CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

Gimbel's Manager: "6-inch ribbon curls, honey."

Jovie: "That's impossible."

Gimbel's Manager: "6 INCHES!"

ELF

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window."

Ralphie from A Christmas Story

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

Mr. Parker: "What is the name of the Lone Ranger's nephew's horse?"

Mother: "Ah... Victor. His name is Victor?"

Mr. Parker: "How the h*** did you know that?"

Mother: "Everybody knows that!"

A Christmas Story

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

George: "Pop, you want a shock? I think you're a great guy."

(to Annie) "Oh, did you hear that, Annie?"

Annie: "I heard it. About time one of you lunkheads said it."

George Bailey and Annie (the housekeeper) from

It's a Wonderful Life

TODAY

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Y'ALL!

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Well, there are some things you should know. First off, you see gum on the street, leave it there. It isn't free candy."

Santa from Elf

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Why am I such a misfit? I'm am not just a nit-wit. Just because my nose glows, seems I don't fit in."

Rudolph from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"What has Beethoven got to do with Christmas? Everyone talks about how "great" Beethoven was. Beethoven wasn't so great."

Lucy from A Charlie Brown Christmas

THE HORRIBLE THING IS

..... I've got NUTHIN'!

Absolutely nothing.

Seriously.

I miss blogging. I really do. But, I have hit a serious dry-spell. If you knew me in person, you would be surprised to find that I'm speechless. Totally. Speechless.

I've been busy, but I don't want to bore you with all of that. I mean, it seems like the last few blog posts I've made have only to do with all that I have going on. I know you are tired of reading it. And, frankly, I'm tired of it, myself. I'm not tired of the busyness. Nope, just tired of talking about it. I think y'all probably think I'm complaining.

Oh well.

By the way, why does the word "y'all" always show up as a misspelled word? It clears my blogger spellcheck, but when I type it, it underlines is as a misspelling. It is OFTEN used in my neck of the woods. It should be recognized as a word.... a legitimate word. Oh well.

So, are Y'ALL ready for the holidays? I am, and I'm not. It's coming MUCH TOO FAST! I need another week.

I have my meal planned, but I'm looking at 4 days until the big "Day o' Turkey" and I haven't gone to the store yet. Hide your shock. I DO have my turkey, just nothing else.

I've been working on a project in which I'm editing a lot of information. Frustration is the first word to come to mind. I won't say anything else about that.

We had a JBQ meet yesterday. And, the one kid who is the backbone of the team (my oldest) was feeling really bad.... so, we won.... NOTHING! Six rounds and the one "guaranteed" win beat us by 70 points or so. Oh well.... teaches me a lesson in humility. Now I need to rethink the rest of our year.

Last night, just before a night of some much needed (and wanted, I might add) "closeness" with my beloved, our youngest came barging in in what I would describe as a full-blown asthma attack.... except he doesn't have asthma. I think it's croup. Having a child crash in with blue-tinged lips, gasping for air and "barking" as he coughs will ruin a mood REALLY quick. :( We did 3 nebulizer treatments back-to-back. He is OK, now. Still coughing and feverish, but we have him breathing well. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well, and I, along with the oldest and the youngest, missed church.... I needed that, too. *sigh*

Have you seen New Moon? My hubby and I saw it for the midnight showing on opening night. That was fun, but tiring. Glad I went, though. It will be a great next few years of movies and it started last year. In Nov. 2008, we saw Twilight. Then in July of 2009, we saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The other night, we saw New Moon. In July of 2010, Eclipse is supposed to be released. Then, the following November is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. July 2011 should bring the second part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I anticipate the following November to bring Breaking Dawn. Yep.... good times at the movies.

What's going on for Christmas? Are you doing anything special? We are. We are going to Disney World. What makes it really cool? We are going to pull the kids and miss a whole week of school! We go back to school next Monday, the 30th and we will pull them early that Friday, the 4th. We will be back on the 12th. Don't tell, though.... they don't know. ;-)

I've been baking up a storm. Been doing OK in sales, I guess. I'm no Sara Lee (yet), but who knows? Y'all can say you knew me when I was a little person.

