Turkey: Take 4.

We're nearing the end of turkey leftovers days!

Tonight I made turkey piccata with zucchini and squash over linguine. I love piccata, probably because I'm madly in love with capers. There are worse things to obsess over, I assure you.

Then, because it was rainy and yucky outside and I'm the queen of finding reasons to do silly things, I made some homemade hot cocoa! Semi-sweet Bakers chocolate, splenda, skim milk, and marshmallows. Oh, and don't forget the cinnamon!

Now I'm off to finish up laundry and dishes, then tend to my sad, lethargic, sore puppy Maggie. Poor little peanut got spayed today, and she is not pleased. I feel bad.
Maybe some Californication tonight?

Listen here, Mz. Michaels.

Look, you frighten me. I love you, really, I do... but I'm scared.

I currently have a job that requires me to sit. A lot. I decided that I'd like to drop about 10 pounds and tone up a little. I foolishly purchased this

to help motivate me and get me working out more often.
Jeez. Oh. Pete.
There are three levels, and level one makes me want to scream obscenities at my television set. It works though, I've only just started and I'm sure it works. I think this plus some eating habit revision will do the trick. I'm excited, and a little terrified. I figure making it a part of my blog will keep me from slacking off, so I'll be blogging at the end of every week with how much I've lost. First post, next Monday!

Beach, Bears, and Turkey: Take 3

After we got home from Target (of the wreath purchasing awesomeness) Ricky and I decided to go out to Navarre Beach for a walk. It was the perfect time to go walking! Just enough daylight left, a nice cool breeze, water not too cold, beautiful sunset to watch.

Awwww
I love Pelicans! Did you know Pelecanus Occidentalis is the only of the 8 Pelican species that isn't white? Well now you do.
Not sure what these are... some type of snipe? Dowitcher, perhaps?
This is the sign currently posted at the entrance to my neighborhood.
AAH!! Panda attack?
Mmmm Turkey: Take 3. Tonight I made baked whole wheat penne with turkey, crushed tomatoes, and mozzarella. I seasoned some leftover turkey (shredded) with garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning, then added a 28 ounce can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes, stirred that into the penne, and layered it in a baking dish with mozzarella. I put it under the broiler for about 15 minutes, just to get the cheese nice and bubbly and browned.
This is an awesome leftover recipe! Great for leftover turkey, chicken, or sausage. You could even use ground beef, I suppose.

Wreath!

I found this pretty faux amaryllis wreath at Target and had to have it. I bought a little plaid "Welcome" sign to hang on the inside, and hung it on my front door with a maple leaf wreath hanger! Festive, classy, and inexpensive at $30 for everything.
Good tidings to you!

Turkey: Take 2, and my first homemade ornament!

Today was the beginning of "leftovers days." Exciting, I know.
I made turkey soup with garlic, onions, celery, carrots, kidney beans, potatoes, diced tomatoes, lots of fresh herbs, chicken stock, and turkey. I can't believe I didn't remember to keep my turkey carcass for homemade stock! Ah well, there's always the next bird. This soup was great! Nice and hearty, which was appreciated on one of the coolest days we've seen yet! Tomorrow we're having the rest of the soup for lunch, and yet another delicious turkey re-run for dinner.

The first of my Christmas decorations is up! I made this wreath in about 15 minutes, and for about $10.00. I used the old wire hanger technique, unwinding and forming a wire hanger into a circle, threading on ornaments, then twisting it back together on top and adding ribbons and bows. I love it, and I think it looks great in our chocolate entryway. I'm thinking of making a smaller version for our front doorknob. I'm actually excited about decorating this year. We never really decorated while I was growing up, but this year Ricky is deploying so I'll be alone for Christmas, so I feel like I need all the cheer I can get! Everyone in my neighborhood is putting up multicolored lights and inflatable Santa dolls and giant candy canes. No thanks. I'm thinking potted poinsettias, evergreen garland, an amaryllis wreath... that sort of thing. More Williams Sonoma Home, less Dollar General, ya dig?

