Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a lovely day. The sun shone,and the temps were in the 50's. Everything went smoothly-and the food came out great,if I do say so myself ( and I do!) LOL!

My Mom came up for Thanksgiving (as usual) and this year it was just the four of us-Brother B went down to his Dad's for the holiday this year.

I must admit the best tasting item was the pumpkin pie. It was so light and delicious!!

While I am usually running around with my head cut off,I was actually ahead of the game due to my prep the day before. I found myself walking around with nothing to do. I even had more than enough time to scope out the yard for a centerpiece. Some years, I buy flowers,but this year,I wanted to get everything from the yard and use what I already had on hand.

The best items were some dried hydrangeas and azalea branches-the branches have lovely reddish leaves on them. I also had some green apples and gourds.  

I couldn't quite arrange the gourds and apples the way that I liked,so I make a little circle around the bouquet.I also had a couple of votive candle holders with tea lights that I lit while we ate.

The official menu:

-organic turkey rubbed with rosemary/garlic butter ( we grew the rosemary and garlic)

-mashed potatoes ( we grew them)

-sweet potatoes with cinnamon,butter,and home made brown sugar

-green beans ( from the garden)

-brown and serve rolls ( Rick ate gluten free rolls)

-cranberry sauce (the smooth canned kind-we don't have many palates in this house who like whole berry)

-apple stuffing ( my Mom's recipe)

-Gluten free pumpkin pie ( made with farm bought pumpkin,our eggs,and brown sugar)

We ate early,around 1:30,because my Mom can no longer see at night to drive. If it's a short trip,it's one thing,but we live 35 minutes away. After Mom left I watched "An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving" (one my faves!) and then fell asleep during a Walton's marathon around 7:30. I was out for the night. I don't think it was only the dinner- I think that maybe the three or four glasses of wine I had may have contributed to my sleepiness :) I don't drink wine that often,as it can cause me migraines if I drink it at the right time of the month.

That night,while I was in and out of turkey/wine induced sleep,the phone rang and it was the local PD. A button buck ( a male deer with just little nubbins for antlers) had been hit out on Rt 11. The Boys all got in the truck and picked it up,and it is hanging in our garage,and is going to be butchered today. We are going to give some of the meat to our neighbor,who is going through a rough patch.He has two boys and works full time. However, because his now ex girlfriend moved out,he is having a hard time making ends meet and paying the rent,so he has been asking us for various ways to save money.He loves it up here in the country and does not want to move. So we have been giving him advice,(every little bit helps!)He wants to learn how to hunt and butcher,so when The Boys do the butchering tonight,he is going to come over to learn. He does not know that we plan on giving him some meat.

Yesterday I spent working on Christmas gifts and reading.

This morning,I woke up and went to get a cup of coffee. When I opened the cabinet to get a coffee mug,this was there to greet me:

Brother B had left me this birthday message after he made the coffee. He was going out hunting and didn't want to miss his chance on wishing me a happy birthday first thing :)  Oh -it's my birthday today. I am 45 and Fabulous!!!!!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving,One And All!!

Today kicks off my favorite time of the year-the holidays.


Tuesday I made pumpkin puree,and even though the pumpkins didn't come from our yard,we did get them from a local farmer.

Yesterday I made gluten free pumpkin pie,apple stuffing,rosemary/garlic butter to rub on the turkey,chilled the cranberry sauce,and washed the dishes that we will be using (my Memere's old china). I cleaned the house. I was determined to not to have to rush around today,so I prepped what I could.

Today, I am going to make a centerpiece out of things in the yard-I think some dried flowers-and I have some gourds. I will take a photo and share it with you.

My Mom is coming up for Thanksgiving,and at almost 87,I am very happy that I can still celebrate this day with her. I always looked at Thanksgiving as an extra special day. You see, on Thanksgiving, Nov 23,1967,my Mom went into labor with me.However,I was stubborn and didn't make my appearance in this world until Friday,Nov 24. I was almost a Turkey Baby! Thanksgiving was the beginning of my journey onto this planet,though,and so it has an extra meaning to me and my Mom.