We got our tree up almost 2 weeks ago, because we wanted to. And you know? I will still celebrate Thanksgiving and love it. My hubby will put the lights on the house in the next day or 2. I'm excited. I feel very fortunate during these holidays in regard to hubby's schedule. He is off until Friday. And then for December, he is working for only 8 or 9 days. Not too bad. He will have almost the entire time off that the kids are out AND he gets to go the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert this year.... he's missed the last two and I've had to go with someone else. No offense to my alternate dates, but I would rather be with my hubby.

Well, I should go. I need to get some coupons pulled for tomorrow. I will be going to the chiropractor to get cracked, to the store, THEN to a dear friends house to make some fudge. Should be loads of fun. I guess before all of that, and immediately following this, I should do some more editing. :-/

With that, I bid you adieu. I leave you with one of my many.... MANY.... holiday faves.

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Not too hot. Extra chocolate. Shaken, not stirred."

Judy the elf from The Santa Clause

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"We plunged into the cornucopia quivering with desire and the ecstasy of unbridled avarice."

Ralphie from A Christmas Story

"I been saving this money for a divorce, if ever I got a husband."

Annie from It's a Wonderful Life

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

Clarence from It's a Wonderful Life

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

Yukon Cornelius: "This fog's as thick as peanut butter."

Hermey: "You mean pea soup."

Yukon Cornelius: "You eat what you like. I'll eat what I like."

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Puffin: "Hey, Buddy. Wanna pick some snowberries?"

Buddy: "Not now, Arctic Puffin."

Elf

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Rats. Nobody sent me a Christmas card today. I almost wish there weren't a holiday season. I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?"

Charlie Brown in A Charlie Brown Christmas

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"A toy is never truly happy until it is loved by a child."

King Moonraiser from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

ONE DAY CLOSER

You can use that phrase for so many things huh?

One day closer to "New Moon," which I will be seeing the midnight showing... well, not MIDnight, but 12:02 a.m.

One day closer to our big trip. I will get into more detail later, but we leave on December 4th.

One day closer to Thanksgiving. Two weeks from YESTERDAY!!!!

One day closer to Christmas. You KNEW I would bring that up, huh?

One day closer to the Rapture. This should have some of you more alarmed than anything. Are you ready?

BUT, I'm not preaching (today).

No, I'm talking about the holidays. :)

A few days ago, I put my tree and Nativities up. YES I DID!!! And yes, I know it's not Thanksgiving yet. I really don't care. In the words of Buddy the Elf, we should "treat everyday like Christmas." I don't have the outside decorated yet... YET. DH didn't have time. However, he is about to have 8 days off. So, sometime between "New Moon," the Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast, a JBQ meet and Thanksgiving itself, he will have the outside lights up!

I started thinking about that... treating everyday like Christmas, and you know what? We really should, religiously speaking, of course. I mean, the gift of Jesus is THE BEST GIFT EVER!!!! We should celebrate his birth, life, death and resurrection EVERY DAY! I know I try to.

BUT, as I said earlier, I'm not preaching (today). No, I wanted to show you some stuff I have been working on.

Some of my Nativities... I collect them.

This is a music box that plays "O, Little Town of Bethlehem."

One of my students from WAY back gave this to me.

From my in-laws. This was probably the 3rd Nativity.

Don't know if you can see on the bottom of the cloaks, but these are scriptures dealing with Jesus' birth.

This is a new Nativity/Advent Calendar that DH bought for me this year.

This was a Secret Santa gift from a coworker a few years ago. It's actually a pop-up book that you open up and tie. It looks like a star. See? And each "face" is a portion of the events of Jesus' birth.

This one is from my mother a few years ago. Really pretty.

Fontanini ornament with the Nativity.

Another ornament.

The mantle. The stockings have our names on them, so they have been edited out. Of course, I had to protect everyone's identity. So eager was I that I even edited out "Mom" and "Dad" before I realized you probably couldn't find us based on that info. LOL!

Another new Nativity scene for this year. Thank you, Honey!

My first of 3 new Nativities for this year. Isn't this gorgeous? I LOVE IT!

This is a Nativity snow globe from my in-laws. You can't tell, but the bottom rotates when the music box is wound. It's really neat!

Don't know where/when I got this. It is actually a fountain, but I don't activate that part of it.

