We had a great meal with just our family this year.  It was much more relaxed with no company coming.  I had intended to turn the oven on before we left for church, the turkey was ready and just needed to be turned on.  Oops.  As we got there I realized I hadn’t turned the oven on.  Left Jeff and the kids for Sunday School and booted ‘er back across the city.  Good thing, I also forgot to turn the crockpot to low.  We would have had cold turkey and crispy dressing.

I had to take some pictures.  Lydia was so funny.  Oh, I “wub” ‘weet potatoes, I “wub” mashed potatoes, I “wub” corn, I “wub” butter.  In the past we haven’t been able to keep cranberry sauce on the table as she would eat the entire bowl.  This time she wasn’t so keen on it.  Speaking of cranberry sauce, I’ve never had to make it as my mother always gives me a jar for Thanksgiving/Christmas.  I never knew how easy it was.  Was she trying to pull one over on me?  It’s 1 bag of cranberries, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water.  Boil til the berries pop.  If you want to get fancy, use orange juice instead of water.  Who knew it was so easy. 

I found a great squash casserole.  I don’t eat the stuff but Jeff loves it and his sister grew them this year.   http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/baked-squash-casserole-111387.aspx

I think I’ll start assigning dishes to the kids to help with.  Hannah can do the cranberries, Lydia  tears the bread for the stuffing- she did yesterday.  Parker can help peel potatoes.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The cake was a big hit.

I have a 19 lb turkey to cook and it’s just the five of us.  Mil also gave us two more turkeys today since they were $.99/lb.

Now what all do I need to make?

Mashed potatoes with sour cream in them..NB potatoes are soo bland.  The sour cream gives them some flavour.  Sweet potatoes with apple, corn, carrots, squash, rolls, stuffing, cranberry sauce and for desert a new pumpkin cake recipe from Kraft.

Cara’s Crockpot Stuffing 1 cup butter 2 cups chopped onion 2 cups chopped celery 12 1/2 cups dry bread cubes-  (I bake them in the oven until crisp and sprinkle Bell’s on them before baking 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage- the spices I substitute bell’s for1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 1/2 cups chicken broth- might not need all of it2 eggs, beaten 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion & celery, in butter, stirring frequently. 2. Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram- (Bell’s), and salt and pepper. Pour in enough broth to moisten,(might not need all 4-1/2 cups) and mix in eggs. Transfer mixture to slow cooker, and cover. 3.Cook on High for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to Low, and cook for 4 to 8 hours.

Crock Pot Sweet Potato and Apple Combo
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cubed * I added extra

1/4 lb. butter or margarine, melted * I suggest skipping this

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. apple juice

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

Peel and slice sweet potatoes. Peel, core and cube apples. Place both in slow cooker.

Mix the melted butter and brown sugar. Spoon it over the apple and sweet potato mixture. Pour apple juice over the sweet potato and apple mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours. * cooked on high for 3 hours

And for desert:  http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/luscious-four-layer-pumpkin-cake-88186.aspx

Guess I should go pick up a few groceries and get started.  I need a lock on my kitchen doors.

That and some happy pills for the grouches in this house.  Sleepovers ruin long weekends.

For those of you that took part, Thank You.

For those of you who contributed, Thank You.

For those that let this opportunity pass by, start thinking about taking part next year.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Fall seems to be one of the most noticable changes and in our house there’s always something going on in Sept/Oct.  This year seems to be pretty smooth sailing yet hectic.  I’ve been busy organizing my Pink Party in time for Run for The Cure, the Quintessence Breastfeeding challenge and we’re trying to get a midweek program off the ground at our church.  The kids have started their extra cirricular activities.  Parker is doing Judo and Hannah is doing theatre  at IACT.  Same time, different places.  I drop Hannah off early and her class is a half hour longer than Parker’s.  It works well.   Lydia and I have settled into playgroup and i’m planning on taking her swimming on Thursdays.   Can’t beat $2 swims.  I am almost finished updating the October meal plan.  Check out the link in the blog roll on the left.

