Thanksgiving Recap

This years meal was a great success! We had a ton of food, and we are still eating leftovers! I made a 25 pound turkey this year, and it was incredible! I seasoned it with rosemary, sage, olive oil, salt and pepper, and cooked it in a Reynolds bag. I always allow too much time for the Turkey to cook, and this year was no exception. All of the websites I looked at said it would take 5 hours at 350 degrees. It took about 3.5 at 325, which I kept lowering a d finally had at 275. I used a digital meat thermometer to watch the internal temperature of the turkey. When I see that it is cooking too fast, I drop it by 25 degrees. The result is an amazing bird. After making dressing and gravy, I had 2 freezer bags full of dripping left. Those Reynolds bags really do the trick!

After thanksgiving I decided to boil down the remaining bird to make stock. I ended up with turkey and rice soup, pulled turkey BBQ and 2 more freezer bags of broth.

We just ate the last of the ham today, so the bone and remaining bits and pieces are headed to the freezer for new years day collard greens:) mmm!

All in all, it was a great event. The food was fantastic, the weather was perfect, and I won't have to balance homework and projects with cooking next year! Yay!

Fall Cleaning- part 3: the towel rack saga

Saturday was spent searching for a decorative and functional towel rack for my master bath. My husband has a bad habit of stealing my towel- and I have a bad habit of not noticing until it is too late! He brilliantly suggested a towel rack for our bathroom. I think it turned out looking great!

Thanksgiving Prep: let the baking begin!

The big bake out was successful! We made two pecan pies (one with chocolate chips), corn bread for dressing and a spice cake with cream cheese frosting. Mmmm! I haven't tried any of them- but will post recipes and tips after I do if they turned out well!

More Fall Cleaning- I blame the dishes!

This weekend I cleaned and organized like we were expecting a baby! Nothing was safe. Closets were organized, Hobby Lobby was bought out of colorful decor for our bedroom, guest bathroom and den. Nothing was safe from my reorganizing and redecorating. Except the dishes in the sink...

Have you ever had one of those days when you knew there was something that HAD to be done, but you did everything except that? That was me this past weekend.

Fall Stewing: Pork loin and collards

My favorite meal is a southern new years day tradition: pork loin, collard greens and black eyed peas. Legend has it that the more collards you eat, the more money in bills you will receive in the coming year, and the more black eyes peas you eat, the more coins. I just love the way they taste, and I have fond memories of my grandfather, Grump, picking collards from his garden for my Gran to cook:)

Today, while shopping for Thanksgiving, I remembered that I froze some left over ham from last thanksgiving to later use with collards. So I decided to pick up some collard greens and a pork loin for dinner tonight. I pulled the ham straight out of the freezer and put it in a stock pot with a little water in it. I set a lid on it and let it heat until the meat was warm and the water was simmering. Then I dumped a bag of collard greens on top, put the lid on and let it simmer for 5 hours. While they were cooking, I took my pork loin, put garlic power, sea salt, pepper and rosemary on it and set it in about 1 cup of white wine in the crock pot. I cooked it on low for about 5 hours as well. The pork was amazing when it came out. It was so tender you didn't have to use a knife. The collards are hands down the best I have ever had. I will be saving some ham again this year for sure in hopes that I can repeat the greens I made tonight!

Thanksgiving Prep: The Shopping

What? Grocery Shopping two weeks out from Thanksgiving?? I must be crazy, right? Wrong. Not only did I run into some fellow church members doing the same thing, but now I have everything I need - except the turkey- for all the cooking I need to do. Woot Woot!

I will be at a conference for work next weekend, so I was feeling pressured to go ahead and make my shopping list, plan what serving pieces I needed, and get all of my ingredients together so when I get home next Sunday I can fire up my oven and get to baking!

Thanksgiving Prep: Fall Cleaning

I am a bit embarrassed to post the pictures that follow. Last night I was in a mood, so I decided to clean. I needed to get a good idea of what spices I had- and what I needed to replenish for thanksgiving.... So I decided to clean out my kitchen cabinets. Cue the creepy horror movie music.

By the end of the evening I had four trash bags full of old spices, flour, expired canned goods and Tupperware. I also cleaned off my counter tops that were filled with various oils (olive, canola, sesame, peanut) and vinegars (apple, wine, balsamic and regular). It was gross to realize how old some of the things were, but feels so good to have everything cleaned. Plus, a great excuse to go to the Dekalb Farmer's Market and get some new spices!

Thanksgiving Countdown

We are hosting Thanksgiving again this year. My husband's family rarely gets together for holidays, so when we got married somehow I was sweet talked into how great it would be to host thanksgiving at our house. And so the tradition began. How hard could cooking for 15 be anyway?

