Off in the morning for treatment. Youngest DD and her DH will arrive while I'm gone, the other one, DH and grands on Tuesday. Will check in when I can.

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Monday Monkey Day! It's a two day week this week. Probably just as well, the sister school had another child test positive over the weekend, so they are going remote. No pool testing this week, the testing company decided to close for the holiday week since they won't be able to turn the tests around fast enough. They are going to do the same thing Christmas week, too. Some people are not very happy with this development.

The second day after the booster was good. The site is still a little sore, but otherwise I felt OK. Not as tired as the day before, thank goodness.

Sadie is moderately disgusted with the rain coming down this morning. I'm telling her to be happy it isn't snow!

Goldie--Your DH is sounding like a real challenge to live with! I'm going over to Mom's for T-day. I thought I had convinced her not to cook a big turkey, turns out she tried to buy one and had to have help getting it into her shopping cart, then had to have help getting on the check out belt, then had to have help getting it into the car, then she realized she had no help to get it from the car to the apartment, so she donated it to a turkey collection --and had to have help getting it out of the car! She's had both shoulders operated on at one time or another, between that and her age she just cannot lift the heavy things she used to.

Illi--I love the "friendsgiving" tradition! I will miss the turkey leftovers and the turkey rice soup Mom used to make from the leftovers.

Jazzy--Glad to hear the dental work is healing up well. The 'city different' sounds like fun. The bird refuge looks like a great place to visit! Thanks for sharing.

Karen--Your poor SIL! Praying he gets better ASAP. That must have been terrifying for everyone involved.

Goldie--good luck with the treatment appointment! Love the bathroom scales reminder!

The Turkey's Wattle

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 2 1/2 ounces rye whiskey, preferably Wild Turkey Rye 101 proof
• 3/4 teaspoon St. Elizabeth allspice dram (rum-based allspice liqueur)
• 1 ounce chilled apple cider
• 1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
• Two 6-inch strips of orange zest
• Ice
• 2 ounces chilled ginger beer

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1
  In a cocktail shaker, combine the whiskey, allspice dram, cider, Simple Syrup and 1 of the orange zest strips. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well, then strain into a chilled ice-filled collins glass. Stir in the ginger beer and garnish with the remaining strip of orange zest.

From <https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/turkeys-wattle>

WOW Jazzygirl! You could use that for brass knuckles!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

Gosh Karen, I had your trip all mixed up! I bet now, you wish, you were leaving tomorrow, in stead of going home. Your poor SIL, how scary and humiliating for him. Is this all due to what he was dealing with before? Praying he heals completely and they can figure out what is going on.

NM, glad your booster was uneventful for the most part. OMG, your poor mom and that turkey, and then to give it away! DH CAN be a challenge to live with. However, after my talk with him, things have been great! Hoping none of the kiddos have Covid.

That's quite the ring Jazzy! But my question is "why?"

Kids arrived yesterday, the other ones will be here today to visit. I think my step DD wants me to do dinner on Wednesday so they can have leftovers on Thursday, as they are leaving Friday. Well, I want left overs too and they are pretty big eaters and seem to eat constantly. I have a 15# turkey, and DH won't have hardly any at all, IF any at all. Saw the MO yesterday, he had a cancelation so came and saw me. I told him to lay it on me, as I hadn't looked at anything. My TM's actually came down a little, which I don't care about anymore. Scans haven't been done in 2 years mind you. Teeny tiny spot on my liver, he said is probably nothing. Bone scan, of course, showed some uptake, but to be expected right? But for 2 years, he said he wasn't anything major. So staying on the same treatment.

Jazzy, you're gonna need some hella big mittens if you're gonna wear that ring in a NM high-country winter! Your state's governor is one of the first two to declare that without a booster, you're not considered "fully-vaccinated." I don't see many states' or even local governments having much of an appetite for mandating boosters. In fact, the GOP mayor of southwest suburban Orland Park is even against mask and any-vaccination mandates. Sadly, the latest YouGov poll revealed that not only are 75% of respondents saying their lives are "back to normal," but that 15% said they never changed their routines: no masking, distancing, nor vaccination. Pretty sure that those who went back to pre-COVID life because they had grown weary of mitigations and believed (like Bill Maher) that they were "so over the pandemic" are those who are driving the rise in cases in even the most highly-vaccinated states.

Lori, hope all goes well with your SIL. Gordy had a similar episode at 14--turned out to be a 'rhoid. Scared the hell out of us, as that was the late Jonathan Larson's only symptom before dying of a ruptured AAA only a few weeks earlier, so we went to the ER. It never recurred.