Crisp, clean air

The pups and I played in the back yard today. I love the (few) deciduous trees along our fence, and how gorgeously autumnal they look right now. Our yard has such a pretty view! I love this time of year, during the summer it's way too hot to stay outside very long.

The pups love it too, because when the wind blows it brings in all kinds of new smells for them!

So sweet! I love these two!

Thanksgiving!

Look, even Jira was full beyond belief!

I love you family!

Even though we're all crazy, for the most part.
Thanks, Mom and family, for finally coming to look at my blog. One of these days I shall type up a tutorial on how to turn on the computer and get here, because apparently after I moved you all became Amish.
?
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I love and miss you all, and I can't wait until we can spend a holiday together!
Next time the planets align, perhaps?

Oh!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA!!!
♥♥♥

Happy Thanksgiving To You!

Yesterday was a really great day! Bobby had a certain souvenir he wanted to find, and our search efforts took us all over the greater Ft. Walton Beach/Pensacola/Destin areas.

We stopped by Pensacola Beach to enjoy the weather, walking up and down the beach for about an hour and a half. It's funny, we live five minutes away, but I always get excited to be at the beach. Silly. The weather was perfect yesterday. Calm waters, barely-there wind, lots of sun. Perfect for beach meandering.little waves
footprints in the sand
my handsome beach-combin' husband

When we got home I made the guys a nice man meal. Seared ribeyes, baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli. It went over well. I liked that it took around 15 minutes, once the potatoes were close to done (I don't have a microwave and do everything in the oven.)It left me plenty of time to get my Thanksgiving prep done. I chopped everything that needed chopping, so now I have big Ziploc bags full of diced onion, chopped celery, and quartered carrots in my fridge. I cubed up my French bread and laid it out to dry on a baking sheet, chopped lots of herbs and made each individual bouquet garni, laid out my butter to soften overnight, set all my serving dishes out, prepared my pie and tart crusts and wrapped them in plastic wrap, and set all my recipes out where I can see them. Cooking starts in 2 hours! I can't stand people who pout their turkey in at like 6 am... Do you just like dry poultry? Or do you simply hate food?
I'm excited. You should be too!
Here is my menu (I made it at Tiny Prints, if you're curious)
What are you making for Thanksgiving?

because it sorta feels like the weekend..

Banana Pancakes for breakfast!
Bobby and Ricky (spare me the Talladega Nights jokes) both loved these. They're simple too, and I've posted the recipe at Ever So Sweet.

new toy!

Today we went to Destin for dinner at La Paz, which means we made a pit stop at the Destin Commons, and of course, Williams Sonoma. As we were walking towards the store, Ricky stops and says to me, "I know you have a lot of chopping to do on Thursday. Go in and pick a Chef's knife that you like, and go ahead and get it."
Eeeee! This was the equivalent (to me at least) of being told to walk into Tiffany's and pick out your engagement ring! I was so excited! He and Bobby (my father in law) went to the Bass Pro Shop, and I got to shop for a gorgeous new knife at my leisure.

Here is my new knife! A Wüsthof Classic Hollow Ground 8" Chef's Knife.
I am in love with this knife.

I also picked up some white sanding sugar, 'cause it's holiday cookie time.
=)

get this.

Ricky turned me on to it. Pandora internet radio is a site where you get an account (the free one allows you so many hours of listening a month) and enter in a few bands or songs that you like. It then searches out other artists and songs that you might like, based on your entries. I love it, I never get tired of it, and it has my musical tastes pegged. Great for work!
Pandora.com

Hey! American beer is good for something!

I'm keeping dinners pretty simple this week, so that I'm not burnt out on cooking by Thursday. Tonight we had bratwursts cooked in beer with caramelized onions with roasted potatoes.
I used Maggi seasoning on the onions. It's this awesome German condiment with a nice, salty, umami-rich flavor that was perfect on these onions.