This year I decided to forgo the usual "sign up to bring a dish"that we have always done. This may sound snobby, but when it comes to food, I like to know what to expect, and I have really high standards. Our menu this year is:
Turkey
Honey Baked Ham
Dressing
Giblet gravy
Rice
Croissants
Asparagus casserole
Corn pudding
Macaroni and Cheese
Strawberry Congealed Salad
Pecan pie
Spice cake

The ham has been ordered, and the shopping list for everything else is being crafted tonight. I know it is more work to make everything from scratch, but honestly it just tastes so much better that way!

So pour some wine, sit back, and prepare yourself for the 2 weeks of work it takes to pull off thanksgiving dinner (while working a full time job and going back to school). Cheers!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Another cool weather favorite for me is peppermint hot chocolate. I boil water in a tea kettle and pour it into a normal size mug with one Swiss Miss hot chocolate packet and about 1/4 cup of half and half (you can sub milk). Mix this together with a fork, pour in an ounce of peppermint schnapps and top with whipped creme and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Perfection!

Brunswick Stewing

Today was one of those chilled to the bone rainy days. Perfect for Brunswick stew and corn muffins!

My mom's secret recipe:
1 can 30 oz diced tomatoes (or stewed)
1 can 15 oz creamed corn
1 8oz jar of salsa (or two!)
1 package of pulled BBQ pork
1 can of chunk chicken

Combine all ingredients in a pot or crockpot and let simmer for a few hours. Remember to stir it, as it will burn on the bottom of the pot.

For corn muffins I always use Aunt Jemima's recipe on the back of her corn meal. I never add the sugar.

Happy fall stewing!

Monkey Slug

Thank you Google Images for helping me figure out what the heck this furry little bug is: a Monkey Slug! Evidently it turns into a Hag Moth... And has a nasty sting. Very good to know!

Garden Pest and Heartworms

The GP is on day 4 of his heartworms treatment. Last week he had two rounds of essentially chemotherapy injections in the muscles next to his spine (see picture below for cool design in his coat). The injections were given 24 hours apart, and really knocked him out. This morning was the first time he has seemed back to his usual chipper self.

I can tell he is still very sore from the injections, and he doesn't have much of an appetite-this is a problem he has never had:) Last night I think he was feeling pretty rotten. When I came into the room where he was sleeping, he didn't even raise his head to acknowledge me. My husband sat on the sofa with him and fed him string cheese, one string at a time. It was adorable! That helped him perk up a bit. My husband claims that all he needed was a little TLC....

From everything I have read, the next 48 hours are the most critical. This is the timeframe when the worms will be dying, and will break up and pass through his lungs. There is a big risk or blood clots and other complications, so we have to keep GP as calm as possible. I think we will be okay- unless an ice cream truck drives by the house... Then we may not be able to control him- he's a sucker for Frosty Paws:)

Sanctuary

This morning I am having coffee in the backyard with the garden pest, and my surroundings are aiding in my quest for peace and understanding during a time of grief. It is very easy to watch a garden travel though the seasons of life, and it is truly a blessing to be sitting in my garden, surrounded by plants that I have watched weather the seasons as I try to grasp the happenings of last week. My best friend's mother passed away very suddenly 4 days ago. She was so vivacious and filled with life and energy, it is hard to comprehend that she has passed on to the next life. Today I feel like we are in the bleakest days of winter, where the cold and darkness have us wondering if we will ever see the lush, bright, warm days of spring and summer again.

I keep thinking in my head " to everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose, under heaven". The lyrics are from a song by the Byrds, in which they go on to quote Ecclesiastes 3:2. We will never know why things happen when they do, all we can hold on to is knowing that winter will melt into spring, spring to summer, summer to fall, and that all of these seasons of our lives have a purpose.

When I began reclaiming my yard I set out on a quest to find a peaceful place in the dirt. I feel like I have accomplished that and so much more. I have create a sanctuary for myself and for my friends. Here is a place where we can come together to celebrate the seasons of our lives.

The Gardening Pest's Lump

I have been under a lot of stress over the past week, and was in the yard with the GP and noticed a mole he has had for almost a year has recently doubled in size. Needless to say I freaked out and immediately began searching on google to figure out what the lump could be.

The lump originally looked like a swollen tick on GP's chest. It was grayish-black, and was hard to the touch and harder at the base where it met his skin. Now that it has doubled in size, the middle is squishy and the color has changed to more black and less gray. Everything I read on message boards and websites had me convinced that this lump was cancerous. I freaked out, called the vet and begged them to work us in.

The next day we went to the vet. After a short wait he was ready for us. I think GP knew I was on edge, because he was on his best behavior. When the vet walked in, he looked at the lump and told me it was just a cyst caused by a clogged pore. Totally harmless, but that it needed to be removed so it wouldn't rupture or cause other pores to clog.

The best part is that they will not even have to use general anesthesia for the procedure. They will give him a tranquilizer, and numb him locally. AND the whole thing is affordable. He is scheduled to have the lump removed next week... Maybe we will have some cone of shame pictures to post afterwards:)

Almighty Alfredo

I haven't really been doing much gardening lately. My summer class was pretty intense, and it has been so hot and humid outside. Most of my efforts have been focused on weed control and general upkeep.

