Thursday, November 7, 2013

Random Ramblin's


You'll have to excuse me if this post contains typos...I'm typing on my new laptop (affiliate link)  and it's taking some serious getting used to.  The keyboard is completely different and is off center from what I'm used to.  I see carpal tunnel in my future and a potential rectangular frisbee throwing contest.  This post posted right in the middle of me putting it together so that was awesome...not.  Time will tell if I'll keep it or just get a solid state drive and stick it in my old piece of crap Dell.  The Mr got his new tablet yesterday so he was setting up all kinds of crap.  Kind of made his hooky day feel like work.  I don't mean this to sound mean but watching him gleefully whiz through his tablet makes me want to flick him in the forehead.  If only he could be as equally frustrated with his new toy as I am with mine.  We'll just say I'm not getting rid of the box within the next week.

We got in an early workout which is always nice but we were both so sore from the kettlebell workout the night before that it was a bit on the painful side.  The kind of pain that you know you need to go through to loosen things up and stretch your bits out.  But I'll take almost 1100 calories worth of bit stretching.  I was a little bummed to find out the heart rate monitor we've relied on for years is discontinued or if it's still out there, I can't seem to find it.  So if we need to replace ours at some point, I'll need to do some research.

I need to get some ingredients for a Thanksgiving dessert recipe I want to try.  It's been brewin' in mah brain for a few months and I might make it Sunday night so we can have a slice and I'll send the rest to work with the Mr.  Ooh, I've said too much.  I hate that Thanksgiving is late this year, it's throwing off my whole schedule.  We kind of lose the whole first week of December since the first Saturday is the 7th.   I need to get the rest of my projects finished up and we have to clean some spots in the basement to put these projects there so I can get my office looking like an office and not like Staples threw up in there.  I don't know why I'm telling you guys all this, maybe it's like if I type it out, I have to do it?  HA!  That's funny.  Because it's worked so well in the past.

I was informed not too long ago that we wouldn't be having two turkeys for Thanksgiving.   This translates to no leftovers which sucks because hello, the best part of the weekend after Thanksgiving is leftovers!  So I'm going to do our own turkey all fancy pants the way *we* like it since the family's idea of seasoning is salt.  I have to say the thing I'm going to miss the most is Grandma's noodles.  The past two years have been a no go with her condition and hats off to my aunt and uncle for trying but they're not the same.  I may try to give them a go in secret because I don't want to be saddled with the work but I'm hoping the noodle tutorial I taped with her when we realized something was wrong will help me out.

Have you started planning your Thanksgiving menu yet?  What two things (other than turkey, too easy) makes you look forward to Thanksgiving dinner?

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31 comments:

  1. I sure hope your laptop works out for you in the end. It's actually a pretty nice one but it's all about how it feels for your most important tasks.

    I am worried about the whole heart rate monitor thing too. Ours haven't always been stellar in terms of being completely accurate but some of the reviews I've read about others tend to be worse so yeah, lots of research to do there.

    I am looking forward to your turkey for thanksgiving but since I can't say that I will have to say that I always look forward to the noodles and your stuffing. Oh and no thanksgiving would be complete without a good cheeseball.

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    1. I hope so too. I'm forcing myself to use it today so we'll see.

      I think the problem with your HRM is you use that crappy gel with it and I think it harms your reading. Every time I tried to use it, it screwed up my reading so I don't think it's the HRM's fault. Hopefully we won't have to replace them any time soon.

      And by good cheeseball, you mean MINE! :-)

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  2. The stuffing. I don't usually eat it at other times of the year but when November rolls around, I go nuts. And mashed taters and gravy. yeah, gravy mmmm gravy

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    1. Stuffing is my favorite. I make homemade for us because we appreciate the effort. Since I've learned my family just likes anything from a box, I get TJ's brand which is less salty and save myself the laborious process of from scratch stuffing. But yeah, I could live on that stuff!

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  3. Pie, all the way. I don't eat much pie throughout the year so when T-giving rolls around I'm so ready for it. Apple and pumpkin, but pumpkin is my first choice.

    I also like other pumpkin flavored items, like muffins, cookies, and breads (as long as there aren't any nuts--nuts ruin baked goods).

    (and on the topic of stuffing, I've never been a fan--dry out bread just to mix it with melted butter and eggs and some seasonings and stuff it into the bird's hoo-haw then eat it? No thanks. My mother and sister battle to get the bit that hangs out of the birds nethers. They can have it.)

