of snow on the ground right now, and it's STILL SNOWING. I haven't been out of the house since Sunday, and that was only because my kind and loving cousin came by with his tractor to plow out the driveway.
(Side note: Noel is in Texas. He got out of here on Saturday morning, hence he missed the brunt of this Apocalyptic Misery weather. Again. I am perhaps starting to take this personally. Just kidding, honey! Enjoy your tacos!)
So! What have I been doing with myself this week, seeing as I have no way of getting out of the house and no cable? And crappy internet so I can't download tv shows? And I can't take a walk because the windchill is SIX DEGREES and my Wellies are under the RV, which is buried in an avalanche right now?
I've been pacing.
And...um...eating. Oh, and reading, and knitting. And knitting. And....pacing.
And I fear going outside because of things like this:
The Icicle Of DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!! Hanging by the kitchen window, this thing is about 5 feet long now. Scary!
However, despite my Oscar-worthy overdramatics, there are those who have it worse off than I do right now, namely the little birdies who need food and are cleaning out the bird feeder daily (thank you Camille, for the lovely feeder - the birds love it too!).
The porch has been popular among the Avian set.
We've been getting so many birds at the feeder when it snows, and when this weather started getting bad (Saturday late morning), the number of birds visiting our porch skyrocketed. I went out on Sunday to stock up on supplies (propane, food, cat treats (no mutiny forthcoming, hopefully!), and wine), I got a big bag of birdseed too. And it's a good thing! Noel filled the feeder up before he left on Saturday, and by Sunday it was empty again.
Well, the bird feeder seats about 3-4 smaller, community-minded birds. Or one fat territorial cardinal who is mean to the little chickadees. So I decided to make sure that everyone got a shot at the birdseed. I rifled through the drawer under the stove and found a muffin tin that was in the house when we moved in. I ain't usin' it for us, so might as well feed wildlife out of it. ;)
I put the new "feeder" on the wicker table on the porch, rethought it, and put some paper around it first.
The birds are happy. But the funniest aftermath?
The cats are going INSANE.
I call this one:
Portrait of Frustration
(Note how the cardinal is staring them down. Cue theme from The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly.)
And this one:
Don't Fear The Reaper (He's Stuck Inside)
This is their newest favorite spot in the house. Loki loves to paw at the window, I throw yarn balls at him, he glares at me, then turns back and chirps at the birds. I wish I could get a video of this. It's hilarious. He stares at the birds, then his whole head starts vibrating, then this bizarre whimper/chirp/whistle sound comes out of his throat, and I crack up.
This is their newest favorite spot in the house. Loki loves to paw at the window, I throw yarn balls at him, he glares at me, then turns back and chirps at the birds. I wish I could get a video of this. It's hilarious. He stares at the birds, then his whole head starts vibrating, then this bizarre whimper/chirp/whistle sound comes out of his throat, and I crack up.
He thinks he's the Bird Whisperer. So far it hasn't worked.
Part of me wonders if this is cruel, to taunt them with birds that they can't get to. Then again, it's interesting for them, and hey - these are the cats who didn't want to chew pieces of roasted turkey at Thanksgiving. I seriously doubt they want to deal with actual BONES. Besides, apparently a lot of native songbirds are less common because of cats eating them. And Loki would probably try. Poe would chase, Loki would just wait for one to get tired and fall asleep near his paws.
Anyway, I've been so busy with my hectic Pacing/Eating/Knitting schedule, but graciously took some time to take pictures of some of the birds we've had around:
Cardinals:
This has a pair of cardinals (male & female), and a chickadee:
We've had LOTS of cardinals, at one point 5 males & 4 females. Other birds we've seen:
Chickadees
Tufted Titmice
Purple Finch (too fast to get a pic though!)
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Bluebird
And several mystery birds, which after an hour online trying identify, remain a mystery.
(Another side note: ornithological website people? How about an idea? For a website designed to help people identify birds (who obviously don't know much about them, hence the need to ID them), try NOT organizing your photo galleries by Latin genus and species names. We don't know their names. Thus the need to try to ID them. With pictures. How about: Black Birds. Blue Birds. Red Birds. Brown Birds. Then a picture, then the name! See how easy that is?)