I have so many things to be thankful for. I have never lost sight of that,no matter what kind of day Rick is having,or where I am in my depression cycle.I have a loving husband,a fabulous son,great family and friends,especially My Dear Friend Michelle. Grief brought us together and from that a lovely friendship has blossomed. I have a warm house,clothes on my back,and food on my plate. I can see the blue sky,the white clouds,the trees,and the earth. I can smell the crisp, fresh air. I can hug my husband and son whenever I want.I also have very kind blogging friends who continue to give Rick and I love and support with their kind words. I have my cats and dogs that I can cuddle with. I have my chickens whom I chat with and who supply us with eggs. I have wonderful neighbors,who are kind and helpful. I also have fabulous memories of Thanksgivings of old with loved ones who are no longer with us.

Yep,I'm a very lucky,rich woman indeed!!!!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

Happy Thanksgiving,to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Touch Of White

We are in the midst of a nor'easter,but this one is not too bad on our end. Right now we are getting some freezing rain,and we did get about 2" of snow last night,with some pretty gusty wind.Thankfully,we didn't lose power. I was a bit surprised that school was not delayed this morning,because quite a few communities around us have a two hour delay. The poor folks down in the NJ area,yet again,got the brunt of it (at least,the last I saw on the news). I am keeping the folks who had to deal with Sandy and are struggling in my thoughts and I hope that this storm doesn't create more misery on top of everything else.

I am really losing track of the days,as I looked at the calendar yesterday and realized that Christmas is only a stone's throw away,and Thanksgiving is banging at my door. 

The Girls are all cozy in their coop,and we have started getting a few more eggs now that we have the light on. I only set it from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM so they get more light later in the day. I was wondering if I should keep the light on from early morning to 8:00 PM,but I figured that the normal daylight would still suffice,even if the sunshine is not as strong. Any thoughts,chicken owners?  We are very happy that the "driveway" mix we put down in the coop did the trick. The coop yard was filled up at least four inches,and the proof was when Sandy hit. Unfixed,The Girls would've been walking in three inches of mud. There was no mud. There is no more smell. It did the trick. We also revamped our driveway with it and met with the same success. We fixed the road in front of our driveway and the holes at the entrance to Avon Lane. So far,so good.

Yesterday Rick made some kindling and drained the pool to the level it should be. I'm glad I got my garlic planted and my strawberries under cover in time! Talk about cutting it close! The temps are quite chilly,but on Saturday,it's going to be around 60 degrees,so at least this snow won't last.Of course,The Menfolk are very happy to see a bit snow...so they can see tracks. Rick almost got a turkey with this bow yesterday,but just missed (apparently there were some small branches that got lost in his sights). They are gearing up to get back out again this AM.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!

I

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Besides Christmas,Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It's a wonderful day for spending with family and counting your blessings.

I have many blessings:
-A wonderful husband,who came back to me alive
-A fabulous son
-Wonderful family and friends
-A warm home
-Clothes on my back
-Food on my plate

That's the most that anyone could ask,isn't it? I am mindful that there are many right now who are not so fortunate. Yesterday we donated three turkeys and food baskets to local families who are having a real tough time. We have been there before,and it's not fun. We are keeping those folks and many more like them in our thoughts today,as well as our military who are far from home.Bless them all!

In a little bit I am going to make my stuffing,then put the bird in the oven.My Mom is coming up today for dinner.She is doing great,driving now and therapy is coming along real well.

                                                        Thanksgiving Menu

Citrus stuffed turkey with Herbs De Provence (homegrown turkey!)
Venison sausage stuffing (homemade sausage and gluten free bread)
Orange Honey Green Beans (homegrown green beans)
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Rolls
Cranberry Sauce
Olive and cream cheese stuffed celery
Gravy

Pumpkin pie (home made pumpkin and gluten free crust)

Tonight Rick and Zach are going to make me a birthday cake. This year,my birthday happens to fall on Thanksgiving. Great way to begin my 44th year......the Fierce and Forty decade continues!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends out there...where ever you may be!!!!!!!

