Turkey Day

Well, a very busy, tiring day. "The" turkey made into the oven today thanks to Nathan's help. We got it all set up and the new probe worked well as did the "turkey mode" on the oven...cooked it to perfection. Tonight's photo is just prior to it reaching the set temperature. Nathan came and got the turkey out of the oven and moved it to the carving board. I made gravy. Once the turkey cooled some, I carved it...as in took all the meat off...such a job! My shoulders and feet and back are aching tonight! After I got the meat off the bones, I added all the bones into my stock pot and made turkey broth. All the jobs today were greasy...I don't cook "greasy" very often and what a mess when it comes to clean up! I have a lot of those greasy dishes in the dishwasher, but a lot of the big pans had to be washed by hand...the meat rack, the roasting pan, the carving board, etc. So I have had my hands in the dishwater all too much today! I have quickly cooled the turkey broth by filling the sink with cold water and then adding ice...several times added bowls of ice. It cooled down and it is in the refrigerator cooling the rest of the way. I will remove the fat that rose to the top tomorrow. It was funny, after all the carving, cleaning, etc., I wasn't interested in eating turkey today...so had gumbo for supper. I did eat a couple of small slices of turkey...one dark meat and one white meat. Tasted good but after dealing with all the mess, I just didn't want it for supper! Tomorrow I will enjoy some of what I messed with today! I am tired and very ready to put my feet up and rest. Nothing to do with Christmas or the wedding happened today. I had hoped to work on Abigail's dress...but that didn't happen. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

'Tis-The-Season Busy!

I've been going in lots of directions today...got quite a bit done, but still have lots to do. I did do more "Thanksgiving" cooking today...BUT...didn't get the main thing I planned to cook cooked...the turkey! I asked Nathan come sometime today to help me manhandle my hefty bird. Nathan told me yesterday that he and Elijah were going hunting in the morning and he would come after he got back. He said that it might be later than sooner "if" one of them got a deer. Well, one of them did get a deer...Elijah! So Nathan and Elijah had quite the job doing whatever one has to do with a deer after it is killed...I didn't ask for details!!! Nathan got so involved with that task that by the time he was finished, he was tired and forgot about my request. I called Nathan mid afternoon and told him that at this point I needed to put off the cooking of my turkey until tomorrow...so more "Thanksgiving" cooking tomorrow. I did make the dressing today. I worked on Abigail's bridesmaid dress...got taken apart what needed to be taken apart. Once I get the turkey in the oven tomorrow, I will perhaps head to the seewing room and put back together what I took apart. Last night after I got back home from Melany and Wade's, I started printing my Christmas cards. I decided that I wanted to use one of my photos for my cards this year. I got them all printed. Today I foded them, got them cut apart, signed half of them, wrote a short letter to include in the cards, and have started addressing them. I am happy with them. I borrowed a stamp from Melany for an inside message for my cards. We had a great meal yesterday and enjoyed visiting with each other. I enjoyed the extra time with Alex and Brooke on our trip to and from. Erin was able to join us for the meal, but she is not doing well. I need to work on the two bridesmaid dresses tomorrow, but also need to work on finishing Christmas ornaments and need to continue on with my cards. I also need to take Fall decor off my front porch and replace with Christmas/Winter decor. I got pillow covers for Christmas/Winter today...so have that job to do, too. My head is in a whirl...but...then...it is...'Tis the season!To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Happy Thanksgiving 2025 From The Proctors and Me!

Starting to Smell Like Thanksgiving

But these pies are the end of "the smells of Thanksgiving" for here for today and tomorrow, as we have changed plans for Thanksgiving. In the end we have decided to have Thanksgiving at Melany, Wade, and Erin's. Erin isn't doing very well at the moment and we have decided that it would be better for them to stay at their house. Alex and Brooke are going to come here to pick me up and take me to Murfreesboro. They live about a half hour from me...it is a bit of a back step to come my way before heading to Melany's, but not too far out of their way. I guess, to get Grammy! I learn more every day that we need to be flexible! So in the end I am only taking the Autumn gelatin salad and two pies. I should have taken advantage of the extra time that I was given since I don't have as much to prepare for, but I haven't been a good manager of time. I do have the two ornaments that I wanted to finish last night all but finished...just have to add the cord to hang it from and sew on a couple of buttons. I'm planning on doing that next. I want to take one of these to Melany and Wade...it is the ornament that I didn't get finished for them last year! Better late than never? I plan to cook my turkey on Friday along with some of the fixings so I will have some leftovers...read that as LOTS of leftovers. Cheryl and I were talking earlier and both agree that our favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

A Day Closer With Preparations

I've had a good day for getting ready...made the best of a rainy day. The mess you see pictured on the kitchen counter is what was needed to make pie crusts for the pies that I will make tomorrow. The second picture is of the pie dough discs that are resting in the refrigerator "developing the gluten." I have the kitchen all cleaned up and have everything out to make the pumpkin pie tomorrow. I plan to make a pecan and an apple pie also...at least pumpkin and pecan...we'll see about the apple! I also made Autumn Salad, a gelatin salad. I had all the cooking finished before noon...then I did a few cleaning chores. I have managed to mark off everything from my list that I was to do today and did all but one of the things that I hadn't finished yesterday. Abigail's dress still hasn't been touched. I even managed to get in a nap. I was especially happy with the mail today...first I got a Thanksgiving card from friends who formerly lived in Tullahoma. They decided to send out Thanksgiving cards rather than Christmas cards...or as she said Valentine's cards, since she often missed the Christmas deadline and sent their cards out after Christmas. The other thing that I was really glad to see arrive in the mail was the meat thermometer probe for my oven. Mine broke the last time I used it. So I had ordered so I would be sure to have it by Thanksgiving, but it had been delayed and I had been told that it wouldn't arrive till next week, so very glad to find it in my mailbox today. And, the oven recognized it when I plugged it in so hopefully it is good to help me out on Thanksgiving to let me know when Mr. Turkey is finished! I am all set up to make the pumpkin pie in the morning. Picture to follow. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Preparations Underway!

It has been a busy day. I made a list of "things" that I wanted to get done...well, that is comical, as most on the list are still not done. Tonight's photo shows something that got done on my list. I wanted to find all the dishes/pans that I need to use to prepare my part of Thursday's feast. I wanted to get all the things that are up high down, while I had the stepstool out (for decorating things up high). That way all my climbing up and down would be done and I could put the stepstool away. I put the ingredients near to what I will be using to make the recipes. I actually covered the roasting pan with foil...something that I don't think I have done before and am hoping that makes the clean up of that pan much easier. And, having it done prior to the day I need to use it should make it easier, too. Once I had all that organized, them I turned to on making me something to eat prior to Thanksgiving...I wanted to make this over the weekend, but the shrimp hadn't thawed...so today was the day and there was no turning back since the shrimp was thawed. I made Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo...and I will say, "Yummy!" Totally not Thanksgiving food...which is what I wanted since I will have plenty of Thanksgiving leftovers after Thursday's feast! Kathy, her mom, Joy, Isaac, and Joseph stopped by this afternoon. We had a nice visit and the boys did their good deed of the day for me...they blew leaves from my front yard to the curb and blew or swept off my front walkway and driveway. That was an unexpected perk for my day! I went to prayer meeting this evening and am now home. I guess time will tell if I get anything more crossed off my list of to-dos for today! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Sunday Favorite