Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving this year was really nice - better than last year, when the Boy had to leave after dinner to go work. This year he was home from college a few days before the feast, and it was good to have him home. Suddenly he appreciates good food and hot showers without wearing flip flops!

As usual, I tried to see if I could cut a dish from the full traditional menu (stuffing), but the family again insisted on having everything. The Girl helps more every year. This year she made sweet potato pie all by herself and mashed potatoes too. The boy helped by washing the potatoes and emptying the dishwasher. Without complaining! This alone was a big improvement over the last few years living with him!

Our traditional feast consists of:

garlic turkey (turkey cooks in bag, roasting the garlic below it in its juices mixed with white wine)
mashed potatoes
cranberry relish (I make mine a spicy salsa, but I'm the only one who eats cranberries)
sweet potato pie (we also like the casserole with marshmallows on top)
broccoli cheese casserole (the secret is buttered pumpernickel or rye crumbs on top)
stuffing (two boxes mixed with cooked hot sausage, mushrooms, and onion)
crescent rolls
gravy (with a roasted garlic flavor, yum!)
roasted garlic (spread it on the rolls!)

I experimented with using the meat thermometer this year, and the turkey came out to be my moistest turkey ever! Now you know all my secrets!

I don't usually make any dessert, but I'd made a good batch of pumpkin cupcakes a few days before, and they were very tasty.

I'll post the recipe for them on my recipe website soon.

The next two days we had a huge yard sale. It was really a blow out of our storage unit, which we suddenly decided we can't afford anymore. I think it might be a sign of the times, because K said he saw lots of other people emptying out their units too when he was there.

I met lots of nice people and many of them asked if I'd had a store. Mostly I meant to, but never fully got around to it. Plus my Mom works at a Christmas store, and has given me highly discounted collectables for years. Time to get rid of it all!

The first family showed up early the first day and walked off with lots of bargains. They bought a BIG box of stuff I never fully looked at for $25.

Saturday even better. I sold more than I'd ever at yard sale, plus I got rid of lots of stuff. One man had me change a $100 bill, and bought $6 worth of stuff. Two ladies were buying lots of presents for their church. I got to see lots of my neighbors.

Our neighbor gave me a good idea about ebay, and I think I'll do that with the stuff I ended up keeping.

The Girl had a friend come over who visited for a few days. Her dad came to get her, and started talking about the boys who are still having problems that seem to stem from the high school's basketball team - especially the last few years. We talked about the Boy, and I think I fully realized what a blessing it was that he found something else to love instead of basketball, and that it may have saved him in the end. Saved him from the kind of problems (drugs) the other boys seem to be having.

Something to be thankful for.

I can't remember ever being this "out" of money before, and it's giving me all kinds of creative ideas. Like giving away for the holidays some of the best things I didn't sell at our yard sale. Like maybe going on the Ellen show to pick up some cool giveaways for really GREAT presents. Like giving the Boy a gift certificate for paying for his cell phone the last 5 months. That's $100 he was supposed to be paying himself!

Any other ideas?