Making Pumpkin Puree

Last year was my first year at making homemade pumpkin pie,by which I mean making the pie with pumpkin grown here and not from a can. :)

Pumpkin puree is pretty easy,though it can take a while to make,depending on how many pumpkins you are trying to process at once. I had two Sugar Pumpkins.

1) Wash the pumpkins.Cut the pumpkin into quarters. If you cannot do this yourself(like me) you can enlist the help of a strong man (like me).Then,cut the quarters in half so the sections are smaller.

2)Scoop out the seeds and guts.

3)Fill a microwaveable bowl with about 2" of water,and place as many pumpkin slices as will fit into the bowl.The less you fill it,the quicker the pieces will soften up.

4)Cover the bowl,and put in the microwave on high for about 20 minutes or so.The rind should come off fairly easily. I peeled it off ,or you can use a fork to scrape the flesh away from the rind. Cut the pieces up so they will fit into a food processor.

My food processor suggested level 10,and in no time it was a puree.

It took me about an hour and half to nuke,peel,and puree all the pumpkin pieces I had. As each batch was pureeing,I would weigh out 15 oz batches,since 15 oz is the standard pumpkin pie can size. In all,I made 5 batches,each in their own freezer bag,which I immediately put in the freezer for future use.

Enjoy!

Super Easy Venison Sausage

Right now the Menfolk are in the middle of the turkey fest. Zach did the dirty deed ("Mumma,you are going to have to use Oxyclean on my clothes,I hit the jugular.")Two are hanging out back,and Rick is plucking one in the garage. I braved the masses and went grocery shopping today,thankfully I went a bit earlier than  normal so it wasn't so bad.I got a few small things ready today-cooked my cranberries for the stuffing (actually dressing,but we always call it stuffing),made my cream cheese/olive filling for celery sticks,and made my venison sausage.This was my first attempt at venison sausage,and I must say it came out AWESOME. It's very easy. I got the recipe from Cooks.com.

                                                    Deer Breakfast Sausage
1 lb ground venison (no suet)
1 lb ground pork
2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Put venison and pork in a large bowl. Mix the spices together and pour sprinkle over meat. Using your hands,work the meat and spices together until thoroughly combined.Shape into roll,wrap in plastic or foil,and chill overnight in the fridge.Slice and fry as regular sausage.

The only thing I did not do was make the meat into a roll. I cooked some up right away and brought it outside so the Menfolk and The Boy could try it,and they all loved it.Our neighbor,Kelly,was chatting with Brother B,and he loved it as well.He told me to give his wife the recipe. I put the pound of sausage I need for the stuffing in the freezer in a separate freezer bag,and froze the rest together.I wasn't sure how long fresh venison lasts in the fridge,since it had been in our fridge since Saturday. I figured an overnight freeze wouldn't hurt,and tomorrow I will cook up what I need for the stuffing so it will be all set for Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow I will make pumpkin pie with homemade pumpkin puree,iron the tablecloth,wash the glasses and china,dry out the Gluten Free bread for the stuffing,and fill the celery sticks with the cream cheese and olive mixture. Less things to do on Thanksgiving!

Have a lovely day!!!

Let The Harvest Begin (GRAPHIC PHOTOS)

                       WARNING...GRAPHIC PHOTOS OF DEER BEING SKINNED

Like I mentioned in my earlier post,we got a deer that was hit by a car.He hung over night in our tree in the backyard. Saturday morning,The Menfolk,Zach,and nephew Brody went out hunting,but were not out long.They didn't see any deer,but they did see a mink.

This past weekend was mighty busy,as we planned on having Brody up to hunt,then harvest the turkey  that we had sold. Then we got the call about the deer,so that was added to the mix.Saturday-out early hunting,then home to harvest the deer. Some photos of the skinning:

                                                             *GRAPHIC PHOTOS*

He let Nephew Brody try his hand at skinning as well,under his guidance:

                                                       *END GRAPHIC PHOTOS*

After the deer had been skinned,then the real processing began. We have a food vacuum sealer and that keeps the meat nice and fresh.Thankfully,most of the meat was good and not ruined from the accident. The whole process of skinning,butchering,and processing took about four hours or so. We have medallions,roasts,and steaks. I have meat in the fridge that I am going to make into burger today.