Has anyone had a Pink Party?  In trying to come up with a way to raise funds for Run For the Cure.  I decided I would have a desert party and invite friends to come and bring a donation.  As I took an invitation to my neighbor she told me about the kit her sister ordered from the Canadian Cancer Society.  Amazingly, I got my kit in two days, just in time for my party.   It includes Thingamaboobs, trivia on Breast and Cervical cancer as well as a self exam doorhanger.  The kit is free of charge and can be ordered from your local cancer society.  Here’s the link for New Brunswick. http://www.cancer.ca/New%20Brunswick/Prevention/Have%20a%20Pink%20Party.aspx?sc_lang=en   And here’s my Smilebox.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

My mom was coming for the weekend and so I thought it was a perfect time to have the party.  She had breast cancer three years ago.  She lost her mother in 1973 to breast cancer after a three year battle.  Two of my grandmother’s sisters have also had breast cancer and one is currently waiting for a mastectomy after having had radiation 12 years ago.  We had a great time and raised about $200 for Run For The Cure.  The Pink Party and Run For the Cure are two seperate objectives as there is no fund raising involved with having a pink party but I thought the two complimented each other.

Thanks Girls for a great evening.

So my husband pointed out the fact that it’s been a week since I blogged.  Ooops.

It’s been a busy week. Tuesday and Wednesday we went to playgroup.  Lydia was sooooo excited.  It doesn’t run over the summer and we really missed it. 

Thursday Cara and I met at the pool and took the kids swimming.  It was a great time, I’ll add pics when Cara sends them to me.  Lydia and I went down the waterslide together.  It was fast.  i think that’s a daddy job.

Friday night we went to McD’s for supper.  It’s only been about 4 or 5 months.  Sat morning we got up early and hit the road.  Mil has a huge two story garage and had rented a dumpster.  We went to help clean it out.  Jeff and Parker had been there a few weeks ago and needed another dumpster.  Old furniture and odds and ennds that have accumulated over the years.  We got to throw them out the second story window.  Styrafoam does not fly well.

After lunch we hit the road for Calais, ME.  It’s a half hour drive from mil’s and we hadn’t been there for two years…not since our car accident.  Since it was grocery week, we thought we’d get them in the US.  Got lots of good deals and a new game.  I’ll post about that another day.

It was late by the time we got home and Lydia was a bear the hour and a half drive back.  She woke up cantankerous in the morning so she and I skipped church.  That’s about it for the week.

I live next to the Irving Oil Refinery.  Parker’s school has a partnership with the refinery and they often contribute back to the school with donations and time.   The program is called CHEER.

 

 Yesterday, Irving held a Neighbor day for the community. 

 They had a free BBQ with hotdogs, hamburgers, salads. beverages and sweets.

Airbrush tattoos

Bounce Castles

Cookie decorating

Health and Wellness displays

Informative displays on pollution reduction- notice Lydia intently paying attention.  She lugged her bag around the whole school.

We also got to take a bus tour of the refinery.  Since we drive by almost every day, the kids were excited to see the inside.

They have their own fire department.

A safety sign- reminding employees that the best reasons for working safely are the smallest ones.

Oil tank

Here’s what we brought home in our goody bags

3 bags of chips, 3 treat bags, 3 bags of cotton candy, 3 puzzle magnets

8 shoelaces, 3 popup frisbees, 2 first aid kits, 3 apples, 1 Irving bag

4 cloth shopping bags, 4 pens, 2 pencils, 5 penlight key chains, 1 tire gauge

Great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Four years ago today I was in the hospital.  I had just had an induced miscarriage.  I had gone to the hospital a few days before for my 18 week ultrasound.  There was no heartbeat.  I met with an OB and discussed options but it’s all pretty foggy to me.  On monday I went in and was induced with misoprostal.  I regret never having a picture to hold onto or finding a suitable way to remember this child.   It was a devastating experience that so many women have been through.  We all deal with it in different ways.  For me  healing came with another pregnancy and my little spitfire, Lydia.  For those around us, life goes on and it’s not something to dwell on. They move on and forget about it as a distant momory.  But mothers can never forget the life that could have been or ignore all the what if’s.

What a week. I’ve pretty much had the summer off from doing daycare aside from one little one yr old who occassionally comes for a half day and the rare full day.

On Monday that all changed.  Full steam ahead.  I’ve had a full house everyday.

We’ve also had to get Hannah her third retainer as her second one broke after only 5 weeks.  A suppertime birthday party for Lydia to go to.  And a nasty computer virus.  DH is spending the evening reformatting the desktop computer and his laptop.  I am using Parker’s XO laptop. 8pm and I had my jammies on. I’m watching some tv and crashing.   Tomorrow- I have a post all about Cara’s Finn and his crazy escape antics.