Thanksgiving weekend

Our turkey started off in a Spice Brine for 24 hours. Besides kosher salt, the brine included fresh ginger, crushed cloves, allspice and peppercorns.
Alexander said it looked like someone threw up in the bucket - how appetizing!!!!!!!
I just had to share that with everyone.
The bird was removed from the brine and stuffed.
I used apple cider to make the gravy - couldn't taste it........oh well.......you could taste the spices in the turkey - especially the outside edges.
The children all helped with preparation. Andrew rolled out the pie crust and helped mix the pumpkin pie. Allison helped with that too. We had 1 - 9 inch pie, 1 - 8 inch pie and Alexander had his own pie!!!!!! He ate it all - and another piece!!!!!


I had asked Alexander what he would like to have with Thanksgiving dinner - he said LOTS of mashed potatoes and gravey - so he got to peel potatoes and smash them after they were cooked.

Allison wanted cole slaw - but I told her I had planned to have that with a pasta dish on Friday. She then decided that she wanted pea and peanut salad - so she put that together.
It was nice to work with Ashley in the kitchen - two cooks are better than one and she has some good ideas to share.


Andrew looked all spiffy for Thanksgiving guests.



It took John, Alex and John to get the turkey out of the roaster. He was well done.......in record time.
We dined on the turkey, dressing, gravy, butternut squash, mashed potatoes, green beans with garlic and roasted almonds, pea and peanut salad, 2 kinds of homemade cranberry sauce, and geens with pecan salad with creamy mustard dressing (I used a cranberry mustard - it was yummy!)
And then pie and whipped cream!!!!!!


John got to watch the antics of Andrew at the table. Watch out for that wine - maybe she should be cut off!!!!!
We had 11 around the table - Tom, who is a senior at K College, came to town for dinner.

Allison got to sit by me and her great grandpa - and just down from her great grandma.

Uh Oh.......who is finishing the wine?????!!!!

After dinner and lots of pumpkin pie, the kids gathered around great grandma before she went home.

Friday afternoon Ashley had an appointment with Terri, who cuts my hair, to have hers cut. It has been just growing and just long and just needing a "style."

Terri is very good with straight hair.

Here they are deciding just how much more to cut off.

This is the final style - she looks great!!!!!!!!!

Friday evening was a planned mystery trip. Ashley, Alexander, Allison and I were going somewhere......the kids did not know where until we got to the entrance of the Riverwalk Theatre - Jack and the Beanstalk, A Family Musical.

The kids had been to a performance of Rumplestiltskin there about a year ago. In fact, Alexander recognized one of the performers that was the Prince in that play and a Minstrel in this play.

After the performance, the actors gather in the lobby to meet the public and give autographs.

Alexander wanted expecially to meet the giant - he was loud and mean in the show!!

Allison got the autograph of the Magic Singing Harp.

Alexander wanted a picture with Jack.

Allison enjoyed talking to the cow and the Goose that laid the Golden Egg.

It was a great performance directed by a lady who comes to my library and her husband plays the Bean Guy - the man who sells Jack those magic beans.

Saturday morning, I made pancakes and then sandwiches for the road. The car was loaded up and the kids all left for Ohio. They were getting back there for the Christmas parade and visit with Santa in their town.

John and I worked outside - raking the last (we hope) of the leaves and put the pumkins to rest out in the woods.

We also put up the Christmas lights.

It is very quiet here - and Mango is most happy to have his home back.