The Men were exhausted by Saturday night.Sunday they harvested the turkey that we sold. We let Nephew Brody harvest the turkey,since it's not something he normally does. Zach,who is our turkey harvester,was fine with it because he knows that he will be helping with the rest this week (he has the whole week off from school).

We don't have any fancy scales,so our method of weighing turkeys is to stand on a regular scale,take note of the persons weight,then put the person on the scale with the turkey.The difference in weight is the weight of the turkey. The one we sold was 19 lbs and a Tom. We did sell it for incredibly cheap,on par with frozen at the supermarket.(a mere .75 cents per lb) We had not been keeping track of feed costs,so we really had nothing to gauge it on. Selling one was last minute decision. Our customer,Stephanie,told me she would like to get one from us next year,and I told her that the price would be much more. She seemed pretty pleased at any rate,which was a good thing.

The rest of the turkeys will be taken care of over the next couple of days. We have one for our neighbor,one for Rick's Dad,one for Brother Dale,one that we are trading for some pig meat,one for us,and three that we are donating with food baskets. We only sold the one.No money making venture this year,which is fine.Next year,we plan on keeping track of costs,buying more and selling some at what the price should be. I don't like the thought of charging people I know,though.It's just who I am.

Our neighbor,Kelly got a call about a hit deer.The Menfolk are going to help him harvest it,and he is going to give us some meat in exchange for the help.So we are going to get more venison!!

There won't be much hunting up until Thanksgiving Day. Everyone is going to be busy. 

Today: Menfolk-process Kelly's deer

            Me:make fresh pumpkin puree from two Sugar Pumpkins;finish shopping list and food basket             list. Make venison burger.Begin cleaning house.

Tuesday:Menfolk/Zach:some hunting in the AM.Begin turkey processing.Shop for food basket items.

              Me:Shop for week and Thanksgiving.Make venison sausage.

             Zach :Make up the food baskets

Wednesday: Menfolk/Zach:Process more turkeys. Deliver food baskets.Make my Birthday cake(Rick and Zach insist on it)

                    Me:Iron table cloth,wash china and special glasses/dishes,make gluten free pumpkin pie,stuff turkey with citrus,make venison sausage stuffing,and celery stuffed w/cream cheese and olives.

Plus,there always other goodies that pop up.How do you prepare for Thanksgiving,if you celebrate it?

Whoops! Deleted Photo

In my last post I meant to post a picture of the table set for Thanksgiving dinner. I posted it,and somehow it got accidentally deleted.

You can't really see it too well, but around the vase of flowers I put the extra springs of rosemary and German thyme. It looked nice.

The Day After

Today is what is known in the retail world as "Black Friday,"when the masses descend on stores,fighting the crowds,to get those day after Thanksgiving deals. When I was in retail, I worked on Black Friday,opening the doors at 5:30 AM,and each year I was always shocked at how many people actually got up to get the stores that early. Not my thing. Now that I no longer work,it is not something I miss. In fact, I have never shopped on Black Friday. I don't like fighting crowds,and saving $10.00 on a gift is not worth the hassle for me. We start shopping in Sept,during the weekdays,and on line ( I love Amazon.com) Aside from a one or two little things,all our shopping is done. For those you who love the pushing,shoving,and waiting in line,go for it. I am quite content to stay in my little cottage,thank you very much!

Today is especially is a good day to stay home. We woke up to this:

You can't see it, but there are icicles hanging off the wheel well,and all along the bottom of the car.We have them hanging off the eaves of the house as well,but they are little ones. We had some freezing rain overnight and early this AM,making the roads slippery. There have been several small accidents and one big one on I-89 going towards Vermont.

My birthday was lovely. Aside from the cards I received in the morning, that night I received a Sgt Pepper CD from Zach,a flash drive from Brother B,and one of those pictures frames you can down load photos to,creating a slide show from Rick. I wasn't expecting anything,since I did receive My Precious and the cabinet. I also got a lovely cake:

Brother B said that Rick went through several cakes trying to find the right one. He would have made one himself,but they were quite busy harvesting turkeys. The candle was in the shape of a question mark in case I didn't want to admit my age,which I thought was cute.

