Thanksgiving Weekend

We were so excited to have a nice long weekend all together as a family--we had lots of fun. Here are some of the the things that we did: the kids all played "Axis and Allies" a risk-like World War 2 board game. They really got into with costumes and accents. I'm pretty sure that is the only reason the girls played--they thought it was just a big role play.

When Ned was growing up his mother made cookies each year to put on their Christmas tree. some years they had a tree completely decorated with cookies. We inherited a few of hew cookie molds and decided to give cookie making and painting a try this year. The kids were pretty creative in painting the cookies. You make the cookie cough leaving out the baking powder or soda so the cookies retain their shape after they are cooked. We made the paint with egg yolks with food coloring or icing coloring.

We continued our tradition of cutting down our Christmas tree. Even the pup got to go this year.

The kids were so sad that we wouldn't get the "crazy tree". It was as wide as it was tall and would take up half the house.

I knew that if we decoarated this weekend I would get lots of help and I did. My mother always used to say "Many hands make light work". It is so true and it seems like we have fun along the way.

The kids decided they wanted to have an "Iron Chef" cooking competition. Ned and I were recruited to choose the secret ingredient and be the judges. The secret ingredient was "citrus". Sharing the kitchen provided a few challenges but overall things sent very smoothly. We ended with great tasting, creative food. After the secret ingredient was revealed they had 20 minutes to plan and gather ingredients and then 60 minutes to cook and plate. They were judged on Taste, Presentation and Creativity.

Planning--

the cooking begins

Food ready to be judged

A few years we started celebrating Hanukkah--in our very unorthodox way. Anything to learn about other cultures and a great reason to have a party. (We know that we celebrated it a few days early but that is when everyone was home.)

Our makeshift Menorah

The Dreidel game and a great new game "Hit or Miss"

We invited our good friends the Osborns to celebrate with us.

That is our weekend in a nutshell--we did have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with the Stephenson Family and did lots of other things but they didn't get photographed --maybe next year.

Cranberry Sauce

I have never been a fan of cranberry sauce--the stuff out of a can looks a little sad to me. Well--this year I was asked to bring cranberry sauce to the Stephenson Family Thanksgiving dinner and knowing I could never take the canned kind we looked on the internet and found a fun recipe.

The recipe had several different options and after a family taste test making it 4 different ways-- we decided we liked it best with pecans, orange zest and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. My attitude towards cranberry sauce has totally changed.

Ned didn't want to miss out on the family kitchen time--so he decided to put new cabinet screws in while the rest of us were cooking.

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 1 cup (250 mL) water
• 4 cups (1 12-oz package) fresh or frozen cranberries
• Optional Pecans, orange zest, raisins, currants, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice.

Method

1 Wash and pick over cranberries. In a saucepan bring to a boil water and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries, return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.

2 At this point you can add all number of optional ingredients. We typically mix in a half a cup of roughly chopped pecans with or without a few strips of orange zest. You can add a cup of raisins or currants. You can add up to a pint of fresh or frozen blueberries for added sweetness. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice can be added too.

3 Remove from heat. Cool completely at room temperature and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Cranberry sauce base makes 2 1/4 cups.

Academic Olympiad

Brad competed in the Academic Olympiad at USU today. Judging from the number of medals he came home with I think it was a successful day. Davis High took first place in the overall competition and received several other medals for language arts, social studies and math. Brad also received an individual medal in social studies. What a smartie!

Great Job Brad!

We love to cook

As a family we love to cook together. Sometimes we find fun recipes we want to make together.

Sometimes we think of some random things to celebrate (like wizarding independence day) and then we find appropriate recipes for that day. Other times we think of creative ways to use what we grow in our garden like beets or tomatoes.



Last year we found a wonderful tomato soup recipe that we made a ton of. Now we have lots of tomato soup in our freezer for the long winter nights. Even our dog Amelia loves to get into the action. (I think that may be because we are a little bit messy and she's hoping to find a few morsels on the floor.)


Anyway-- it is something we enjoy doing as a family--isn't there something about a family that cooks together stays together.

One Year

It has been a little over a year since my mother's death. In some ways it seems like it was just yesterday that she passed away and in other ways it feels like she has been gone forever.

I miss you Mom.

Halloween

This is the first year in over 20 years that we haven't had someone dressing up to go trick-or-treating on halloween. I guess that means we are all growing up. But some traditions must go on like:

Homemade rootbeer

Stuffed Hamburgers for dinner

and carving Jack-o-lanterns

A New Eagle

Michael had his board of review last night and he is officially an Eagle Scout now.

Great Job Michael!

We'll have his court of honor in a few months--that is the fun part.