So...whats for dinner?

Susan hope you were able to put the roast to ed! LOL

We had 16 people for the shower. I am kicking myself I didn't take pics of the tables. But maybe some of the others did! LOL

Special. That must have been a bit scary for your DD! Just dump them in is such an intense thing.

Carole I'm glad the cook had off if the maid had to work so hard! LOL

Lacey I love your new pic! You look wonderful

To all, Much love

Bedo, I make a mean spaghetti. I can get very creative in the kitchen.

Making something centered around chicken for tonight, just haven't figured it out yet.

SK, I have had cleaning help at various times and I always cleaned up before the cleaning woman came, too! 

I bought two small turkeys today, about 12 or 13 lbs each.  One for the freezer and one to cook for Sunday.  I don't remember if I mentioned that my mother and one of my sisters (the one who lives 3 hours away and just arrives and eats!) cooked up the plan to have Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday BEFORE dh and I leave to go north to IL to his sister's house.  So I end up having to cook a lot of food anyway!  I'm finding it hard to be appreciative of this inclusiveness! 

Cooking for my family is easy, but boring.  The two most adventurous dishes that I have managed to include in the list of acceptable holiday dishes is German potato salad and creamed spinach and artichoke heart casserole.  Dressing has to be cornbread and easy on the herb flavor.  In other words, bland.  I'm branching out and making Jimmy Dean dressing this year.  Yippee!  Enough grumbling.  It will be good to visit with the sister who doesn't live close.  And my mother turns 92 in Dec. so every holiday with her is a blessing.

Off to the kitchen to make some tomato soup.  I may also make some cornbread to crumble up for the dressing. 

Haven't the foggiest idea so far.

carole - ugh!  You have hit on my dilemma - one small oven that barely fits a medium-ish turkey!  Big house, big kitchen, small pantry, small laundry room, small oven - can't quite figure out who the builder thought was living here.  Apparently lots of people who don't eat or get their clothes dirty! Wrong!!!  Planning for Thanksgiving is a finely choreographed ballet which involves cooking in advance and utilizing the microwave and oven to reheat.  Makes me crazy! 

Last night I didn't eat dinner but found some random cooked ground beef with tomatoes while organizing the freezer, so made sloppy joes on whole wheat rolls for DH.  Today is my post-op so first time out of the house since last Thurs. and will be making a grocery store run.  Not sure how I will work it since I can't lift anything, but maybe I will empty the bags while they are still in the car and make a number of runs back and forth into the house.  I need two turkey breasts to cook for DH's office Thanksgiving party on Tuesday, but only have to get them into the garage fridge.

Yikes, Special, you need a helper for that lifting today! Wish I could hop a Jet Blue and help you out..... Be kind to those stitches!

lacey - I have no stitches since this was fat grafting - I have some dermabond glue over small "stab" incisions - both at the low abdominal donor site and the left chest site.  You are sweet to want to hop a flight!  I will try to time my arrival home with my husband's so that he can do the lifting, but I have had so many surgeries with lifting restrictions that I have perfected the unloading of the car by taking things out of the bags while they are still in the car.  The good news is that my parking space in the garage and the fridge are only steps from each other, and I'm not planning to get anything too heavy - I will ask for help at the store to load the car.  When I go to get the big turkey I will make DH come with me!

specialk, do you have or can you borrow a Nesco or something similar? I cook my Turkey in that and leave my oven for everything else. If you like really crisp skin you do have to put the pan in the oven after its done to crisp it up but by then everything should be out of the big one.

moon - I don't have one, don't know anyone with one, but they must be super-handy at the holidays! I think I will be ok  - I worked out a routine last year by making all the sides and doing the baking in the couple of days prior.  I stopped stuffing the turkey a few years ago so it cooks faster, and I like crispier dressing cooked separately anyway.  I always make pan gravy while the turkey is resting, so the oven is free to warm up the already cooked sides.  I just have to carefully plan the shape of the pans I use for the sides so they can all fit in the oven to warm up.  First world problems, right?

Dinner. Leftover Paleo Shepherds Pie from Monday. Like regular Shepherds Pie, but the ground beef is organic/no hormones/antibiotics/pasturefed and instead of mashed potatoes on top it has faux tatoes (pureed cauliflower). Just threw it in the oven to reheat. Pumpkin custard with "whipped cream" (Paleo version, coconut milk based) for dessert. Yum!

Tonight was leftovers. A little bit of beef, a little bit of pork, a little bit of spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce.....and a pumpkin pie.

Wiring houses was one of the things I did to pay for college, so an electric range would be easy enough to set up on the back porch. The reason I'm considering a gas stove is my aebleskiver pan and waffle iron are designed to work on a gas stove.

Sharon is reading about the snow in upstate New York. She grew up in the center of lake effect snow country and is marveling at all the snow.

Nance and Mommyof2, how do you deal with the frozen yeast rolls when you take them out of the freezer?  Do you put them in the hot oven to thaw and warm up?  Do you let them thaw first? 

I watched Pioneer Woman make cloverleaf rolls on the Food Network this week.  I'm thinking I might make those. 

Tonight's dinner is shrimp and linguini.  The shrimp will be cooked "scampi style," sautéed in butter and olive oil with garlic and then the addition of lemon zest and lemon juice.  A sprinkling of fresh parsley and some grated romano cheese.  Side of tossed salad. 

Minus, I'll be happy to share the recipe in a later post.  I got it from a neighbor about 30 yrs. ago.  She prepared the dish for a block party.  I still have the little recipe card neatly written in her hand-writing. 

Tonight was American chop suey, which is nothing like chop suey, American or otherwise. It's a mixture of ground beef, tomatoes, pasta and cheeses. Very tasty.

I have to fess up - I had a quarter pounder w/cheese & fries today. I was late for PT which is an hour away, and had missed breakfast. It's only the 3rd time I've had fast food in two years. I'm remembering the fries used to be so much better & I only ate 1/2 of the burger. But since I'd eaten, I was able to stop at the grocery store on the way home & stick to my list instead of picking up everything that looked good. I even managed to avoid the Edwards 'hershey's cream' pie that was on sale. Bought a turkey for $0.59/lb to cook when it's cold again.

Lacey - I just love your picture!!!

I take my rolls out the night before and let them thaw, when its time to pop them in the oven, I put them on a cookie sheet and rub the tops with a little butter to give them a nice browned look on top.