Thanksgiving

I really love Thanksgiving. It is a time to be with family and just enjoy. It is starting to be a holiday that I look most forward to. I really like that it is about giving thanks and being with family. The yummy food part isn't so bad either. I always love when it is with my side of the family. The food is fantastic and just the way I like it, and the company is all so much fun. This year it was my Aunt Marilee and Uncle Todd, the Richards, and my little bit of family that is left in Utah (minus David and his crew). Of course my parents hosted the dinner.

It is fun for me cause my mom lets me help out with the decor and the food. Okay lets me is being a little untrue. I just do what I want. She is nice enough to let me do what I want. This year I was excited because one of my friends put some cute crafts for kids on her blog. So yes I stole the idea and used it. I think it turned out really cute and the kids loved it. My aunt Marilee also put cute little turkey name tags on the table.

The cute kids table

Table setting for the kids
My Mom always makes her house look so nice. Her table looked wonderful and pretty.
The adult table

I really enjoy being apart of the cooking. This year I was in charge of the rolls and the beans. I am starting to get pretty use to making rolls for a large group. The more I make the easier and better they are getting. The beans are sooo yummy and so not good for you.

The rolls that I make

Thanksgiving for Jeron means two things Football and Food. Jeron starts his day off bright and early with a Turkey Bowl with his side of the family. His cousins and brother all get together and play TACKLE football. I am hoping that one day he figures out that tackle is not okay. Once he gets home from that he enjoys watching football and eating. Here is Brent and Jeron doing what they do best watching the game.

The kids are enjoying the coloring pages and headdresses that JJ and Emma made.
I lost the pattern for the Pilgrim hats that I normally make so we made do with kids as Indians and adults as boring Pilgrims.

Ahh, I am so thankful for these two:)
I love this pic of the big kids. My favorite part is Elsie trying to get in the pic.
Calee and me and some weird looking guy in the back.
All the kids enjoying their places.

Elsie asking me to take her pic.

Ellie is soo happy to play with her Mama

We had a wonderful day. I was stuffed to the max and enjoyed my family. Thanks Mom and Dad for another wonderful Thanksgiving.

Canning Chicken...Yep I said Chicken!

I went to pick up Ellie from preschool and a friend of mine and me got talking. She told me she had just canned Chicken. She said that it was easy, there was a great sale on chicken and all you need is a pressure cooker. I got a hair brain idea that I should do this as well. I went out and bought the chicken and started cooking it. THat is when I realized I didn't have a pressure cooker. So after a lot of phone calls I finally found a friend of mine that has one.

It was a lot of work but so rewarding. I have only canned one other time with my Dad. We did raspberries. So this was my first time doing it all by myself. I will have to say I think it turned out pretty good. As of right now I can't stand the sight of chicken so it will be awhile before we break open a jar. I will have to say I am a little nervous to eat it. I know it is fine but just the thought of chicken on my shelf gives me the willies.

After the high of the chicken wore off, I decided to do my very first freezer jam. Okay...it is the easiest thing to do. I can't believe I have never done it. The kids helped and we banged out 13 jars in an hour. It tastes so yummy. I think I have found a new favorite thing to do. I love the feeling when you step back and look at what you have accomplished.

Ellie was more of a mess than a help but she had fun. She would smash the strawberries and get them everywhere. I spent more time cleaning her, then I did on the Jam.

JJ was the official dryer and he did help stir.

Emma was the cutter and chopper and she would stir as well.

Ellie was crying from her room and this is how I found her. She still has her shoes on. She is covered is strawberries. She started laughing when I walked in her room. That is why I let her help. She has such a great time doing it. I guess the mess she makes is worth it to see that silly smile.

Making Rolls

Jeron's step sister-in-law Katrina came over today to learn how to make rolls. Now stop laughing some of you. I can teach how to make rolls. Actually it was a lot of fun. The best part though was I got a phone call and so I was on the phone and just started making them without showing her what to do. I switched into Mom mode and got what needed to be done done. It was very funny if you ask me. She took the dough home so I am not sure how hers turned out, but mine turned out delicious. So if anyone else wants to learn I could totally teach you...that is if my phone doesn't ring.

hApPy pUmPkiN cOoKie

JJ expressed to me recently that I have not made sugar cookies in a long time. I felt kind of bad about this one and decided to get on it. So we made pumpkin sugar cookies. Thanks to Ellie we had a lot of candy in the house, due to the potty training. All supplies were in the home and off we set. I got the dough made before he came home from school. Once he got his jobs done we all made cookies. It was a lot of fun. I think they turned out pretty cute. I made the wrong sugar cookie recipe though. It is Grandma's sugar cookies that I like. I need to remember that.

fUn weEkeNd

I got JJ off this morning for Cub country. Then I weeded the yard and came back in and everyone was still asleep. So I got back in bed and snuggled with my hubby. I love mornings like this. Then we got our work done and headed off to the cabin. JJ was already up there so we found him. (A little scary because if we didn't he would have gone home to no one.) I of course forgot my camera and there was a dead moose and it was worth taking pictures of. JJ also cut his finger with his new pocket knife. The adventures of a cub scout. And the creek was higher than I have seen it in a long time. It was so green and beautiful. It was nice to go up there and see the beauty all around. I love the cabin. It is one of my favorite places on this earth. We went with Mama, Papa, and Michael. It was funny when I told the kids who was going they were excited, but when I told them that Michael was going they about jumped to the ceiling with excitement. It is so cute how much they love their Uncle Michael. He is 17 years old...He treats my kids more like siblings...and they just adore him...go figure! On Sunday we just went to church and hung out at home. We made hamburgers and cheese fries. I will have to say my hamburgers are soooooooooo yummy. And to prove it I took a picture...and my family thought I was insane. I am kind of strange like that.

Tell me your mouth isn't watering when you see that. Just add fresh minced garlic, one large onion finely chopped, 1/2 C bread crumbs, 2/3 C Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 2 lbs hamburger and grill.

Walla...the yummest burger.

I make 5 patties and then roll the rest of the meat into meatballs and cook them on med high with 1 Tb. olive oil for about 10 minutes turning to brown all sides. Then I have meatballs for a night when we make spaghetti.

Girls just want to...bake, or at least attempt

Nichole and I heard that our neighbor Lissa liked carrot cake for her birthday. Her Mom use to make it for her and it is her favorite. Her Mom lives in Oregon and could not come for her birthday...So we decided that we would make her one. This was the first time either of us have made a carrot cake. Due to some minor complications we were worried it wouldn't turn out good. I think it went off without a hitch because Lissa seemed to love it.