This is a tiny Nativity, but I think it is SO cute!

Another Fontanini Nativity from my other in-laws.

I bought this a few years ago. It is really tall. I love the way the cloak has the scene.

The tree. You can't see the lights because of the flash. And I have to have the flash because I don't know how to stand still enough to keep the picture from being blurry.

Santa's little helpers. My oldest set up the timer on his camera and took this by himself. I don't even know how to do this.

One of my favorite CDs being played right now. This is a 2 CD set with the oldies. It is really fun.

Cards. (Forced smile, here.) The mess today is worse than when I took the picture. I'm facing insanity. I know! I know! I'm facing a whole 'nother level of insanity!

So, that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed!

Talk to you soon!!!

Want to share a "Christmas Joke." Brought to you by my four year old son.

"KNOCK KNOCK!"

"WHO'S THERE?"

"CHRISTMAS TREE!"

"CHRISTMAS TREE, WHO?"

"TEE-TEE AND POO-POO!"

Yes, folks. That is funny in this house!

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Who gave you permission to tell Charlie there was no Santa Claus? I think if we're going to destroy our son's delusions, I should be a part of it."

Scott Calvin from The Santa Clause

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"My little brother had not eaten voluntarily in over three years."

Ralphie from A Christmas Story

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"That's somethin', ain't it? She falls in a well, eyes go crossed. She gets kicked by a mule they go back to normal. I don't knowl"

Eddie from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"In spite of my outward appearance, I shall try to run a neat inn."

Pig-Pen from A Charlie Brown Christmas

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"You taught me everything I know about exterior illumination."

Clark from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

NEVER

I NEVER would have considered myself OCD or Type-A or any of those harsh labels that imply a person being uptight and out of control.

Until this year.

I have decided that my stress is.... *sigh*... my own doing. SHHHHHH!!!! Don't let my hubby know that I have just admitted that.

Here's the thing. There are certain things I love. And I love the whole of it. For example, it's not enough that I can cook well. No. I want to sell baked goods, learn to decorate cookies (the fancy ones), and master the cheesecake that makes a person's eyes roll back into his head as he contemplates giving his wife a much needed break for the evening.

I buy cookbooks (about 6 per year). I have cookbooks given to me (about 6 per year). I stalk the baking/kitchen gadgets department of the "box" stores (about 6 times per month). I get monthly magazines (about 3-6 per month). I get emails (at least once a week). ALL these have wonderful creations and concoctions; tips and hints; questions and answers. I love it all.

"So what's the problem," you ask? The problem is that I have neither the time nor the money to do all I want.... no all I NEEEEEED to do.

And, it's not just with cooking. It is with everything.

Except housekeeping. I can't seem to be anal about that one. Hmmmmm... :-/

I am one of THE WORST procrastinators in the nation. Seriously. My Home Management Binder? My Holiday Notebook? Well, they have seen better days. I have read, though, that my "style" is that of a perfectionist. THIS is why I have trouble getting my stuff done. Because I want everything done correctly, NOW, I am somewhat incapacitated and unable to do any of it. Sad, huh? If I can't do it all perfectly, I will do none of it just as perfectly.

I started making my Christmas cards in the middle of September. I have done about 2 hours more work since. I am about 1/2 way done. Why? Because I need plan my "business," my holiday meal, my baking menu, my candy/baked goods gift, my holiday decorations, class parties and the Bon Jovi concert in April. (I know what you are thinking. You think I just pulled that out of thin air. No, my friends, THIS is how my brain works. My thoughts are everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink. And your kitchen sink. And her kitchen sink. And the poor kitchen sink that is sunk into some one's yard with the dead flowers drooping out of it.)

Thanksgiving is 3 weeks away! I haven't planned my menu yet. Because, for some reason, I feel the need to write down, look up, and plan THE SAME, TRADITIONAL MEAL WE HAVE YEAR AFTER YEAR!!!

UGH! WHY DO I DO THAT?

So the question becomes, "What do I do with it?" Well, if admitting I have a problem is the first step toward getting help, then I have a shot at recovery. I would then be able to learn to cut things out of my schedule that may, or may not be absolutely necessary

OR NOT!

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

Clark: "Hey, kids. I heard on the news that an airline pilot spotted Santa's sled on its way in from New York."