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    1. I've got 2 pie's worth of Michigan Spy apples all cut up and ready to chuck in a pie crust. I'm going to try my hand at apple crumb sometime soon! Nuts absolutely ruin baked goods. Stick it on top if you must so the rest of us can flick them off.

      Um, I'm not eating anything that's been in a turkey's @ss. My stuffing is baked in a pan. I've done it in the rump one time and it was wrapped in cheesecloth for easy removal but I saw no advantage to it so I never did it again.

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  4. No leftovers? If my hubby heard that he'd keel over from shock right then and there. He's a huge turkey fan, and leftovers are his domain. I hope when you decide to try the noodles they come out right, I know how emotionally tied you are to them.

    I'm actually not a huge Thanksgiving fan. I'd be happy to do a Thanksgiving lasagna or pizza. Hubby is all about the turkey though and I might get strung up for blasphemy if I followed through. I tried your recipe for stuffing last year and I really liked it and thought it was totally worth the effort so I'll probably make it again - but hubby will make a box version to stuff in the bird because I won't let him use "mine". I also make rolls that I really like and a mustard sauce that I only make on the holidays so those are good. I think the thing I most look forward to though is a few extra days off work and time spent with my family.

    I have a laptop that took some getting used to (Window 8) but I also have a wireless mouse and full size ergonomic keyboard attached so unless I'm using the laptop in another room it's just like having a desktop.

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    1. I know! Leftovers is just as big of a tradition as the original meal itself! Our family is apparently doing a ham and turkey and I'm sorry but ham is for Easter. (Or Christmas with my other Grandma)

      So glad you liked my stuffing recipe! We like it and I'm looking forward to it because I freeze it into portions and we can whip it out whenever we like for that comforting meal. (And no, it shouldn't go in a bird! LOL)

      I had the Mr set up my laptop so it looks exactly like my old Window 7 one. I HATE Windows 8 and refuse to use that tile crap. No touch screen...turned off. I like what I like, I'm 80 years old inside and a technology curmudgeon! :-)

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    2. I usually fix a Hormel Cure 81 ham for T-giving, along with the turkey, for the non-turkey lovers (my son!). But with hubby's stage 4 cancer, and his need to stay away from nitrates in cured meat, I'm afraid ham is a no-no, so son will have to bring his own this year if he won't eat my delicious (if I do say so myself) turkey!!! For a big guy--he's awfully picky!

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  5. This year, my mother is cooking. She's making a Turducken. I actually don't even like turkey that much, so we usually don't have it. I'm throwing a mini-thanksgiving for my dad and stepmom tomorrow, and I'm making braised short ribs.

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    1. Blasphemy! ;-) My Italian friend never has turkey either. It's a mass of Italian classics like meatballs, lasagna, that stuffed steak I can't spell, etc. I think you just have what makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside and enjoy the time with family you might not always see as often. Mmm, short ribs! Eat some for me!

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  6. My parents always cook a 25+ pound bird, so there are always leftovers at our house. Go big or go home. ;)

    I think the secret to Grandma's noodles? Love. :)

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    1. That's right baby!! I think I usually do a 22 lber since like 5 lbs of it is in the turkey legs and those are the Mr's domain. The rest are for lunches and a dinner or two until we're turkeyed out.

      I think you're absolutely right! I might ask to borrow Grandma's rolling pin to try mine, for luck. :-)

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  7. U will get it all together!! electronics are a pain initially..I remember when i switched from my moto razor to the IPHone..I hated it..now I miss my iphone (use HTC now)..

    No thanksgiving for us...I will be busy shopping for a washer/Dryer....

    Manasa

    PS; we bought a house last week...new builder home so delivery in MArch..so yay excited..only thing we need to buy for now is a w asher/dryer..suggestions welcome

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    1. CONGRATS!!! So happy for you!! We have an LG top loader and love it. http://www.homedepot.com/p/LG-Electronics-4-7-cu-ft-High-Efficiency-Top-Load-Washer-in-White-ENERGY-STAR-WT5070CW/203220056#.UnugKtF3vIU

      There used to be balance issues with it but there was a recall and they just had to do a software update so you might see bad reviews for it like 6 months ago but that issue isn't a problem anymore. We've cut our laundry day in half. Darks in one load, whites in another. It gets everything clean and you're good to go.