Our "friendsgiving" will be at the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the former Hancock Bldg. There will be nine of us (HK & her DH are bowing out, as he was recently dx'ed with a GIST--very slow-growing but still painful stomach cancer--and has a dialysis appt. that day; she will be driving him as the VA's shuttle drivers are off that day). All of us have been "boostered." In the past, the way that restaurant did T-day was that everyone got free run of the buffet, plus ordered an entree; and everyone got some turkey & trimmings to take home for Fri. This year, no buffet, and likely no free turkey leftovers. Will not be strictly keto, but will still eat sparingly of the stuffing, cranberries & dessert. Tonight we're going to Chez Joel for dinner, so I kept my breakfast strictly keto (herb-Gruyere omelet).

BTW, the kosher section at Mariano's carries a 4-pack of individual portions of shakshuka sauce (the label says "omelet sauce") from Israel. Also three different flavors (plain, vanilla, marble) of sugar-free halvah. That 4 pack means I won't have an open jar of shakshuka or Rao's marinara wasting space in my fridge.

Finally killed off that first bottle of Duboeuf Beauj. Nouveau (drinking 2-3 oz. per dinner) we opened Thurs. night. We have six more. Nobody in Chicago has other brands, much less Duboef's Nouveau Rose nor its Beauj.-Villages Nouveau. Binny's has the plain Duboeuf for $10, Whole Foods $11. Pricier than in years past, but still less than the $13-14 sugg. list.

A friend of mine who is ultra-progressive shamed me into giving up my unsweetened almond milk, saying it takes 100 gallons of water to grow one almond. She drinks oat milk, but that's even carbier than unfiltered cow's milk. She has decided to ditch dairy too (for digestive issues)--and disapproves of my choice of FairLife, even though Fair Oaks Dairy long ago fired the employees who were video'ed shoving cows into trucks (she probably objects because evil corporate Coca-Cola bought Fair Oaks). I had tried Organic Valley's version, which was wonderful, but is no longer sold or even made due to weak demand. Whole Foods has replaced it with Maple Hill "Zero-Sugar," but it has a weird viscous texture and slightly bitter-sour taste (even when fresh) when frothed for espresso--and the froth doesn't hold up as well as either oat milk or Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla almond milk. It also has a much shorter shelf life than FairLife, despite being ultra-pasteurized.

So when I saw a billboard for "NotMilk," a pea-protein milk claiming it tastes & pours like dairy milk, I had to try it. It has fewer net carbs (4gm per cup) than FairLife, but it does have sugar. I tasted it straight, and at first thought "wow, this does taste like milk." But then noticed a strange aftertaste...like a weak pina colada. Checked the label, and sure enough "...contains less than 2% of cane sugar, pineapple juice concentrate..." It's ok in a cappuccino (especially if I add a little PicNik keto creamer), and maybe as a base for a low-carb colada (adding sugar-free Malibu coconut syrup and a tablespoon of white rum). So I needn't keep Oatly on hand for when my friend comes over for coffee. I found another pea-protein milk brand called Ripple, which comes unsweetened in both plain & vanilla, with <1 gm. net carb per cup. Will see how it froths.

Just lost my long post so copy/paste from another thread as too lazy to re-write it all.

Yesterday was 70 - I think it broke a record. Not as hot today. A little cooler tomorrow then back to the 60s. We've broken a record for the latest snow fall - so far none this season in Denver. The mountains have gotten a little.

Planned to dust today but managed to avoid it. Maybe tomorrow - when you can see the dust on the dresser its time!

Thanksgiving is just 3 - DH, me and DS. Turkey, cranberries, yams, stuffing, pecan and pumpkin pie (my son wants both). I like green bean casserole, but it would just be me eating it so decided not to make. Already planning what I'll do with the leftover turkey. We will eat Friday night the same as Thanksgiving, then will make turkey soup, or split pea and barley soup with turkey (using the carcass), make turkey pie, and then not sure......It's a 12 1/2# bird.

Lori - good news on being relatively stable. Glad you are sticking to meeting your needs regarding TG - really step daughter wanted you to cook a day early so she could take the leftovers. Regarding SIL - its a totally new event. He has an ulcer and has had for years. The doctors have scoped him from both ends and there is no active bleeding. It's possible that the ulcer was bleeding but so far no answers. Finally today he is off the liquid diet. Talk of him being discharged tomorrow or Thursday. DD is worn out - stressed out. I texted her to ask her a question and she said she could not focus as she couldn't get her water bottle open and breaking it seemed like the easiest option.

Good morning, Loungettes!Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Got through the last day of school before break with out any major medical issues. One of the teachers had to move out of her room into the library due to fumes coming from the boiler room next door where something was going on that smelled pretty icky. Apparently it was a pretty easy fix, it didn't take the maintenance guys long to do it after they finally got the right part. Lots of shenanigans and high energy, but nothing too disruptive.

Got a call from my kid brother last evening. He's having a heart cath done this morning. Seems he was having some skin pain on his stomach, that pushed him to get set up with a primary provider, who saw him, did an ECG as part of the work up (brother is diabetic and now over 50), suggested he may have had a heart attack at some point. Cardiologist work up shows no physical signs of a heart attack but 4 partially blocked arteries, so cath this morning. The skin pain is probably neuropathy, so he'll be seeing a neurologist, too. So I'm waiting to hear how that turns out.

Anyway, waking up to sunny with a cold wind this ayem. Everything is frosted or frozen over. There must have been some critters in the yard last night, cuz Sadie spent quite a while sniffing around and acting like she was chasing something that I couldn't see. Now she's curled up in the recliner snoozing. Gotta love the dog's life!

Goldie--Glad to hear the DH is behaving better. So far no kiddos in my school testing positive. Of course, several families do not test their kiddos, just keep them home for 10 days and then send them back. Considering how many of them are relatives or knows close contacts of kiddos who have tested positive at the sister school, some of them most likely are positive, but we'll never know for sure without a test. Glad to hear the scans and tests are essentially stable, if not a little better. Kind of self-centered of the kids to want TG dinner today so to have leftovers tomorrow, to my mind. I hope they plan to help cook and clean up, at least.

Morning, Illi!

Chi--my mind boggles at the variety of non-milk milks out there and how they taste and behave differently. 100 gallons of water to grow one almond? That is just amazing to my mind. How much rain needs to fall on one almond tree growing wild to meet that demand? Mother Nature can pull off some amazing things!

Jazzy--break starts today, from both work school and my program. Worked out that the last class ended on Tuesday, next class starts in a couple of weeks. So 5 whole days of total break time! Yup, those turkeys are heavy, and Mom has one shoulder replacement and multiple surgeries on the other shoulder and just does not have the upper body strength she used to. COVID cases, hospitalizations, deaths and ICU admits are all going up here in Maine, too, even with a high vax rate. Here we have pockets of low vaccinations rates, and those are the areas with the high transmission rates, but breakthrough infections are starting to climb in those areas too. Unfortunately, the school I work at is right in the middle of one of those pockets. And being an economically disadvantaged area parents are worried about keeping their jobs and losing work time, and now businesses are not allowing workers to leave work or take time off for anything other than COVID. Had a sick kiddo in my office all day Monday, tested negative for COVID, so mom couldn't leave work, no one else available to pick up and take care of the child. Where is this going to end up???

Karen--Glad the bleeding stopped for SIL. It must be so hard for DD, it takes a lot of stress to get to the point of breaking the water bottle instead of opening it. Sending her hugs and prayers. A 12# bird will provide lots of leftovers! I really love my Mom's turkey rice soup that she makes with leftovers.

Pumpkin Pie Sangria

Ingredients

1 bottle white wine, chilled

1 bottle sparkling cider, chilled

1/2 c. pumpkin pie vodka

1 pear, chopped

1 apple, chopped

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice

Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Directions

1. On a small shallow plate, combine sugar and pumpkin spice and mix to combine. Rim glasses with a piece of apple and dip glasses into mixture. Set aside.
2. In a large pitcher, combine wine with cider and pumpkin pie vodka. Add chopped fruit and stir to combine. Pour into glasses and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

From <https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a56371/pumpkin-pie-sangria-recipe/>

Lori, I stand corrected. Karen, I hope your SIL gets answers (and good ones, at that).

Warmed uo to 50 today but on the verge of rain. Tomorrow will start out about 40 and take a nosedive during the day. Last night's DsOTD were a 2019 Jean Dumont Sancerre and a 2017 Chanson Burgundy (Pinot Noir). I had asked the waitress to pour my by-the-glass-size portion of the red into a larger crystal glass (one of the ones that people who order a full bottle get) so I could swirl & sniff it (they use a smaller, thicker-rim plain glass for their by-the-glass reds). She brought me a double pour. Even though I didn't finish my Sancerre (gave half the glass to Bob), I was still quite tipsy by the time I got home. At my age, I seem to have a lower "tolerance" for alcohol--like my mom after 70, I'm a "cheap date."

NM, glad the last day of school went smoothly. Sorry to hear about your brother, I hope all turns out ok.

Karen, good idea to text SIL instead of DD. I hope he able to go home soon, if not already.

Sandy, lol at being a cheap date!

Lurk away Reader!

