That's In My Book

thanksgiving - lessons learned

• Pomegranates are super messy to seed. Blood goes everywhere! Thanks to a quick google search, we found this video tutorial. Pure genius. Seeding it under water solves the problem.

• Brining the turkey is a must. It makes the turkey so moist and juicy. And it is a super easy process. I know Williams-Sonoma sells a brine spice mix, but this recipe from Pioneer Woman is cheap and easy.

• Add extra time for the turkey to cook! Nobody wants to wait around for the turkey to finish...and starting dinner late makes me super anxious.
• Start thinking about the centerpiece earlier. By the time I really got serious about it, it was too late to do some of the really cool ideas I saw on Pinterest. I ended up using an idea from Martha Stewart. I like the way it turned out, but given more time I could have perfected it.

thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a smashing success. The food turned out great and was problem free for the most part. The turkey was our only issue. We used the convection roast setting on our oven, which messes with the cook time a bit. We thought it would be done right on time, but ended up taking about 30 minutes longer than we planned. And it got a bit too done on the top. It tasted fantastic, but looked a bit too dark for my taste.

The turkey's added cook time caused us to start dinner late, which I hate. But that gave us plenty of time to snack on hors d'oeuvres, like the scrumptious baked brie.

The new stuffing recipe was a huge hit (for everyone except Little Helmut who was longing for Stovetop Stuffing from the box). I think it may be the best I have ever tasted and we will most definitely be making it again next year.

The brussels sprouts recipe also turned out great. I had never even tried brussels sprouts before, and let me say, they get a bad wrap. They were super tasty!

But my favorite dish of the day was the poached pears. They were so easy (and not just because Helmut did all the work), tasted amazing and looked beautiful. And the cardamom in the cream added a refreshing hint of nutty/smoky/citrus.

 

 

holiday decor

We had a great Thanksgiving today. We were missing tons of our family, but the food was excellent. In no way do I mean the good food made up for the missing loved ones, but it does help fill the cracks in our hearts.

I will post soon about the meal we had, but for now I am too stuffed to edit those photos. Here are a few shots of the minimal fall decorations I have around the house. Less is more (and easier to pull off when you are a lazy decorator).

 

menu

Our Thanksgiving menu has been finalized. I am proud to say, we did it this year with complete marital harmony. No yelling, no stamping of feet and no condescending comments about my lack of foodie-ness.

So for those attending, here is a preview (and for the rest of you...you will be missed).

Appetizer:

Baked Brie en Croute with Apple Compote by Annie Eats (this recipe is tried and tested and loved by all who taste it).

Main:

My Favorite Turkey Brine by The Pioneer Woman (made with an organic, never frozen turkey...of course)

Sides:

Cranberry Fruit Conserve by the Barefoot Contessa (a new recipe for us last year, loved it!)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Hazelnuts by Bobby Flay

Roasted Root Vegetables

Twice Baked Potato Casserole by Emeril Lagasse

Cornbread Dressing with Pancetta, Apples, and Mushrooms by The Pioneer Woman

Potato Rolls by Jana Miner (I wish she was here to make them).

Dessert:

Apple-Bread Pudding Cake

Riesling Poached Pears with Cardamom Cream

Pumpkin Pie

 

All menus are subject to change (depending on how exhausted I feel).

going back

As I departed and returned to the YMCA for my Saturday morning run today, I couldn't help but notice the addition traffic. Ladies (and a few helpful husbands) were busy setting up their booths for a craft fair. I couldn't help but think back on my craft fair days. Back when my kids were tiny, when my husband's career was in its infancy and when money was tight, Sarah and I tried our hand at selling crafts for money. We skill-sawed, painted, spattered, sanded and poured our hearts into one wooden craft after another. We hurried to work while the kids napped and stayed up late to work some more. We took a hobby we both enjoyed and drove it into the ground, rendering it completely devoid of any joy. To be honest, it wasn't all bad. We always found a way to have fun, something (or someone) to laugh at. Many good memories where made. But I would never willingly go back there.

That got me thinking about other times in my life. Times that weren't all bad, but times that I wouldn't whole-heartedly jump back into. Like Middle School. I remember some fun, but for the most part it was a horrible awkward time I wouldn't want to relive. At the risk of sounding like a horrible person, I am not sure I would want to relive my kids' toddler years. They sure where cute when they were sleeping or gently snuggling on the couch with me, but those sweet memories seemed few and far between. My memory is filled with food all over the floor, being touched and hanged on (all.the.time), lots of whining and other such unpleasantries.

But life isn't like that. We don't seem to be able to achieve the good without taking a bit of bad along with it. And all the good times with my kids are definitely worth the bad (although I am not sure how much longer I can put up with Josh fighting with Sam, he's 15 for heaven sake...but I digress).

The crafts on the other hand, are not.

internet water

Did you know that you can order bottled water on-line? Well, you can. Josh loves to internet shop. Nike shorts, new snowboarding gear, Rayban sunglasses, the list goes on and on. So when he tried VOSS water, he was convinced that he had to hunt it down and buy some. A few weeks later, a case of water arrived at our door, and Josh became known as "internet water boy".

birthday

Chuy turned one year old on Halloween day. Sam had grand plans for a special puppy birthday party, but alas, Halloween festivities got in the way. Perhaps we will postpone it a week or two.

It is amazing how much a puppy grows in just one short year. Chuy is completely potty trained and loves using the doggy door to go outside whenever he wants. He loves to snuggle Samantha and Josh on the couch. He loves to walk to the bus stop. He loves to watch out the front window. He loves to bark at everyone that walks/jogs/drives by the house (which I find annoying). And he eats the most random things, including Samantha's homework...twice!

Happy Birthday, Chuy!

homecoming - the dance

The homecoming dance is the grand finale to homecoming week. My boys were resisting the dance early in the planning process. I realize this isn't an activity they have historically enjoyed, but I still felt it was important for them to experience a homecoming dance. We finally came to a compromise. They would attend the dance for a couple hours and then plan an activity they enjoy more after. We rented out the local lazer tag place and invited their group to join them. I think they had fun. They did say thank you, which definitely means a lot coming from two teenage boys.

 

 

 

 

 

homecoming - the game

Homecoming festivities lasted all week long. Dress up days (which my boys refused to participate in but Jordan and Madison looked amazing), a pep rally and parade. The actual homecoming football game was on Saturday night against Cypress Creek High School (incidentally that is the school the boys are zoned to and the alma mater of Jonah, Josh, Luke and Jennifer Brenner). The stadium was packed with fans (at least on our side) and we ended up winning the game 49-31. Everyone wore their mums and garters to the game, so I forced Josh to let me take a picture of he and Maddie with theirs on. You can tell by the look on his face that he was thrilled (and how truly unflattering fluorescent lighting really is).

Josh was sitting right in front of us...must. not. touch.

 

This shot is at an odd angle, but a hopefully gives a visual of just how many Cy Woods fans were there.

homecoming - the mum

Out-of-staters don't get it. When they hear about the Texas homecoming mum, I think they envision something more along the lines of a corsage. So when they see what one really looks like, they are usually shocked. And not shocked in a "that is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life" kind of way. But to someone who grew up with them, they are a beautiful sight to behold. And like everything else in Texas, the bigger the better.