Thanksgiving Recipe #4 - THE ROLLS!

And now for the coup de grâce. I'm finally getting around to posting this roll recipe. These rolls have been a staple at my family's Thanksgiving since before I can remember. My sister has made them for YEARS.

Last year, I decided to give them a try for the Waugh Thanksgiving. I also made them again this year. Much to my complete delight, my nephew said that these rolls must make an appearance every year. Zak just loves them. He has no idea how happy that made me.

They're really dough-y . . . so they're awesome if you're into that sort of thing.

Parker House Rolls

6 to 61/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

2 pkgs active dry yeast

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

[Begin at least 3-1/2 hours before serving]

In large bowl combine 2-1/4 cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast; add 1/2 cup butter or margarine with mixer at low speed, gradually pour 2 cups hot tap water (120 to 130 degrees) into dry ingredients. Add egg, increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in 3/4 cup flour or enough to make a thick batter, continue beating 2 minutes occasionally scraping bowl.

With spoon, stir in enough additional flour (about 2-1/2 cups) to make soft dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape dough into a ball and place in a large buttered bowl, turning over so that top of dough is greased. Cover with towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled about 1-1/2 hours.

Punch down dough by pushing down center of dough with fist then pushing edges of dough into center. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead lightly to make a smooth ball. Cover with bowl for 15 minutes and let rest.

In 13 x 9 inch roasting pan, melt remaining 1/2 cup butter, tilt pan to grease bottom.

On lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/2 in. thick. With floured 2-3/4 inch round cutter, cut dough into circles. Holding dough circle by edge, dip both sides in melted butter in pan and fold in half. Arrange folded dough in rows in pan, each nearly touching the other. Knead trimmings together, reroll and cut more rolls.

Let dough rise in warm place until doubled in size - about 40 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake rolls 18 to 20 minutes until browned. Makes about 3-1/2 doz.

Thanksgiving Recipes #3

This year, I decided to make an appetizer for the Waugh gathering. We're leaving in 10 minutes so I have no idea how this appetizer will go over, but I know it's one of my favorites. Wish me luck!

It's a little labor intensive . . . however, I was already up early working on the homemade dinner rolls (which I'll post about soon) so I had some time to kill while the dough was rising and the rest of the family was sleeping. I did the prep early and baked them about an hour before go time.


Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts

1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, whole, cut in half
1 lb. bacon slices, cut in half (I ended up using 1.5 lbs. )

Wrap bacon around water chestnuts and secure with toothpicks. Bake on foil-lined 13x9 pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Pour off grease.

Dip bacon wrapped chestnuts in sauce (below) and bake again at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Sauce
Blend in blender or processor (I doubled since I made extra above):
1/3 c ketchup
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp. soy sauce

Thanksgiving Recipes #2

Since we seem to eat the same thing every year at our Thanksgiving feasts and I struggle every year trying to locate the "exact" same recipe that I used last year . . . I figured I should try to document it here for safe-keeping.

We have two Thanksgiving potlucks. One on the actual day with my family in Ohio and the second one on Saturday with Curt's family in Michigan.

I already posted the Strawberry Nut Salad that I made for the Ohio gathering. I also make a roasted vegetable dish that's gaining in popularity there. I couldn't find the one I made last year so I made something up that was similar. Here's what I did this year.

Roasted Vegetables

• 1 small butternut squash, cubed
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced (I substituted a blend of porcini, morels, portabellas, shiitake and oyster mushrooms. YUM!)
  
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
• 1 red onion, quartered
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
3. In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
4. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

A Tribute to my Mom (however small)

My mom always made something called "Strawberry Nut Salad" during the holidays - most notably at Thanksgiving. Our family only ate it once or twice a year but it was such a tradition that we always looked forward to it.

Mom is no longer able to do any cooking on her own so it was time for me to carry on her tradition. My sister is already loaded with the turkey and major stuff so this is the least I can do. I actually forgot to make it last Thanksgiving and we really missed not having it there. Silly. It's nothing extravagant . . . as a matter of fact, it's incredibly easy to make. But it's just SO Thanksgiving to me!