I took pictures of a few of them. The only one I didn't manage to photograph was a little bird about the shape & size of a sparrow, but black on his upper half and white on the lower half, like a black sparrow who sat in Wite-out. So scientific!
Here's one of them. Anyone have any ideas? It's about the size of a robin, maybe slightly smaller. Brown wings, black upper feathers, white tummy:
This is a woodpecker, a little guy, about the size of a titmouse. He's black & white striped, but has a red dot on the back of his neck. I didn't see any red anywhere else on him:
(Also, they may be females. Birds are one of those things I always assume are male).
We've had another visitor to the feeder, a very acrobatic squirrel.
I call him Elmer.
Even though I think Elmer may be a girl. Elmera?
Anyway, Elmer/Elmera has the amazing ability to eat upside down. The cats don't seem as interested in Elmer/Elmera maybe because he/she doesn't flutter around and make a scene. Just up the post, down to the feeder, crunch crunch crunch, back to the tree. All business. I was chasing Elmer/Elmera away from the feeder for a while, since squirrels ostensibly save up food for winter. But then it occurred to me:
Perhaps Elmer/Elmera just didn't plan for this harsh of a winter. Perhaps he/she is *gasp* a procrastinator! Perhaps he/she went through some kind of squirrely hardship this summer and fall, and was unable to gather what was necessary! Perhaps it was Squirrel Flu! Tree-ridden for weeks, Elmer/Elmera pinned his/her hopes on the generosity of the hairless mega-squirrels living in the big gray cave, to keep seeds out there for everyone to enjoy!
Thus Elmer/Elmera now has uninterrupted time on the feeder every day.
Well, the sun has gone down, the snow is still falling, and I have a fat kitty sitting on my lap (quite a feat, considering there's also a lap desk & computer on my lap - he's determined).
Time to get back to knitting! And pacing. If the snow doesn't stop soon, send the National Guard. Or the whisky St. Bernard. Actually send the St. Bernard first. Thanks!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Hope everyone had a great New Year's celebration!
Logan does an excellent job, hitting the target really well despite it being his first time. He also has Serious Face down pat:
Katie shows a more elegant clothing option for target practice:
And I, in true form, manage to strike fear into the hearts of many with my blue tassel hat. Call me The Intimidator:
Or maybe The Scary Doofus With a Gun.
We had a great holiday season, and actually had a white Christmas! And while we enjoyed the snow while it was here - we ended up with a foot! Lovely, but not so easy to get around in.
Thing in Sky!:
Two of Noel's kids came down for Christmas & New Year's, and we had a really nice time. We went sledding:
Please note, this was only about 1/4 of the total length of this hill. It was possible to hit Mach 5 on the sled. Noel & the kids went down at one time.
It didn't end well:
As you can see from the sky, it was a gorgeous day. Perfect for lounging in the sun! Katie demonstrates:
We also went target shooting (Fun family time activities! Speed sledding & shooting stuff!):
Noel demonstrates Proper Shooting Form, and also Proper Serious Face:
Logan does an excellent job, hitting the target really well despite it being his first time. He also has Serious Face down pat:
Katie shows a more elegant clothing option for target practice:
And I, in true form, manage to strike fear into the hearts of many with my blue tassel hat. Call me The Intimidator:
Or maybe The Scary Doofus With a Gun. What else did we do? Of course, we ate a lot. Including one of my favorite new recipes (not written by me, so I can't take credit): Homemade chicken pot pie! YUM.
All in all, we had a wonderful time.
Now, since this is ostensibily a knitting blog and therefore should feature pictures of my knitting...
Oh wait. I didn't take any pictures of my holiday knitting. Oops. I have been busy with it though. For Christmas, I made 2 sets of accessories for my nieces' American Girl dolls (a poncho, a cape, a hat, and a purse - all my own design, and with no pictures. Great.) I also made some socks for my sister, and am most of the way through another pair of socks, these for my mom. I also did 3 hats.
Now as many of you may already know, each year I like to do some charity knitting/crocheting. It's a nice way to give something handmade to someone who may be having a hard time, and the fact that it's handcrafted means all that much more.
