Uh Oh, Where'd it Go?

Before I post Thanksgiving photos, I have to share my turkey prep story.

Ben and I hosted Thanksgiving this year. Therefore, it was my job to get the turkey in the oven....and take out its neck and giblets....yucky. I set the turkey down, and pulled out its neck. It was still a bit frozen, so I had to tug. I pulled out some more ice chips, and went to find the bag o giblets. Only, they were not there. I could not feel them anywhere. I rinsed out the inside of the bird, but I still couldn't find them. I shined Ben's flashlight down into the bird....it was completely empty....no giblets.

So, I called Ben's mom. She had never experienced a case where a turkey did not have its giblets. However, she did accidentally cook them in the bird one time, and the turkey did not suffer. I figured it was safe and I went ahead and put the bird in the oven. The bird cooked nice and brown and four hours later, it was out of the oven and Ben's dad took on the carving duties.

As he neared the end of carving the bird, my mom exclaimed "There they are!" He found the giblets. Where were they? They were stuck way down behind a piece bone. The only way I could have removed them was to cut off the other part of the turkey and pull them out!

Fall Decor

Since I am going to start decorating our home for Christmas, I decided to share my fall decorations with you before it was too late!

I started decorating in mid September. Here are some of my first decorations.

Leaf Garlands and Orange and Yellow Gerber Daisies
adorn my kitchen cabinet ledge.

I added Thanksgiving pictures to my frames.

For our table centerpiece. I placed a candle in a wreath of fall flowers.

Ben gave me these perfect fall plates for our anniversary!

I picked up the pumpkin trivet at a Harry and David's Outlet store.
I did not know I needed it until I saw it!

On the plant stand, I arranged a pumpkin and some more flowers.

Even my bookshelf got a touch of fall with the simple leaf arrangement,
fabric base and autumn colored card.

Isn't this pumpkin cute? I found it at a local bazaar and could not resist.
I look forward to using it for many years to come!

Next, I will post Thanksgiving pictures!

Fall Scarecrow Treats

Check out these cute scarecrow cookies I made for our church group! Ben thought they were snowmen. Actually, almost everyone who saw them thought they were snowmen. But, they did concede that the cookies had hair...not usually found on snowmen.

The cookies are sugar cookies from the store. I frosted them with vanilla icing. The hat is a sugar wafer cookie, mouth is a Twizzler pull apart, hair is leftover bran cereal, the eyes are chocolate chips, and of course, the nose is a candy corn.

They weren't to difficult to make at all. Ben helped me and we finished in under an hour.

The idea came from one of my new favorite craft and cooking sites: Skip to My Lou.

Voting

The average man votes below himself; he votes with half a mind or a hundredth part of one.
A man ought to vote with the whole of himself, as he worships or gets married.
A man ought to vote with his head and heart, his soul and stomach, his eye for faces and his ear for music; also (when sufficiently provoked) with his hands and feet.
If he has ever seen a fine sunset, the crimson color of it should creep into his vote. …
The question is not so much whether only a minority of the electorate votes.
The point is that only a minority of the voter votes."

— G.K. Chesterton

Security

O God, Our Help in Ages Past

"O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home!

Under the shadow of Thy throne Still may we dwell secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone, And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood, Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God, To endless years the same.

A thousand ages in Thy sight Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night, Before the rising sun.

O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guide while life shall last, And our eternal home!"

Guess the Mystery Object

If you guessed an old butterfly mop, yes you would be correct. You get extra gold stars, however, if you said the tool my husband used get the dead mouse off our back porch!

Last week, I opened the back door to walk outside and saw a dead gray mouse laying on the concrete. I shrieked from the surprise, shut the door, and did not go back outside until Ben kindly took care of it!

My Chicken Strip Basket

Ben introduced me to the chicken strips and fries baskets at Red Robin. We have taken to splitting the basket so we do not get too full. Plus, in doing so, we save room for dessert....(apple crisp!) A few months ago, I decided to create my own strips. They are healthier, not quite as tasty, but Ben loves them! For last week's meal (featured above), I added potato fries as well.

Chicken Strips Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Slice two breasts of thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts into four to five strips each.
3. In a shallow bowl or dish, (I eyeball this part) mix about 1/2 to 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, about 1T or so Parmesan cheese, some Italian seasoning, a couple pinches of pepper, and whatever other seasonings you see fit. That is all I usually put though. It is not necessary to over do it.
4. Individually place strips in crumb mix and turn to coat. Arrange on a wire rack set on top of a sheet pan.
5. Place in oven. Bake, uncovered, for about 12 minutes.
6. Remove from oven. Turn strips over.
7. Place back in oven and cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes longer, or until no longer pink inside.

Potato Fries

1. Preheat oven to 425 F
2. Peel and slice 2 russet potatoes into wedges or strips.
3. In a plastic bag or container, mix 1T olive oil, a couple pinches of pepper, and 1/2 teaspoons of your desired seasoning (dillweed, parmesan cheese, basil, or a combination).
4. Place potato slices in bag, shake to mix.
5. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with PAM.
6. Lay potato slices in a single layer on the foil. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes. Check every 5 minutes to rotate the potatoes with tongs or a spatula.
7. Potatoes are done when lightly browned and crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.

Thank you for reading about my dinner. Let me know if you try it yourself!