Currently... Snowed In Again

Less than a week before the little square marked "First Day of Spring" and we've got inches of snow. 4", 5", a foot, I don't know - enough to close school again for the 11th or 55th snowday this year, I've lost count.  They're going to be in school until the July 4th parades at this point.  In the meantime, we're all home.

It's snowing...again. But spring is coming!

Eating... birthday cake and Pi-day apple pie.  We've got two birthdays this month and with Pi Day thrown in, we have a couple week run of desserts.  Right now we've got a basketball-shaped red velvet cake (okay, half a basketball) and an apple pie, sprinkled with snickers bars (thanks, Pinterest.)  All that with coffee, of course.

Reading... I'm reading On The Come Up.  The kids are all supposed to have selected a book, too. Although for them it takes some huffing & puffing, a few rounds of "there's nothing to read" despite the piles and shelves of books around the house, which turns into "I've read all those," at which point I let them know I do not actually believe they've read every book in the house, and if so, there's always the dictionary. Then they manage to find something to read, even if it's the Guiness Book of World Records or Almanac of Weird Facts, at which point, I almost regret making them read because these they must read out loud, sharing all of their newfound knowledge of odd facts.

Playing... out in the snow. Okay, well, not me, the kids.  There's four of them and a couple neighbor kids, they don't really need me.  I've declared recess before lunchtime, just like in school, and sent them out for some physical activity.  It's good for them.


Working out... shorts and t-shirt wardrobe season is coming, I'm sure of it.  I'm committing to exercise more as the winter melts away.  Even stuck in the house, there's always sit-ups, hand weight exercises, inside cardio like jumping jacks and running in place to get the heart moving.  And work off all this birthday cake.

Looking forward to... the end of the snow. It's pretty, it's peaceful, and I really don't complain too much about the weather, not really. But it's terrible weather for suede boots and I'm tired of my all weather boots.  So now I'm going to paint my nails some wonderful spring color and wait for sandal season.
 

Ready for spring... at least my nails are.

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On The Thanksgiving Menu

I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year. Although Christmas is my favorite holiday, I often draw the Thanksgiving card in the holiday dinner rotation because my sis-in-law goes shopping on Black Friday and she needs to be ready (see this post on how to get prepped).  I never go shopping on Black Friday. Well, one year I did go to Toys R’ Us at midnight, not really sure what I was going for, but just to see what all the excitement was about. Plus, I’m much more likely to stay up and go shopping at midnight, rather than get up and go out on Friday morning.  Anyway. I’m hosting Thanksgiving.  So, that leaves a lot of the cooking to me.

Every time I host dinner, I go through the menu like its brain surgery, as if it doesn’t change and I’m forgetting some major important thing. Hubby asks about the turkey about a dozen times, so I won’t forget that.  Here’s our menu – you let me know if I’m missing something important (I’m sure I am):

• Turkey 
• Ham
• Fish (probably salmon, maybe catfish, depends how I feel)
• Sweet potatoes
• Macaroni & cheese
• Sauerkraut (I once heard that this was a Baltimore thing, anyone outside of the city have sauerkraut for Thanksgiving?)
• Collard greens
• String beans
• Deviled eggs (what’s a family gathering without deviled eggs)
• Cranberry sauce. Funny thing, I never ever ate cranberry sauce from the can, then one year, I saw a recipe for fresh cranberry sauce. This sounds crazy, but I was shocked – I had no idea there was such a thing. I made it to see if perhaps I liked it better than the canned option. Ta-da – I did! And now it’s a holiday staple.  See below for a quick recipe if you’ve never made it before.
• Rolls

Most of this I will do early Thursday morning.  But the baking (the best part of the menu) I’ve already started.  For the dessert table I’ve got these sugary options:

• Red velvet cake
• Pecan pie
• Sweet potato pie
• Carrot cake
• Apple pie – mainly because I want to try the lattice pie crust from HowIPinchAPenny.com.
• Banana pudding - which my father-in-law will make, nobody else would dare to

A mix of apples for the pie

I also made Red Velvet Bottom cupcakes – they’re like Black Bottoms, but with Red Velvet cake.  Their great because you don't have to worry about the frosting. I bake 'em, set them on the table and distract the family from my cake.  I’ll be referring to my notes from the bakery to make it pretty.

I may make Latkes for breakfast because it’s Hannakkuh. Although I’m not Jewish, it seems like a good excuse to make them.  And I saw a yummy suggestion to have chocolate drizzled popcorn as the pre-meal snack. 

Okay, I think that’s everything.  What are you having for dinner?

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar (feel free to reduce, per your taste)

1 cup juice – apple, cranberry, cran-apple, cran-orange, orange juice diluted with water – whatever

Place all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Stirring occasionally, let boil until cranberries burst. Simmer for a few more minutes, then turn off the heat.  Let sit a few more minutes.  Pour into a cooling dish – this can be the bowl you want to serve it in (one less dish to wash) or another bowl if you aren’t going to serve it all at once.  Put in refrigerator to cool and set, at least an hour.

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