      I can say if you're looking for upgraded appliances do NOT look at GE Profile. We bought the whole line 3 years ago and they all suck. (Fridge, dishwasher and stove)

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    2. Wow--I have always salivated over that GE Profile line of appliances. Thanks for clearing that up Anele, and for satisfying my desire without me having to spend any money to find out the painful truth!

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    3. They are all very pretty but all have had issues so I'd suggest anyone who does get them gets an extended warranty. (Well on any appliances really) The dishwasher is the biggest piece o' poo I've used. Sigh. I'd recommend Bosch. We've had them in several home rentals and they all were quiet and cleaned really well!

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  8. Well, since I'm Canadian my Thanksgiving for this year is already done. However, what I look forward to the most is the cooking for others. I love all of the planning of the meal, searching for new recipes, tips on how to improve and/or save time for existing recipes, and working with my guests preferences. If you haven't figured it out already, I do most of the cooking for one meal, and usually contribute to a pot-luck with friends.

    This year I got to offload the turkey to my boyfriend who deep fried it. Wasn't bad, but got cooked a little too long. On the up side I think I have finally perfected my pie crust. I made a simple apple pie with local apples and the crust turned out light and flaky. A first for me. My grandma always made the best pie crust but her recipe never worked for me and now that she is gone, she can't feed me tips on how to improve. So I struggle, but I think I've finally made it my own.

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    1. I look forward to the cooking too even if I gripe about it a little. ;-)

      Pie crust can be difficult and it's especially hard to make it light and flaky. If you're in the mood for sharing, shoot me an email but I understand if you want to keep it to yourself. :-)

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  9. Aren't kettlebell workouts the absolute worst? But they hurt so good in the best way.

    D @ The Kosher Cave Girl

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    1. You know, I actually like the Paul Katami kettlebell workout we have and I usually look forward to it but my lower back was tweaked so the workout was low on the happiness meter. I think this tells me I need to do kettlebells more often! :-) To quote John Mellencamp...it hurts so good in the days following!

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  10. Thanksgiving late? I thought it was early. It's the closest I can remember it coming to my birthday...the day after.

    I look forward the most to the pumpkin pie, the closest I can come to my grandmother's recipe now that I can't find sorghum molasses anywhere. And the stuffing. I object to what you northerners call stuffing; mine has cornbread, apples, celery, onions, turkey broth and seasonings. No eggs. Only a little dried bread. You cook it in the turkey because that's what keeps it moist. Then you put giblet gravy on it, mmmmmm.

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    1. Thanksgiving is the 28th.

      Why object? It's varying recipes that make this world go round baby. You make your version and everyone else will make theirs. Don't think southerners are the only people who make it with cornbread sistah! ;)

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    2. Glad you told me it's the 28th, I thought it was the third Thursday--the 21st. I object because most stuffing I've had other than mine outside the south is gooey and yucky.

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  11. Just two? My cornbread-sausage stuffing and frosty cranberry mold

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  12. I hear ya on the homemade noodles. when my Mom died in 1990, the homemade chicken noodles were gone. I have tried and tried to replicate her delicious pasta, but they are never quite the same. I have heard rumors that my last surviving great aunt (of a family of 18 siblings--she was the youngest) has given instructions on homemade noodle making at her home in Arizona. Maybe a trip to see her is in order?

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    1. That or a phone call! Maybe ask her if she could write the instructions down and send it to you. There's nothing like handwritten recipes!

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    2. Great idea. Since she's 87, I better write her soon!

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  13. For me, it's the stuffing I make and the cheesy potatoes. Something else that I really like (I'm pretty much the only one in the family who eats it, though, so not sure if I'll make it) is cranberry orange bread. I'm making my list this week and will buy just about everything but the turkey and fresh stuff this weekend. I have to work the day after Thanksgiving (in convenient/urgent care of all things....I'm sooooooo dreading that!), so I'll need to wait for the leftovers till that night. The hubs is lucky because he'll get to munch on them all day long...brat.

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    1. Mmm, cheesy potatoes. I haven't had those in ages! You know, it may sound weird but I think that cranberry orange bread mixed with some cornbread or sweet bread would make some awesome dressing! (Or cube them up and bake them for sweet croutons for a salad. We went to this restaurant that had jalapeno cornbread made into croutons and I'm maim for those things again!

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