Eddie: "You serious, Clark?"

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

VIDEO CLIP

There's a word. SO sorry..... but still. Laughing my rump off!!!

YOU THINK?

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I'm sorry I ruined your lives and crammed 11 cookies into the VCR."

Buddy from ELF

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

Bernard: "Excuse me. Are we on a coffee break?"

Kid Elf: "We don't drink coffee."

Bernard: "THEN I GUESS THE BREAK IS OVER! Back to work. Thanks."

The Santa Clause

HALLOWEEN

Yes, I know it's a "dark" day.

Yes, I know that some Christians have problems with it.

Yes, I know that the kids really shouldn't be running to strangers' door for candy.

Yes, I know I shouldn't steal borrow check take the kids' chocolate.

I know! I know! I KNOW!

So, let me share a bit of our party time.

We went to a party with some great friends. Lots of food, fun and laughter. Most of these people go to our church. We dressed up. My kids dressed up. My boys were: Megatron, Optimus Prime, Spiderman and Spiderman, from oldest to youngest, respectively.

The party started at 7:13. At about 7:45, we loaded up all the kids on a trailer with bales of hay. The host with the most towed the trailer with his truck. Most of the adults rode along (or walked behind) to make sure nobody fell off or got left at any particular house. AND, a few of us females rode behind on a golf cart. We didn't want to miss out on their fun, but we (me, in particular) would have had trouble walking all that way.

Well, let me just show you.

Can you see me?

Can you find my hubby?

Bzzzzzz!

Danika and Aunt Jemima (our hosts)

Gangstas

The Incredibles

ARGH!

THIS dude (LOL) flashed my oldest son with his fake boobage....I think my oldest may now need therapy.

WAAAA!

Coffee? Tea? Or Milk?

(That "blemish" on his shoulder is a name tag that I removed.)

Captain for Mile High Airlines. "I am here to get you there!"

Tuckered.

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

Goggles: "I like the Wizard of Oz. I like the Tin Man."

Ralphie: "Yeah"

A Christmas Story

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY

My friend Lisa hosts a blog-carnival called Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. A BUNCH of ladies post and link up with their favorite recipes, tips and even questions. Give it a look-see and then join on in!!!

The below portion was posted last year around this time. I reposted it as it is very timely. VERY. TIMELY. Did you realize that Turkey Day is 3 weeks and 2 days away. That's 23 days. That's 552 minutes. That's..... oh, never mind. You get the idea.

I LOVE this time of year. The weather is superb. And here in Texas... MAN, OH MAN! We have had over 20 inches in my neck of the woods since the very end of September. My ground is still spongy. The last 3 days have been mild and clear as a bell. It will probably mean a very warm turkey day, but I'm TIRED OF THE RAIN! I'll take mild. Maybe.

SO, let's talk turkey! Have you gotten any of your stuff yet? I have been so behind. Various things have thrown me off this year. I am having to regroup. And, I have to do it in a hurry. I need to get an inventory of my pantry, fridge and freezer. I need to get the garage fridge cleaned out and plugged in. I need to plan my menu for the day. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I HAVEN'T PLANNED MY MENU! Granted, it usually stays the same with a few difference each year.

What are your plans for the Thanksgiving Day? What are some things that you will be thinking of including on your menu? Come on over and share with me. I have been a bit lackadaisical in my blogging. For the 2 of you who read, I'm sorry. I HOPE to be finding new "oomph."

Keep reading! Get ready! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Turkey is one of the easiest things to fix, but so many have never done it and are a bit overwhelmed.

First off, you want to allow roughly 2 pounds per person so if you have 10 adults, you need at least a 20 pound bird...I would allow 1 pound per child. This will feed everyone well and allow leftovers which are a MUST! Keep in mind that when you look at the tag with the weight, they are including bones...you are not getting 20 pounds of meat and an adult isn't going to eat 2 pounds of it.

When you buy your turkey, it needs to be bought with enough time to thaw or defrost. (I have a former friend who would say "dethaw." Huh?)