This year, the plan is to make some Snuggles (blankets) for Hugs for Homeless Animals (http://www.snugglesproject.org/). Basically they're simple little blankets that are put into the adoption cages of animal shelters. They provide comfort for the animals while in the cages, and are given with the animal when adopted, so the animal has something familiar in their new home. So sweet. :) They're easy to do, so if any of you are looking for a fun project to work on while the weather's crappy, consider making some Snuggles.
Speaking of animals, 2 certain someones had a good Christmas too. Santa brought them Fancy Feast! (He's got their number, that's for sure!)
Anyway, time to head into the kitchen. Tonight we're having venison stew, courtesy of ol' Davy Crockpot.
Also? It's supposed to snow again tonight! Brrrrr!!!!!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Weather Outside Is Frightful!
Well! We've had some Adventures in Winter here in western NC!
Last week we had snow! And I mean SNOW!
I actually got snowed in and couldn't make it to work for several days. Noel, meanwhile, was busily tending to out of state matters and conveniently missed the mountains of snow piling up everywhere.
Anyway, it was exciting! And very pretty!! Here's our house with snow:
And here's the driveway:
They're calling for snow again this week, on Christmas day no less. And the 2 days after. And 4 days the next week. It's a good thing we have plenty of warm socks!
Not that it matters quite as much, because I don't have to get out to go to work anymore. My job at the college ended last week. I actually really enjoyed it. It was an inventorying job, which to some might seem tedious, but there were lots of interesting things to discover and neat people to meet. And being a community college with a wide range of academic offerings, I saw lots of bizarre stuff too:
Catheter mannequins (best not to ask on this one)
Suitcase of baby CPR mannequins
Dog skeletons
Bag of interchangeable....gender parts...for mannequins (that was an eye opener)
SWAT team training rooms, complete with scary plastic dude hiding in closet (yes, I jumped)
Huge wok oven in culinary building
Medical mannequins that look just like George Bush, Sr.
Chocolate fountain
Tons of stuff there. It was fascinating, really. I enjoyed it a lot, but the project finished successfully, so I'm out of a job!! Back to writing!
We here at Chez Cat Box are working hard to get in the Christmas spirit. We have 2 trees up, one is a regular tree with red & green ornaments, and the other is our black Elvis tree. This year we have a new tree topper, a red guitar with Elvis on it, brought to us from Graceland itself by my mom. Very cool. :)
The kitties have been enjoying the holiday spirit as well, as evidenced by the lack of ornanents on the bottom 2 ft of both trees. I actually caught Loki in the act last week, walking around with an ornament hanging from his mouth. He dropped it as soon as he saw me, or I would've gotten a picture.
Note to all cat owners (and probably small child owners as well): get unbreakable ornaments. They're worth it. We had glass ornaments in our decorations box, but didn't put them up. Which is obviously a good thing!
I've been working on presents quite a bit lately, mostly of the knitted variety. I can't show any of them because....well....no one's opened them yet. This year I made a concerted effort NOT to try to make a million things, because I just didn't have time and there's no sense in stressing yourself out for a holiday that's supposed to bring joy. I do not consider tendonitis a good gift.
One other way we've been getting into the Christmas spirit (spirit? ha!) is with Noel's newest favorite drink, Hot Buttered Rum. I don't think he'd ever had one before. They're GOOD.
So to get everyone else into the same holiday spirit (see? did it again!) here is my recipe:
Hot Buttered Rum (makes 1 - about 10 oz drink)
8 oz apple cider, heated up (I nuke it in the microwave while mixing everything else)
In a mug, mix:
1 1/2 oz of clear rum (Bacardi is good)
Spritz of lime juice
3 dashes to 1/8 tsp cinnamon (yes, this is a weird measurement, but hopefully it makes sense - add to taste)
3 dashes to 1/8 tsp cloves
Add 1/2 tbsp butter once spices are stirred in.
Pour hot cider over top, mix well til butter is melted. Top with a sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired. Drink while warm.
SOOO good.
