Black Friday

It all starts at 6pm Thanksgiving evening at Aunt Toots house. The family gathers bringing all their ads. First you must say the pledge with Uncle Joe. Then a note taker is assigned and the planning begins. Uncle Joe will take the notes this year. Third you must go figure out what times the stores open. 4am, 5am, 6am, 7am. Finally you go through the ads one store at a time a tell the note taker, uncle Joe, what you want from that store. Razor, jeans, digital camera, game, crockpot, lcd television, crayola beginnings were just some of the items on our compiled list. Finally you must decide your plan of shopping action. Tammy will drop Joe off with Andrea at Staples while she goes to walmart then she will pick them up head to sears and finally off to Kokomo or Muncie to get to Menards before all the bargains are gone.

Here is Tammy beatting the crowd. No hip action or door beating down needed this year. We were the only ones there.

Happy Turkey Day!

I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! May you spend the day with loved ones and feel blessed.

We are now off to Grandma Smiths house for some delicious sweet potatoes!

Enjoy the turkey,
Leah

A little sad

Tonight, the eve of Thanksgiving, I can't help but feel a little sad. Today the doctor stopped the chemo and radiation treatments on my Grandma Jo, and hospice was called in.

Back in October, the doctors found a tumor in her brain. Please pray that there is peace for our family as we go through this difficult time in the midst of the Holiday Season.


A couple memories. Going to the lake on the weekends with her and grandpa jo and going out in the paddle boat. Before we ever got there we would have to stop at the grocery store and buy two weeks worth of groceries for just two nights. Spending the night on Friday evenings at their house on Lawson and getting to go to breakfast on at Jim Dandy Restaurant and eating biscuits and gravy on saturday morning. Sneeking into the pantry with my sister sara jane on those Friday nights and eating "Club" crackers. :)

Sad, but very thankful and blessed for my Grandma Jo.


Leah

We tried.

Last night at church I wanted to get a picture of Levi and Amelia. They were semi - coordinated with both wearing brown and having hats. Well this is what we ended up with. Amelia will not sit still, especially if it is Levi trying to hold her. At least you can still see that they are beautiful children.

During church my mother-in-law and I had Amelia corralled in the pew so that she could not escaped and run to her dad on the platform. Millie went up to her grandma pushed her legs and said, "move." We both cracked up laughing.

I'd say he is dead!

I am very happy to report that we have successfully caught and killed the mouse that decided to make our house his home!!! I love all creatures that God made, but I have decided that I will not share my home with any bug, spider, ant, mouse, cat, dog, crickett...you get the point.

I was having an emotional breakdown, because we had not yet caught the little creature that was leaving droppings everywhere. I went to the store bought some more poison to put out then I came home and started cleaning out my cabinet. Everything washed and cleaned just in case. When I went to put the poison behind the couch in the basement, this is what I found. I hope I didn't wake up my neighbors, and thank goodness Scott was home.

A warning to all mice out ther. If you decide to move in there is poison and traps all over and you will get caught!!! See picture above.

Rodent free once again,

Leah

I am thankful...

Today, I am very thankful for insurance. For 9 years Scott and I bought our own insurance. It was expensive and covered very little. There has never been a time in our marriage that we have not had some kind of medical bill that we were making payments on. We are currently still paying for Millie Bug. Hopefully by her third birthday she will be paid for.

Now that Scott is out of the self employment business and works for Veolia Water we have insurance. With Levi's recent tests and procedures we didn't know how much would be covered, but we knew it would be better than what we had before.

Today I got an email from my insurance company giving me the details of the claims. They are as follows.

$6,624.73 - hospital expenses.
$2,095.oo - Doctors bill
$1,100.00 - pathologist
$850.00 - anesthesiologist
$340.00 - consultation fee

Our cost $23.77.

Today I am very thankful for Scott's job and the insurance benefit!

Sweet potatoes

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, my mom has been planning and preparing our ever so delicious meal. She asked me what I could bring. This has got me thinking. If you read my sister's blogs you know that they both enjoy cooking and exploring new recipes. So I have thought about this.

Sweet potatoes, this is something that we always have at big family dinners where my mom or grandma will peel sweet potatoes and drench them with butter and brown sugar and then bake them. Mmmmmmm, they are good.

If my sister Sara Jane would bring the sweet potatoes this year we would probably get...

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Purée

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1 3/4-pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeded
2 pounds yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes; about 4), halved lengthwise
1/2 cup (or more) canned beef broth
1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1 3/4-pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeded
2 pounds yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes; about 4), halved lengthwise
1/2 cup (or more) canned beef broth
1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray large baking sheet with cooking spray. Place squash and yams on prepared baking sheet, cut side down. Roast until very tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. Scoop out flesh and transfer to large saucepan. Mash with potato masher until smooth. Stir in broth and ras el hanout. Season puree to taste with salt and pepper. (Puree can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, and sugar. Sauté until onions are golden brown and tender, about 15 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm before continuing.)
Bring puree to simmer, adding more broth to thin if necessary. Stir in 3/4 of onion-bell pepper mixture. Transfer to serving bowl. Top with remaining onion-bell pepper mixture and serve.

If my sister Susan would bring the sweet potatoes, we might get...

Sweet Potatoe Casserole

4 lbs. sweet potatoes

1⁄2 cup evaporated milk

1⁄2 cup sugar

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt

1⁄2 tsp. ground allspice

2 eggs, beaten

3⁄4 cup roasted salted cashews

1⁄2 cup light brown sugar

3 tbsp. flour

2 cups mini marshmallows

1. Heat oven to 400°. Place sweet potatoes on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet; bake until soft, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Let cool.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Peel potatoes; pass them through a food mill into a bowl. Whisk in evaporated milk, sugar, 4 tbsp. of the butter, vanilla extract, salt, allspice, and eggs. Transfer to a 2-qt. oval baking dish.

3. In a food processor, pulse together cashews, brown sugar, flour, and remaining 2 tbsp. of butter until coarsely ground. Crumble cashew mixture over half of casserole; top other half with marshmallows. Bake until marshmallows are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Now if i were to bring the sweet potatoes we would more than likely get.......wait for it......

Canned Yams.

Open can

place candied yams in serving dish

place in microwave and heat until warm.

throw some marshmallows on top.

Who do you want to bring the sweet potatoes?

How did three girls end up so different?

I love them both and will leave the cooking up to them.

Here is to easy meals and quick clean up!

Leah