To thaw in the fridge you need to allow 1 day per 4 pounds. So, a 20 pound turkey will need 5 days....Thanksgiving is on Thursday. Your 20 pound bird should be bought and in the fridge by Saturday! There is another way to thaw...using a cold water bath, but this is a pain in the tush. You have to change out the water every 30 minutes. It's messy and you have a mushy, gross mess if there happens to be a hole in the wrap. Also, if the bird gets TOO warm, you do run the risk of bacteria in the meat. Just buy it a week early and keep it in the fridge.

Thursday morning you need to get up EARLY (if you want your feast at lunch) and work on prepping "Tom." If you buy that 20 pound turkey, you will need to bake it 3 1/2 to 4 hours. (Until a meat thermometer, stuck in the inner thigh (don't touch the bone) reads 180.) You really don't want a "self-basting" turkey, as that tends to mask the flavor of the turkey (IMHO). At the same time, if you buy a frozen bird, it doesn't get much better than Butterball....again, IMHO.

So, unwrap your turkey, rinse inside and out.

****VERY IMPORTANT**** Remove the bag with the giblets and neck.

Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Oil the skin. (here is where opinion comes into play) You can brush with vegetable oil, spray with cooking spray or rub with butter.

Personally, I like to take a handful of softened butter (quite literally) and rub it over the breast UNDER the skin AND on top of the skin. This will keep the bird moist and will brown the skin nicely.

Sprinkle both outside AND cavity with salt and pepper. Then fill the cavity with aromatics. (I personally don't do stuffing. The thought grosses me out (it also adds baking time) I do a pan of dressing.) I fill cavity with onion, celery, thyme, garlic, maybe lemon slices. You won't eat this, but it flavors the meat mildly.

Tuck the wings under the body to prevent them from browning too much. Tie the legs together. (You want to do this as the legs loosen from the body and the skin will break. You will end up with leg bones and meat just hanging off the body....broken skin and a lot of moisture lost) Some folks say to skewer the opening...I don't because I don't stuff with a side dish.

Put turkey, breast side up, (flat portion down), in a roasting pan. You NEED something heavy-duty. If you do buy a disposable roasting pan, it will need to be put on a cookie sheet or other heavy-duty baking pan. I have placed it flat on the pan, roasted it in a bag (in the pan) and put the turkey on a rack.) I have had success with all 3, so don't freak if you don't have a turkey-bag. I will say this, a bag helps with clean-up as the juices can really stick to the pan. Just be sure to cut a vent in the bag and allow enough room for the steam to "puff up" the bag. You don't want it to touch the top of the oven. My preference is to place it on a rack.

Put the turkey into a 325 degree oven and bake for at least 5 1/2 hours (for a 20 pound turkey). The last 30 minutes to an hour, you might need to tent some foil over the breast to keep it from getting too brown and too dry. You won't do this if you use a bag.

Before taking it out, check for doneness. One easy way is to grab a leg-bone and move it back and forth. If it moves easily, it should be done...or really close to being done. I like to check the temp. I stick a meat thermometer into the inner thigh (where it is thickest...NOT touching the bone) to see if it reads "180." If yes, I remove from oven.

Final step before carving....LET THE MEAT REST FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES. Keep it covered with foil to retain heat. Really, this step is very necessary. ANY meat that you roast should sit out for a bit. As the meat is roasting, the juice tends to head to the surface and evaporate. While the meat is resting, the juices redistribute leading to a moist meat. If you carve too soon, a lot of the juice will run out at the first cut.

Carve, either at the table or in the kitchen. (This is what I prefer. I carve it and arrange on a platter to put in the center of the table.)

Well, there you go. I hope this was helpful. Another great help is Butterball...the company. You can go to butterball.com and they can give you MANY turkey tips. They even have a hot linethat you can call on Thanksgiving Day to help will any "uh-ohs" or other concerns you may have. This site can tell you what sized bird to buy (depending on your needs) and has many helpful hints, blogs, coupons and more. Please go over and take a look.

If you know me personally, feel free to call me. Really. I have done this before. I love it.

Let me know how you like this idea. I'm kinda pumped, myself!

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Of course you're not an elf. You're six-foot-three and had a beard since you were fifteen."

Leon the Snowman from Elf

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"From now on, gang, we won't let Rudolph join in any reindeer games."

Comet the Coach from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

CHRISTMAS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing."

Judy the elf from The Santa Clause