My friend Lisa informed me a few weeks ago about peppermint mocha Kahlua, which we just bought yesterday and will be trying very soon (probably in coffee). Yum!
Anyway, guess it's time to get back to knitting again. So much left to do!
Last week we had snow! And I mean SNOW!
I actually got snowed in and couldn't make it to work for several days. Noel, meanwhile, was busily tending to out of state matters and conveniently missed the mountains of snow piling up everywhere.
Anyway, it was exciting! And very pretty!! Here's our house with snow:
And here's the driveway:
They're calling for snow again this week, on Christmas day no less. And the 2 days after. And 4 days the next week. It's a good thing we have plenty of warm socks!
Not that it matters quite as much, because I don't have to get out to go to work anymore. My job at the college ended last week. I actually really enjoyed it. It was an inventorying job, which to some might seem tedious, but there were lots of interesting things to discover and neat people to meet. And being a community college with a wide range of academic offerings, I saw lots of bizarre stuff too:
Catheter mannequins (best not to ask on this one)
Suitcase of baby CPR mannequins
Dog skeletons
Bag of interchangeable....gender parts...for mannequins (that was an eye opener)
SWAT team training rooms, complete with scary plastic dude hiding in closet (yes, I jumped)
Huge wok oven in culinary building
Medical mannequins that look just like George Bush, Sr.
Chocolate fountain
Tons of stuff there. It was fascinating, really. I enjoyed it a lot, but the project finished successfully, so I'm out of a job!! Back to writing!
We here at Chez Cat Box are working hard to get in the Christmas spirit. We have 2 trees up, one is a regular tree with red & green ornaments, and the other is our black Elvis tree. This year we have a new tree topper, a red guitar with Elvis on it, brought to us from Graceland itself by my mom. Very cool. :)
The kitties have been enjoying the holiday spirit as well, as evidenced by the lack of ornanents on the bottom 2 ft of both trees. I actually caught Loki in the act last week, walking around with an ornament hanging from his mouth. He dropped it as soon as he saw me, or I would've gotten a picture.
Note to all cat owners (and probably small child owners as well): get unbreakable ornaments. They're worth it. We had glass ornaments in our decorations box, but didn't put them up. Which is obviously a good thing!
I've been working on presents quite a bit lately, mostly of the knitted variety. I can't show any of them because....well....no one's opened them yet. This year I made a concerted effort NOT to try to make a million things, because I just didn't have time and there's no sense in stressing yourself out for a holiday that's supposed to bring joy. I do not consider tendonitis a good gift.
One other way we've been getting into the Christmas spirit (spirit? ha!) is with Noel's newest favorite drink, Hot Buttered Rum. I don't think he'd ever had one before. They're GOOD.
So to get everyone else into the same holiday spirit (see? did it again!) here is my recipe:
Hot Buttered Rum (makes 1 - about 10 oz drink)
8 oz apple cider, heated up (I nuke it in the microwave while mixing everything else)
In a mug, mix:
1 1/2 oz of clear rum (Bacardi is good)
Spritz of lime juice
3 dashes to 1/8 tsp cinnamon (yes, this is a weird measurement, but hopefully it makes sense - add to taste)
3 dashes to 1/8 tsp cloves
Add 1/2 tbsp butter once spices are stirred in.
Pour hot cider over top, mix well til butter is melted. Top with a sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired. Drink while warm.
SOOO good.
My friend Lisa informed me a few weeks ago about peppermint mocha Kahlua, which we just bought yesterday and will be trying very soon (probably in coffee). Yum!
Anyway, guess it's time to get back to knitting again. So much left to do!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Thanksgiving Leftovers - Finally!
So ok, I'm just now posting about Thanksgiving. We all know why, so I won't mention anything repetitive about crappy internet service, blah blah.
On to the food photos!!
We hosted Thanksgiving this year at our little house (the actual house, not the RV!). I decided that since we had such a small Thanksgiving last year (namely just us & the kitties), and this year we were having a pretty good crowd (8 in all) that we'd have a serious feast!!
Preparations started the night before, when I made the dressing & pies. It definitely made for an easier Thanksgiving day, having all that made in advance.
Our menu consisted of:
- Turkey (a whopper! 22 lbs!)
- Spiral ham (prepared by my mom)
- Dressing
- Gravy
- Creamed corn (out of the garden!)
- Fried okra (also out of the garden!)
- Vegetable casserole (thanks mom - very yummy!)
- Mashed potatoes
- Mashed sweet potatoes (yes, both. We *heart* carbs.)
- Cranberry salad (courtesy of mom too)
- Cranberry sauce out of a can (I slaved over that one)
- Biscuits and croissants (out of a can, I must admit, but that was by request of Noel, who loves canned biscuits)
Photographic evidence of the feast!
I forgot to take a picture of the ham & turkey before everyone dug in.
Did I mention this turkey was big? 22 lbs! Bigger than the cats combined!! (Also, we offered them a little piece of turkey and the snobs didn't want it. Guess they like their food a little more processed than that.)
For dessert:
- Pumpkin pie
- Sweet potatoe pie (mom brought this)
- Apple pie
(Not pictured, mom's pretty meringue covered sweet potatoe pie).
Ok, especially for Cima, let me put down a few quick recipes and such here.
First off, a great tip for cooking turkey - turn the oven to about 425 or so, then put the turkey in for about 5-10 minutes, then turn the temp down to 325 or 350, whatever you're roasting it on. The blast of heat at the very beginning kind of sears the skin so that it's extra juicy. If you have a turkey breast, you can even turn it breast side down for the first little bit, then turn it right side up so the juices are seared into the meatiest part of the breast. Works wonders, and this was the juiciest turkey ever! It was a honeysuckle white brand, and it was excellent.
My dressing recipe...isn't really a recipe. It's based loosely on my sister's dressing, which is really really good. I took some Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix (both regular & cornbread), poured a can of chicken broth over it in a big bowl, sauteed some onions & threw them in there (I don't like celery so I leave it out). I also put in a diced apple, roasted some sliced almonds and added those, and threw in some dried cranberries too. Why not? Add more water/broth if necessary to get it to the right stickiness so it'll hold together. Mash it into a greased casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil (keeps it moist) & cook for oh, 30 or so minutes until fragrant and golden brown on top. Very easy. You can use pecans or walnuts, and pears would probably be a good substitute for the apple too. Use firm fruit - otherwise they dissolve while baking.
Mashed sweet potatoes are super easy. Personally, sweet potato casserole (the kind with the marshmallows on top) is just too sweet for me. I like the potato part, but not the marshmallow frou-frou. So I peel & boil the potatoes just like for regular mashed potatoes, drain when soft, mash them up, and add some milk, some butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar and mix well. Obviously this is one of those Taste As You Go recipes, because everyone likes theirs sweeter or cinnamonier than other people.
Fried okra is a special delicacy of the south, and honestly I wasn't sure how many people at Thanksgiving would like it (we had several people who hadn't really eaten okra before!) I thought it added something really special that the okra came out of the garden. Made the whole Labor And Then Eat thing more real! I had frozen it straight off the plant, didn't even wash it, just stuffed it in freezer bags whole.
If any of you have ever tried cooking okra, you know how slimy this stuff can be. (Slimy on the inside, hairy on the outside - it's straight out of some kid's veggie nightmare). Here's a trick from my Aunt Betty: if using frozen whole okra, don't thaw it out. Wash it off so it's clean, but cut it right away. It's still slightly frozen on the inside so it isn't really slimy, and it's much easier to bread & cook that way!
For the okra breading, I take about equal parts cornmeal (the kind that's in a bag lke flour, not a cornbread mix!) and all-purpose flour. Add a dash of salt & pepper and mix it all together. Cut up your okra into slices about 1/3 to 1/2 of an inch thick, and dump into flour/cornmeal. No, you don't have to put it in milk or egg first. I said this stuff was sticky, and I wasn't joking! The breading will stick, no problem. Deep fry on medium heat until lightly brown. Okra is really good by itself, but also with ranch or ketchup (supposedly, for the non-purists out there). Drain it well to keep it from getting soggy.
I would give you my secret pumpkin pie recipe, but I don't have one. I used the one off the back of the Laura Lynn Canned Pumpkin can. It worked though! I wish I had written it down! Might have to go back and get another can, just so I have the recipe.
The apple pie? Um...well...get a pie crust, dump a can of apple pie filling in it, put another crust on top, crimp the edges, and draw a pretty picture with the end of a knife. Bake. Eat.
Oh, I can offer a helpful hint to those of you new to pie making though! If in the process of baking your pie, the edges of the crust start to look too dark, make a halo of aluminum foil to go over just the crust and it'll keep it from getting any darker.
So hopefully that's some helpful stuff there. We really enjoyed the day, it was gorgeous weather, and we stuffed ourselves silly. And managed to eat (and enjoy) leftovers for multiple days afterward!
That same weekend, we went to my mom's for pulled pork bbq. We know how to eat in this family. :) Then we went to the Grove Park Inn, an historic hotel in Asheville where all the hoity toits stay while in town. Most recent hoity toit? President Obama! Cool!
Anyway, every year they have a ginormous gingerbread house competition. It's amazing. We enjoyed it, even though it was a lot more crowded there than in previous years.
They had some spectacular entries:
These are GINGERBREAD HOUSES, y'all! Completely edible, except for the wood board they're sitting on. Go ahead. Gape. They don't mind.
I liked the old fashioned look of this one, with 4 different representations of St. Nick/Santa on it:
This one was the grand prize winner. Impressive (it was built as a set of nesting dolls), but honestly I liked some of the others better. Just my opinion.
Lisa, this one is for you (sorry it's blurry - took this picture through glass).
The whole hotel is decorated too, with lots of pretty trees all over, each with a different theme. They had some stunning ones, but this one was my favorite:
Gorgeous!
Too bad we couldn't have anything like that. I have a feeling two certain black cats we all know and love would mangle a fake bird into oblivion.
And they look so innocent...
Don't let them fool you.
On to the food photos!!
We hosted Thanksgiving this year at our little house (the actual house, not the RV!). I decided that since we had such a small Thanksgiving last year (namely just us & the kitties), and this year we were having a pretty good crowd (8 in all) that we'd have a serious feast!!
Preparations started the night before, when I made the dressing & pies. It definitely made for an easier Thanksgiving day, having all that made in advance.
Our menu consisted of:
- Turkey (a whopper! 22 lbs!)
- Spiral ham (prepared by my mom)
- Dressing
- Gravy
- Creamed corn (out of the garden!)
- Fried okra (also out of the garden!)
- Vegetable casserole (thanks mom - very yummy!)
- Mashed potatoes
- Mashed sweet potatoes (yes, both. We *heart* carbs.)
- Cranberry salad (courtesy of mom too)
- Cranberry sauce out of a can (I slaved over that one)
- Biscuits and croissants (out of a can, I must admit, but that was by request of Noel, who loves canned biscuits)
Photographic evidence of the feast!
I forgot to take a picture of the ham & turkey before everyone dug in.
Did I mention this turkey was big? 22 lbs! Bigger than the cats combined!! (Also, we offered them a little piece of turkey and the snobs didn't want it. Guess they like their food a little more processed than that.)
For dessert:
- Pumpkin pie
- Sweet potatoe pie (mom brought this)
- Apple pie
(Not pictured, mom's pretty meringue covered sweet potatoe pie).
Ok, especially for Cima, let me put down a few quick recipes and such here.
First off, a great tip for cooking turkey - turn the oven to about 425 or so, then put the turkey in for about 5-10 minutes, then turn the temp down to 325 or 350, whatever you're roasting it on. The blast of heat at the very beginning kind of sears the skin so that it's extra juicy. If you have a turkey breast, you can even turn it breast side down for the first little bit, then turn it right side up so the juices are seared into the meatiest part of the breast. Works wonders, and this was the juiciest turkey ever! It was a honeysuckle white brand, and it was excellent.