Last night I decided to break out the pots and pans, and remind my husband (and myself) that I am a fantastic cook:) I made chicken Alfredo over tofu noodles and broccoli. Tofu noodles- I can hear you gagging already- but these things are awesome! They are also so much healthier than regular pasta. The only place I have been able to find them is at Whole Foods. They are in the refrigerated section with the yogurt, and come in a bag that has brine ( I think) in it. You have to rinse them a few times and then cook them for a short time at a high heat to get rid of the flavor, but after that they are just like pasta.

So the sauce: Take 1/4 cup of butter and 1 cup of heavy cream. Put that in a sauce pan and let it simmer for 5 mins ( I whisked it while it simmered). Then add in a clove of crushed garlic and 1 and 1/2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese ( I suggest the farmers market for this ingredient). Whisk that together and wha-lah! Homemade Alfredo sauce. I threw bacon in it for good measure. It was delicious, and soooo very rich.

Two Weeks With No Dirt

Woe is me! I had to work Saturday and Sunday last week so I have gone a full two weeks without tending to my yard.

So, I will post a picture of a fun salad I made a few weeks ago. It is like a build your own Cobb Salad:)

Also, an update on my seeds- I am hoping to get them in the ground this weekend! Pictures to follow!

Some New Color

Today I decided to clean out the bed in front of my porch. It was looking a little frumpy, so I decided to spruce it up. Before an after pictures:

Time for a Bath?

After I turned my leaking birdbath into a birdhouse stand/planter, I realized I had no where for my avian friends to play in the water! So! I found this guy at Lowes for $30! Score!

Seedlings- Day ??

I have totally lost track of how long ago I planted my seeds. I know, shame on me;) Good thing I spent the extra $2 and got the self-watering seed starter, cause they are doing great! Now I am at the point where I need to transplant them.... Something I have never successfully done.

A good project for this weekend;)

The Weekend Accomplishments

I was hell bent on spreading mulch and throwing pinestraw last weekend... But I just couldn't bring myself to actually doing it! Something about 3 or 4 trips to get all of the supplies, and actually wrestling with 30 bags of mulch just made me not want to go there:)

So instead, I cleaned up the steps, planted some stonecrop, hostas and tried to find a subtle, pretty way to block the view I have of my neighbor's gravel parking lot. ( it isnt REALLY a parking lot, but that is just a nice, dramatic way to describe their driveway).

So the pictures below are of my cleaned up steps with new plants ( all of which claim to love dry roots an stoney terrain). The other pictures are of my attempt to hide the parking area that I have a fabulous view of... And then a picture of the Garden Pest- who is worn out after trying to eat one of my new cushions....

The rest of the weekend was spent weed whacking, mowing, blowing... And then enjoying the beautiful space that I have created!

Peas and Cucumbers

Just a quick photo update of my peas and cucumbers. It looks like they are doing well in their new ground:)

Playin in the Dirt... Again:)

Another Saturday... another day well spent in the yard. Today I sprayed a serious amount of Round-up, rearranged my raised beds (or the plants in them), made a trellis for my peas and cucumbers, and refreshed the soil in my raised beds with cow manure (Black Kow to be exact). I also switched out the pump in my overflowing urn  to an actual pond pump... hopefully this pump will last a while.

Here is a picture of my bean trellis (left side)

A new row of impatiens

the overflowing urn, once again, overflowing:)

My fescue is still coming in nicely, hopefully I will be able to mow the top half of the yard next weekend... it is looking a little unruly. I also bought 4 more pittosporums to replace those that died. I did have a reality check today. I realize I have planted way more seeds than I can possible grow in my raised beds... not to sure what to do with the extras. Maybe I will make a little "patio garden" for my mom and sister.

Part of my desire to fix my backyard stemmed from a sense of lack of control that I felt for my life last year. I didn't want to write a blog about how bad my day was, or how overwhelmed I felt in school, or how miserable I was at work... so I decided to write about something I love, and almost make myself accountable for maintaining my yard. Now my yard has turned into a sense of pride for me. On the weekends, there is no better feeling than to go outside with a cup of hot coffee and stand in the sunlight and admire the sweat and time I have put into creating a beautiful space. Although I still have a long way to go with my "peaceful place in the dirt" I certainly feel like working in the yard has been a sort of therapy for me.  

Hanging Baskets and Baby Fescue

I woke up this morning to a wonderful surprise- baby fescue! I would say it looks like about 30% of my seeds have little bitty blades of grass. Success! Needless to say, I spent the next hour an a half moving my sprinkler around to ensure the babies got enough water.

This past weekend I took on the exciting task or fixing my hanging mirrors. I learned a good lesson that glue cannot go from 110 degree summers to 20 degree winters. Below are some photos of my hanging baskets, mirrors, tobacco plant, fescue and bird/ hummingbird feeders: