......................mamaboogie: Happy Thanksgiving to All and to All a Good Night!

I think I would like to have a holographic blogger platform. One with voice recog so I can call it up in the middle of my living room while changing diapers, cooking, cleaning, crafting, being awesome, and probably cooking and cleaning some more. I don't have enough hands to type all that I would like!

My one rule for this blog is to keep it positive, though, and sometimes that weeds out quite a bit. Let's see how this goes.

This has been one of my favorite Thanksgivings of my life thus far! There were new recipes and the inherent challenges that my dorkdom craves, the delicious odors that will probably stay in my home for at least another day (don't ya love it when the air smells edible?), no traveling outside of a one mile radius of our home, friends!, and no...hmmm...*stay positive*...historical repeats!

~ S M I L E ~

I also participated in my first white elephant extravaganza and it was great! I racked up with a foot spa! I feel sorry for the dude that got my potpourri ;) Which is a horrendous word, IMO. My brain wants to say that word phonetically but BOY would my friends pick on me if I actually let my mouth listen to my brain.

So I tried the upside down turkey trick. You roast that bird upside down stuffed with tons of butter and salt and herbs. Viola! It's one tasty dish, folks. Not too dry and not too 'fatty', as my husband detests that taste. I also ventured into candied yam land. It was a fun trip considering I've never been a fan of it. I think my pal, Bob, had it right about the almonds. Toasted almonds make everything just right! I'm gonna throw these recipes at the bottom of this post just so you can hack at it next year if you like. Also -- conquered giblet gravy. Do you say it {jib'-let} or {gib'-let}? Just wonderin'...

Roasted Upside Down Perfect Turkey

And about those yams...

I tweaked both recipes just a tad. With the turkey, I prepared it the same way I just seasoned it with rosemary, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, and nutmeg. I stuffed it with several cloves of garlic and several small onions with the same seasonings. I also used butter with both internal and external herby mixtures and two bay leaves. I would have added sage but was all out. I did flip my bird to brown the breast. With the yams, the recipe does not call for mashed but that's what I done did. I also do not like pecans that much so I sub'd almond slices.

So today was a grand day filled with love. My back aches from standing in the kitchen but my heart is happy with the results so, WHATEV. The most important thing for us this year was to begin our own family traditions and hopefully set the course for stress- and drama-free holidays. My heart is sad about being away from those whom I spent my holidays with as a child but I know in my head that this is the best way for now. I am thankful for those good memories we shared and thankful for all the other kinds of memories that have influenced my present-day mold. I am thankful for family that you can choose to have later in life and the love that comes with those new relationships. There is safety in hope, despite the counter-intuitive nature of that statement ;) Have enough faith to exercise a little hope and you might just find your piece of peace.

On that note, check out this nifty online store. The items are a little pricier but good art usually is...

HorseFeathers