November 10, 2014

Weekly Menu November 10



This week we have: 
Lion House Wassail
Weeknight Chicken Pot Pie
Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

For today, Nov 10...

Outside my window... The very first few tiny snowflakes of the season are falling!! Barely here and there, but they're falling! It's snowing!! Five hours ahead of the weather prediction, but who can really expect snow to fall exactly on time, right? Weather is so crazy. This morning the boys and I were walking to school under 54 degree blue skies, I was wishing I hadn't worn a long-sleeve shirt, we soaked in the last few hours of Fall... Now it has dropped 20 degrees, blustering and sprinkling bits of snow, and I'm about to whip up a pot of soup and a warm holiday drink. Winter is here! At least for this week..

Source: B Comme Bon
I am thankful... for craft stores, early Christmas sales, bargains and finds and the PERFECT indoor wreath. I'm thankful for a brain full of festive recipes, a family who will eat them, my parents finding the perfect house so quickly!! I'm thankful for sweaters and scarves and boys who love to walk, for pinecones and snowflakes and dark brown sugar... and butter!

I am thinking... I've been pouting about missing out on Fall this year, so when I saw the snow and freezing temperatures looming in the forecast, I wasn't ready to let go of my golden leaves and 60 degrees yet! But after shopping for Christmas lights and decorations, planning some holiday baking, and the Geologist's executive decision that this will be the year we put up both our old fake tree AND a freshly-cut Rocky Mountain Christmas tree, I'm getting into the holiday spirit! Besides, we got to pick out a slew of half-off tree ornaments for the second tree, and I got to pick the theme, and it's hard not to get excited with all that burgundy, gold, and white woodsy-ness just waiting to be hung tonight! Our ten-year collection of family ornaments will go on the real tree upstairs, whenever we venture up into the woods to cut it down.  

Around the house... Our Christmas lights are up!! After nine years in apartments, all we had for our house last year was one string of twinkling snowflake lights. We love those snowflakes, but they're starting to burn out and only span the garage door. For the first time ever, our whole front roofline has lights! Red and white, with three giant snowflakes in the windows. LOVE!! And thank goodness some genius has finally started making warm white LED lights, those blue-white ones give me the creeps. They aren't quite as warm as the old classics, but they'll do. And I won't have to buy new ones every year. Grr. I've been collecting bits and pieces of indoor holiday decor, and our house feels so festive this year!! I love Christmas decorations!!

I am looking forward to... Thanksgiving! The first time since The Geologist and I were married that my whole family will be in the same house for Thanksgiving! My brother and sister-in-law will fly down from Portland, Kate is coming home from BYU, Sarah will drive up from Colorado Springs, and my parents will still be living in my basement, but just barely. It's time to start planning food! I've never cooked a big turkey before, just little ones for our little four-person family, so that will be an adventure. Those two kitchens of mine will seriously come in handy! Mom will be around to help and Dad will probably comandeer the mashed potatoes... He is the one who taught me the ways of the mashed potato, after all! It will be so much fun, I can't wait to be a full-blown hostess!

One of my favorite things... My new wreath!!! I am absolutely crazy about this little wreath I found at Michaels, I knew I had to have it, whether the Geologist liked it or not. Lucky for me, he does! And it was half price, always a plus! It perfectly embodies my Christmas style, mossy and woodsy with touches of red and sprinkles of sparkle. It just happens to match my Faceless Santa perfectly! Faceless Santa sounds kinda creepy, but it's just a custom-made Santa figure from Alaska. I picked out every detail, from the bells to the fur to the little red birds sitting on his arms, and I adore him! And now he has a matching wreath. :)

A peek into my day... After walking the boys to school, (well, halfway. It's too far, so we drive halfway, park, and walk from there. So worth it!) I went shopping for new tree lights and the finishing touches to our decor. At that point the sky was grey and the wind was freezing, so I got the grocery shopping done early and came home to blog for you lovely people! Bracken is hiding from me, she was a dingbat on her walk and I was cranky at her. By the way, the spaces between the snow-bits are shrinking, and I believe we officially have a snow flurry! Thank goodness I don't have to go back out except to pick up children. Let the coziness commence!

In the kitchen... This week is all about cozy food!! I'm giving you two re-posts of seriously cozy favorites, and the coziest drink ever. Seriously, it gives classic hot chocolate a run for its money! Pots of soup and big skillets full of noodles, plus cold weather seriously makes me want to bake. Hence the cake, because you can't tell me that sticky toffee pudding cake doesn't sound homey and warm and scrumptious. I'll just live in comfy socks and soft sweaters, filling my house with yummy smells!

Try your own Daybook! Get ideas here!

7 comments :

  1. Once Remembrance Day is passed, I'll get excited about Christmas too. In our home, due to my allergies, we decorate a birch tree with led lights and snowflake ornaments.

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    1. Yeah, we're a little crazy when it comes to Christmas in this house... Pretty much any excuse to get excited, we'll take! :p I'm sorry that you're allergic to pines and such, but a birch tree actually sounds lovely! I love birches!

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  2. Your excitement is infectious, but alas, I will try and wait until Thanksgiving Day is over before I decorate Christmas. Last year, my husband and the kids did it before T-Day while I was at work. I missed everything. I was bummed. I wish I had two kitchens, T-Day is a an Olympic sport for us. Enjoy your snow.

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    1. Don't worry, I don't expect everyone to jump on the early-Christmas bandwagon with me! That totally stinks that you missed decorating, that is just plain not cool. I sure hope you're around for it this year!!

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  3. Can't wait to see pics of your NEW HOUSE CHRISTMAS! Glad to hear you're planning on a real tree this year. Sure it's messier, but the fragrance alone makes it worthwhile! I haven't gotten the Christmas-baking bug yet. but we haven't had snow here yet, either. The wintry blast isn't supposed to hit us for a couple days, and may or may not bring snow. That might get me going. Have you ever used those "baking bags" for your turkeys? I used to, years ago, and they worked pretty well, I'm reminded of how my mom used to have two ovens going when we had the relatives over for Turkey Day, one in the kitchen and an old "spare" in the basement. And memories of waking up to the aroma of onion-and-celery being cooked up for the stuffing--oh my. I'm getting nostalgic now. Have fun with your planning, I think that's the best part of the holidays!

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    1. Thank you Marty!! I'll take a picture of the lights, just for fun, and as soon as our downstairs tree is all decked out, you'll get a picture of that too! We won't do the real tree till probably Thanksgiving weekend, and you will of course be updated. :) I LOVE real trees, I grew up having them every year!! Tree farm ones, mountain ones, even a big fat pinon pine in Nevada. Tree lot ones die too fast. I've never used a baking bag for my turkey, but I have for hams! Works like a charm! I seriously got lucky with my double kitchen, it's such a blessing. Thanks for the memories! I think planning is at least one of the best parts too :)

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  4. I saw this "slow-roast" method for turkey and thought of you. I haven't tried it but it sounds pretty good: http://mrsrabe.blogspot.com/2007/11/perfect-turkey.html

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