Still no help from the kids, they sit and eat all day and watch tv. I worked outside all day. Picking up irrigation lines and I spread 20 bags of manure. Dug up some weeds. When I was done DD asks if I need help. However it would have been her husband and not her. She does nothing, he does everything, he waits on her hand and foot. He does not shut up, talks during whatever is on tv and even answers himself. They talk like hillbillies to each other or in baby voices. I'm about to pull my hair out! The other DD and her DH came around 2, did not bring the kids. This husband did rototil my garden, but the belt broke before he finished.

Cranberry Sauce Still Lurking In The Fridge?

Cranberry Sauce Cocktail

• 1 1/2 ounces cranberry sauce coctail syrup
• 1 1/2 ounces gin
• 1/2 ounce cranberry liqueur

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake vigorously, then strain into an ice-filled rocks glass to serve. Garnish with a candied cranberry rosemary or mint skewer, if desired.

Oh, and another thing that is really annoying, they laugh either before something they say and almost always after. And the DD does this too. Drives me nuts! We're talking grown a$$ adults, in their early and mid 40's.

Just ignore me, I'm just ranting....LOL!

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Having traditional dinner here for the three of us--DH, granddaughter, and me. Cold front blew in about three a.m. and is still blowing so it feels like winter is coming!

Elderberry, yes, green bean casserole is a standard. I wasn’t always a fan until I replaced the cream of mushroom soup with cream of chicken and doubled the French’s fried onions. Now I love it.

NM, sounds like your brother is going to have to have surgery? Sure sounds like your uncle could have had Covid. I'm surprised they didn't test him. Glad I refreshed, or in the pewl we would have went. Which usually isn't a bad thing! And yes, be glad to still have your mom. I miss mine, and still want to pick up the phone and call her, as I pretty much talked to her every day. I don't do Xmas deco either. Do you have just a few small things to put out, or what about doing the cooking at her place? The laughing before and/or after everything is horribly annoying.

Hadn't seen that one before Jazzy, cute.

Beaver, did you do the cooking? How old is your GD?

Elderberry, I wish I had balls to do that, but I just don't. My DD and I stay at my brothers for 10 days, and we just get up and do dishes or help cook. And if my younger brother comes over, he helps too. We don't ask "is there anything I can do", you just do it.

10+ hours in the kitchen yesterday , not to mention the 3-4 hours prep the night before. Not sure about the day before that. Not one iota of help, not one f'ing thing! NEVER again! I told son in law if they wanted to take some turkey with them, he could come cut it. Boy, he was there in a flash. I said, be sure and take some dark meat, not all the white. What does he do, he takes mostly white!

My husband was crying the other day when I was working outside, 63 yo woman with stage IV cancer, busting my arse off and there they sit, watching tv. He was so disgusted with them, more so with the son in law, cuz it is HIS daughter. They are leaving this morning and not soon enough!

Goldie, I do wish I could be at your house when the family is there and as a stranger to them, and just absolutely go off on them, not to be mean but as a form wake up call.

The cookies look great!

I don’t decorate either since we don’t celebrate Christmas but our anniversary is 12/24, so we always celebrate ourselves in some was and do cook a big holiday meal, not on the day but sometimes that week usually.

DH’s niece may move to Texas and stay with us, which will be challenging since we’re moving from our home to a 1 bedroom cabin, not sure how that’s gonna work out yet. She’s good but currently out of work and staying on a friends couch, her 18 year old twins moved out, she left her boyfriend and is having a tough time dealing but she’s welcome here, we’ll figure it out.

Rather disappointed with the Signature Room yesterday. Coffee in the waiting area was lukewarm. They did give complementary pear mimosas--I found them cloyingly sweet and not bubbly enough. The dry riesling from MI's Leelanau Peninsula was delicious & went well with the turkey--but the portions were quite tiny. Maybe 3 oz. of breast over another couple oz. (at most) of shredded dark meat they called a "confit." Cream gravy (which they called "jus") dolloped (scantily) on the side of the plate. "Wrinkled green beans" were okay, generously sized. Very small disk of "cornbread pudding" (sort of like a dry-textured small-crumb stuffing). We could have stuffing, green beans or mashed potatoes--but not all of them (none offered as an add-on side, either). No cranberry sauce, either!. Pumpkin pie & caramel ice cream were okay--the pie was too sweet, but it did come with two (!) sugared cranberries. Prices were high for what we were served, with no buffet (we knew that part going in) and no turkey leftovers to take home as they always had in years past. I did discipline myself enough to take home some of my turkey & green beans for supper, and DOTD with that was Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau.

Not sure what we'll do tonight--no restaurants we've looked at online or phoned have turkey on the menu today, except maybe Boston Market, and they'll likely run out. Maybe we'll order early delivery and reheat it when we're ready to eat.