Strawberry Nut Salad

1 lg. box strawberry Jell-O dissolved in one cup of bowling water.

Fold in:
- 16 oz frozen (thawed) strawberries - juice and all
- 3 medium bananas, mashed
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 lg can crushed pineapple (drained)

Spread 1/2 of Jell-O mixture in 13 x 9 inch pan. Chill to set.
Spread 16 oz. sour cream on top.
Spoon on rest of Jell-O mixture.

Serve chilled.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Our family bonding weekend

I was expecting some quality time with my family this weekend. I did get it . . . but it in ways I never expected.

I'm always telling Curt that I need to spend more time with Vivian. I do my best to share equal time with both girls but it seems like Audrey gets the lion's share. This is due in large part to the number activities she's involved in and the fact that she's easy to take places now that she's older. She actually likes going to shows with me and she can attend church and sit by herself when I have to solo. Vivi will get there someday too, and I'm excited about that. But for now, we're relegated to outings that Viv can handle. One of the things that we do best together is grocery shopping. Not quite the same as the theater, but Vivian just loves to go shopping with Mommy. In any case, I'm always looking for more one-on-one moments with Vivian.

Our weekend began on Friday afternoon when the girls and I hung out at the doctor's office with Curt while he underwent a very brief (ahem) procedure. From there ensued a very quiet Friday night at home. We had take-out dinner and caught up on some of the shows on our DVR. It was nice. For me anyway . . . I'm sure next weekend will be much nicer for Curt. He's pretty sick of frozen peas.

The only outing I had planned for Saturday was Audrey's dance class. Curt assured me that he would be okay with Vivian at home, especially after I let him sleep in. The rest of the day was so boring that I don't even remember what we did. All I know is that I decided that I should probably get Vivian out of the house for a bit. I also needed to get some groceries for Thanksgiving . . . and voila! an outing with Vivian was born. The plan was that Audrey would entertain herself while Viv and I made a quick trip to the store. When we returned, we would all head to the Chinese Buffet for dinner since Audrey was craving it for some reason.

I should have known things were going to be bad when I got flipped off in the Kroger parking lot by a woman who apparently wanted the parking spot that I snagged. Not a good way to start the trip. THEN I got ripped off at the bottle return when the receipt for bottles didn't print out. Argh! What ELSE could go wrong, I thought. Nevermind. Vivi is having a great time. She found the bananas for me, she bagged all of the fruits and vegetables we bought, she was thrilled to see "Vivian's ketchup" and she very happily plucked things off of the shelf and into the cart for me.

We were nearly finished with our shopping when I stepped away from the shopping cart for a moment to return something I decided we didn't really need. (Wasabi mayonnaise to be precise. It's true we didn't need it.) Vivian toddled after me. Then she turned and ran back toward our cart. She lost control and tripped. I watched her head go flying back as her face made contact with the metal at the base of the shopping cart. She took the entire weight and force of her fall on her FACE! Immediately, she started crying (which I found out later was a GOOD thing!) I ran to her and saw her eye swell up and turn all shades of blue. I came close to a total freak out. Thankfully some SANE shoppers in the store talked to me for a bit and one woman just started dialing 911. She didn't wait for me to respond, just told me she was doing it. I loved this woman immediately. I wish I could thank her now. I think I managed to thank her at the time but I don't really know.

We abandoned the cart and headed toward the front of the store. I must have looked crazy sitting on the floor cuddling my crying baby. Someone got us some ice. Another person brought a chair and shuffled us off to the side a bit. The paramedics arrived and were insanely nice and calming to me. We had a nice ride in the ambulance to St. Joe's.

My favorite part [can there BE a favorite part??] is when everyone kept asking Vivian where her pain was (trying to rule everything out). "Does your nose hurt, does your neck hurt, etc?" "IT'S RIGHT HERE!" she kept saying pointing to her temple. As if to say "duh, people, can't you see my eye hurts!?"


