Sunflower Halved Hypersaturated

Sunflower Halved Hypersaturated
Yes this is a real sunflower I took this shot a couple of summers ago in the garden outside my work window

Friday, November 27, 2009

Thanksgiving: The Aftermath

I am finally done cooking!!! I need a round of applause for that...I started baking Wednesday after work and just finished cooking the last item maybe an hour ago. I don't want to think about the oven, 350 degrees, or anything that needs an hour to be done. I will speak on my successes and one failure with the Thanksgiving feast this year.


First, the gingerbread and spice cake are both really delicious (unbiased account I have taste testers and they agree!!) I even made butter cream frosting for the spice cake, and I thank Paula Deen for her awesome spice cake recipe, but that frosting....6 cups of confectioners sugar....wayyyyy toooo muchhh!!! I have made a note of it in my recipe book and I'm thinking 3 cups should be enough. After that if it's not sweet I'll wing it. Next was the quiche. I couldn't for the life of me locate my 4 recipes I used in 07' to produce this dish so I was at the mercy of Google to find a good recipe. And I mean GOOD recipe...something that used heavy cream and at least 4 eggs. I found one that was decent and altered it slightly. I ended up with 6 quiches! What am I supposed to do with all of that?? Squirt is going to take one back to the Island with her, I gave my co-worker one, we ate one yesterday...now that I think about it...maybe I'm ok with the 6. I also baked this Amish friendship bread that I received from a friend, but I did not like the way it came out or smelled so I tossed it. It was really weird for me to leave a batter containing milk on the counter for 10 days. It could be that it smelled fine, but all I could smell was the sourness of the milk...it's possible it was all in my head. Today, I made crab dip....and let me just state that I will never ever ever ever EVER use crab meat that contains shells ever again. I spent two hours yesterday and two more hours today picking through to make sure I got all of the shells out only to still find more. Talk about a hair raising experience....argghhhh.

In the midst of it all I have discovered what I really want for Christmas or my birthday, or a "hey just wanted to let you know you rock" gift....a Kitchenaid professional 600 series, 6 quart, bowl lift stand mixer in empire red. I LOVE this beautiful piece of machinery! Just look for yourself...


Isn't it just cherry red perfection??? But alas I think all of my hint dropping is going to fall upon deaf ears. I'll probably end up purchasing it for myself. Which is fine too, but if it were presented to me with a big bow around it...I definitely wouldn't complain!

Outside of the hoopla and grandeur of cooking fantastic goodies, I started thinking of what I am truly thankful for...and yes not just on yesterday, I do visit this topic often. I made a short list...
  1. Health - it is soo important to understand and realize that life is short and with so many different diseases and ailments around, I am thankful to be well and able to do the things that I choose to do. To not have to take multiple medications in order to get out of the bed and get the day started.
  2. Shelter - with the many people that have lost their homes, though some have been fortunate enough to be able to lean on family and friends, there are some who have nowhere to turn. It is their car, a shelter or the streets that they no w call home. I am thankful to have a home. Even though the neighbors SUCK...I am happy to say that I have some.
  3. Friends - not associates, but true friends that I can call about whatever and whenever and just talk, cry, laugh or anything and be accepted and loved for being just who I am. I've come across many people (most this year) who can't just be themselves, it's a persona for every different group of people they come across. I am thankful for the opportunity to let my true colors shine.
  4. Happiness - strange, maybe, but for me, happiness is equally important. Without a light heart, joy or laughter...many of life's tasks I would probably never complete. Being happy intimidates others who are not free to experience this emotion. They complain about everything whether it happened to them or not. I am thankful that through happiness I am able to look at things from two perspectives, getting the whole picture, and seeing the sunlight through the clouds.
  5. Family - even though they drive me crazy every hour of every day, without them...I would be lost. I love them lots the craziness included. They deal with me, which is a big task, mood swings, attitudes, laughter, joy, pain, sorrow...I am still loved the same. I appreciate that sooo much.
  6. Dreams - just being able to dream something and actually fight and try to achieve it. Some people don't poses the drive in life to keep going, persevere through it all and still get back up when you get knocked down. I am thankful to dream uninhibited.
I hope that you all were able to reflect on the many different things we have to be thankful for. I'm sure my list will differ from many in one way or another, but I think even just realizing that you have a lot to be thankful for is more than a 75% start.

Have a Great Weekend!!!

Til Monday.....

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