Our Thanksgiving menu consisted of fresh turkey with Herb Butter rub (4 tablespoons butter,3 tablespoons each fresh rosemary and thyme-fresh from my herb garden-,and 2 cloves fresh garlic from my neighbors garden),apple and onion stuffing with gluten free bread crumbs ( I made the bread,toasted the slices,and cut them into cubes),cranberry sauce,pickles,olives,potatoes,sweet potatoes (with homemade brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon),peas,rolls, gravy,and homemade pumpkin pie (Sugar pumpkin from the garden)with gluten free pie crust. Dinner preparation was a mutual affair:Rick made the potatoes,sweet potatoes,and got the peas ready so I could sit and visit with my Mom,and before she came I had the turkey in the oven,stuffing made,pie baked, got the cranberry sauce and pickles chilling,and the table set.

Here is a photo of the dishes I was talking about:

My Mom said she was about 12 when the got the set,which makes sense,since the set was made in 1936-37,and she turned 12 in December of 1937.Like I mentioned earlier,it is called Green Wheat by Taylor and Smith. The pattern was discontinued 1939. I was interested in trying to find out about this line,so a couple years ago I went on line to try and find some information about it. At that point,I had the company name on the back of each dish,and the item numbers as well. I found it on a couple of websites- Replacements.com and Ohioriverpottery.com.My Memere had bought the set of 12,which came with 95 pieces,for $18.95. In 2008 to replace the dinner plates alone,it would cost $11.99 per plate-bringing the cost of just the 12 plates to $143.88. Can you imagine? However,it's not the cost of the set that I treasure-it's the memories and the history of them. These plates were used by my Memere and Pepere Charrette on holidays from the time my Mom was 12, which meant my Great -Grandparents,Grandparents,Mom,aunts,uncles,great aunts and great uncles,cousins and father all ate on them.The women cooked,and the men washed the dishes (my Pepere and father broke a few of the coffee cups while wiping because their fingers were big for the handles!) Then they were handed down to my Mom,and my siblings and their families ate on them.Now my family is enjoying them.So 5 generations have enjoyed meals on these simple,yet pretty plates. Since they were only used on holidays,it added a special air to the event to see the setting on the table. It brings back great memories.

Thankful

Today here in the States it is Thanksgiving Day. We continue the celebration started by our Pilgrim forefathers. Life had been very hard for them,and,with the help of the Wampanog natives,they finally had a good harvest,of which they were very thankful. They celebrated their good fortune with their Wampanog friends by feasting and playing games.

Throughout the history of the US,Thanksgiving has been celebrated at different times until President Lincoln proclaimed it at national holiday. We now celebrate it on the third Thursday of November.

It is a wonderful day to stop and count our blessings. Nowadays,when it seems like there is so much negativity going on in the country and around the world,it's good to realize that yes, in fact, each of us has good in our lives that we should embrace and not take for granted. We shouldn't,however,only remember this one day a year. We should wake up each morning and remember what is good,positive, and important in our lives.

I am thankful for many things,and I remind myself many times a week of what I have.I have a wonderful husband,who survived a war,and who loves me with all his heart. I have a great son,who is smart,funny,and loving. I still have my Mom,who,at nearly 85,has more energy than I do,and who handed down her Yankee traits. I have wonderful memories of my Dad, who had a great sense of humor which he passed on to me. I have older brothers and a sister,who,though they all moved out when I was young,I enjoy learning more about with each visit and see some of myself in each of them. I have brothers and sisters in law who I love very much.Rick's brothers have embraced me like a sister,and I especially appreciate Brother Brian for being here for us when Rick was gone,and now,while he is still struggling with his TBI and PTSD. I am very grateful for my friends,those I have known for many years,and those that I have recently come to know and love,especially My Dear Friend Michelle. I am thankful for my warm home,food on my plate and clothes on my back. I can look out my window and see beauty every day. I am thankful for those who served so that I can live in such wonderful country,especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and those who will live with War for the rest of their lives so that we can be free. For all this,and so much more, I am very thankful.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!