Thankfully, it was nothing serious. She's pretty banged up but it could have been so much worse. They gave her some Tylenol and a Popsicle and suggested that we let her sleep with us that night so we could keep tabs on her through the night (I had horror thoughts of her kicking Curt so I chose to sleep in Viv's bed with her).

Meanwhile, poor Curt (who's supposed to be convalescing himself) had to get Audrey some dinner while we were gone and listen to my updates on the phone. Finally, he had to put on some pants and come pick us up at the hospital.

He later laughed how this was supposed to be HIS weekend.

Vivian's doing okay now but she's got quite a shiner on her eye. Today's version of it is even worse than this photo. She's wearing a "magic" Elmo band-aid so she says it's all better.

She and I even went back to the store the next day. She didn't seem the least bit phased by it.

So, I had some special one-on-one time with Vivian this weekend. I hope we don't repeat it anytime soon.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I'm in the holiday spirit so early this year!

I'm not sure what's bringing it on . . . except that perhaps I've actually had some downtime to enjoy my family and friends lately. It gets me all mushy and stuff. The snow on the ground helps, too.

[Spoiler alert for Curt] I recently purchased monogrammed Christmas stockings that I found in an INCREDIBLE on-line sale at TheCompanyStore. I bought them in October! Poor Vivian just couldn't go another year with the mis-matched pink, baby-themed holiday stocking. Anyway, they're tucked in a box under my bed. I've even started making lists of things that I want to buy the girls and I'm thinking about (gasp!) actually doing some on-line shopping!!

And then today BAM! out comes the new Holiday Guide from one of my favorite blogs. Now I don't have to spend hours on the web trying to find unique gifts . . . they've done all of the work for me.

They'll do the work for you, too . . . since I'm sharing this link with all of you, my beautiful friends.

And Curt, if you're still reading, how 'bout picking up the cool gift from the Holiday Guide: The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own and buying me like 90 or so of them?

Love you. [wink]

Eight years and counting

Dear Curt,

Exactly 10 days ago we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary.

There was no lavish party, fireworks or large gifts. There was no fanfare at all, actually. Unless you count the absolutely insane weekend of activities we had and the globally-celebrated election day that occured on November 4 -- our anniversary date.

I think I snapped at you more than once that weekend due to my ever-increasing stress level. In the midst of all of the hoopla, it could have been easy to just let this particular anniversary go by.

But we didn't. You didn't.

This anniversary was noteworthy in my mind. Not only has the past year been full of challenges and lots of work, but both of our first marriages ended at seven years. We really know how to bring meaning to the seven-year-itch.

However, all of our hard work has paid off. We are connecting in ways we never have. Our love for each other is growing and our bond is stronger than ever.

As I looked at you sitting next to our girls in the front pew of church when we renewed our wedding vows on Sunday, I was filled with intense love and pride. I felt like the Grinch and my heart grew "three sizes that day." You looked so handsome and I was so proud. My eyes filled with tears as we held hands and renewed our vows in front of the congregation.

Again, there was nothing flashy about this day. We didn't even take a single picture -- although that could have something to do with the fact that I broke my camera at the party the day before. But the picture is indelibly etched in my brain forever.

You get me better than anyone ever has. I love that. [Well, sometimes I don't actually, but you know what I mean.]

These past 8 years have been the best of times and they've been the worst of times. But we're doing them together and I can't imagine my life without you.

Love,
Kathy

To everything there is a season

There are still remnants of the first snow on the ground outside my window at work. It snowed yesterday and on Sunday! Nothing major but it was there.

I get such a kick out of the first snowfall. Thank goodness I have little kids to share that with. I took the girls out shopping with me on Sunday night when the biggest of the flakes started coming down. That was quite a treat. Not really the shopping part . . . but the being out in the snow part.

I was motivated to go shopping because I received a coupon from the new Whole Foods store that opened in town. We needed food, I hadn't been there yet and there was a whole $5 to be saved just by going shopping.

I had planned on going with Vivian so I could have a little bonding time with her - since Audrey went to church with me that morning. Vivian is actually fun to take to the grocery store. She loves to help pick out the items and put them in the basket.