My dressing recipe...isn't really a recipe. It's based loosely on my sister's dressing, which is really really good. I took some Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix (both regular & cornbread), poured a can of chicken broth over it in a big bowl, sauteed some onions & threw them in there (I don't like celery so I leave it out). I also put in a diced apple, roasted some sliced almonds and added those, and threw in some dried cranberries too. Why not? Add more water/broth if necessary to get it to the right stickiness so it'll hold together. Mash it into a greased casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil (keeps it moist) & cook for oh, 30 or so minutes until fragrant and golden brown on top. Very easy. You can use pecans or walnuts, and pears would probably be a good substitute for the apple too. Use firm fruit - otherwise they dissolve while baking.
Mashed sweet potatoes are super easy. Personally, sweet potato casserole (the kind with the marshmallows on top) is just too sweet for me. I like the potato part, but not the marshmallow frou-frou. So I peel & boil the potatoes just like for regular mashed potatoes, drain when soft, mash them up, and add some milk, some butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar and mix well. Obviously this is one of those Taste As You Go recipes, because everyone likes theirs sweeter or cinnamonier than other people.
Fried okra is a special delicacy of the south, and honestly I wasn't sure how many people at Thanksgiving would like it (we had several people who hadn't really eaten okra before!) I thought it added something really special that the okra came out of the garden. Made the whole Labor And Then Eat thing more real! I had frozen it straight off the plant, didn't even wash it, just stuffed it in freezer bags whole.
If any of you have ever tried cooking okra, you know how slimy this stuff can be. (Slimy on the inside, hairy on the outside - it's straight out of some kid's veggie nightmare). Here's a trick from my Aunt Betty: if using frozen whole okra, don't thaw it out. Wash it off so it's clean, but cut it right away. It's still slightly frozen on the inside so it isn't really slimy, and it's much easier to bread & cook that way!
For the okra breading, I take about equal parts cornmeal (the kind that's in a bag lke flour, not a cornbread mix!) and all-purpose flour. Add a dash of salt & pepper and mix it all together. Cut up your okra into slices about 1/3 to 1/2 of an inch thick, and dump into flour/cornmeal. No, you don't have to put it in milk or egg first. I said this stuff was sticky, and I wasn't joking! The breading will stick, no problem. Deep fry on medium heat until lightly brown. Okra is really good by itself, but also with ranch or ketchup (supposedly, for the non-purists out there). Drain it well to keep it from getting soggy.
I would give you my secret pumpkin pie recipe, but I don't have one. I used the one off the back of the Laura Lynn Canned Pumpkin can. It worked though! I wish I had written it down! Might have to go back and get another can, just so I have the recipe.
The apple pie? Um...well...get a pie crust, dump a can of apple pie filling in it, put another crust on top, crimp the edges, and draw a pretty picture with the end of a knife. Bake. Eat.
Oh, I can offer a helpful hint to those of you new to pie making though! If in the process of baking your pie, the edges of the crust start to look too dark, make a halo of aluminum foil to go over just the crust and it'll keep it from getting any darker.
So hopefully that's some helpful stuff there. We really enjoyed the day, it was gorgeous weather, and we stuffed ourselves silly. And managed to eat (and enjoy) leftovers for multiple days afterward!
That same weekend, we went to my mom's for pulled pork bbq. We know how to eat in this family. :) Then we went to the Grove Park Inn, an historic hotel in Asheville where all the hoity toits stay while in town. Most recent hoity toit? President Obama! Cool!
Anyway, every year they have a ginormous gingerbread house competition. It's amazing. We enjoyed it, even though it was a lot more crowded there than in previous years.
They had some spectacular entries:
These are GINGERBREAD HOUSES, y'all! Completely edible, except for the wood board they're sitting on. Go ahead. Gape. They don't mind.
I liked the old fashioned look of this one, with 4 different representations of St. Nick/Santa on it:
This one was the grand prize winner. Impressive (it was built as a set of nesting dolls), but honestly I liked some of the others better. Just my opinion.
Lisa, this one is for you (sorry it's blurry - took this picture through glass).
The whole hotel is decorated too, with lots of pretty trees all over, each with a different theme. They had some stunning ones, but this one was my favorite:
Gorgeous!
Too bad we couldn't have anything like that. I have a feeling two certain black cats we all know and love would mangle a fake bird into oblivion.
And they look so innocent...
Don't let them fool you.
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