Well, Audrey got wind that I was going to the store and she quickly responded that she wanted to go too! She counted up all of her allowance money and knew that she had enough to purchase the Mymeebas that were on sale at Target. [She learned about Mymeebas from www.everythinggirl.com and she learned about the sale from the Target flier that came in our Sunday paper. And this is from a six-year old!]

So . . . both girls went shopping with me.

I spent too much at Whole Foods (also known as "Whole Paycheck") and the Mymeebas were sold out at Target. Not the best outing for us. But at least we were out in the snow! And WNIC is already playing Christmas songs on the radio. Can you believe that?

I just LOVE the change of seasons and this is the best one of all for me. Perhaps I was also inspired by talking to a woman at church who had just moved here from Houston. She was completely overwhelmed by the beauty of our fall in Michigan. She loves it and is so happy to be here. She's even looking forward to winter. That made me feel all good inside.

And since it won't be long before I'm posting pictures of snow shoveling, sledding and the like . . . here are a few shots of the girls playing in the leaves a week ago on my birthday.

I don't even know where to start!

SO many things have happened in the past 24 hours! It's mind boggling. Where do I begin? I'm also crazy busy at work . . . but I can't let these moments go by without mentioning them.

First of all, I stayed up late watching election results last night. And OH . . . what a night it was! I wasn't sure exactly how long I would last but it turns out, I didn't have to wait too long. And then once it was official that Barack Obama would be our next president (shortly after 11:00 pm), I knew I needed to stay up to hear the speeches. History was being made and I wanted to see it in real time . . . not just on youtube or tonight's "The Daily Show."

Unfortunately, Vivian was also sick last night. I snuggled with her for most of the evening while she slept. Although my heart was breaking for her, I was secretly happy to have someone to share the moment with. I didn't get much sleep last night between these two events. I don't even care. I'm happy as hell right now. And I'm not the only one.

AND THEN the girls had their own monumental events this morning! I can't forget about them!

We were running behind in our morning routine . . . due in large part to the lack of sleep that Vivian and I had . . . and somehow Audrey was already in the car with her coat on when it became apparent that Vivian had to go poopy. She has never gone poopy on the toilet, mind you. However, by all appearances, it seemed like today was going to be the day!

And since Vivian usually lingers on the toilet for awhile, Curt decided to see if Audrey was interested in walking to school all by herself. He went outside to where she was sitting in the car and posed the question. Audrey said nothing -- she just lit up and jumped out of the car! He then asked her if she knew how to go. She described one of the back routes that she likes to take (when we follow along in the car, that is) But, for the sake of safety, Curt explained a more prominent route (with crossing guards and such) and she was off. He stood on the sidewalk and watched her walk away until she made her turn.

Meanwhile, I'm upstairs with the little, stinky one. She did indeed poop in her toilet for the first time! Usually, she's quite pleased with what she finds in her training potty when she stands up. However, this morning, she scrunched up her nose and instructed me to "throw it away." It was way more exciting for Mommy and Daddy than it was for her.

We all quickly got into our respective cars since Curt and I were hoping to catch a glimpse of Audrey walking along the sidewalk near the school.

I yelled out the window as I drove by and Audrey waved and smiled. She looked so little out there in that big, big world of our neighborhood.

I guess they're not as little as I want them to be.

Learning to breathe again

We did it! We got through this weekend!

I'm not sure how much I'll be able to blog about it but rest assured, it was quite a whirlwind and it's now behind us. We had Halloween events (three of them), a visit from my parents, a wonderful 50th wedding anniversary party for Curt's parents, my birthday and a lovely ceremony on Sunday morning where Curt and I renewed our wedding vows.

The weekend was so emotional for me that I found myself crying several times without really knowing why.

I did manage to nab a few photos before I dropped my camera and broke it on Saturday night so hopefully I'll get some of those posted here.

Here's one little incident we didn't plan on that also occurred this weekend.

Thank the LORD for washable markers!!!!