Quasi Xmas Decorating

I'm not usually one for putting up Christmas decorations right after Thanksgiving. I usually wait until at least December 1st! But this year we didn't really have a choice since we weren't going to be home the first two weekends in December! So decorate on Thanksgiving weekend we did.


We've decided that this year, and all subsequent years we Christmas in England (doesn't that just sound so fancified), we're going to have a fake Christmas tree. I think I told you this already. If not, it's in a draft somewhere, so I'm telling you again because I'm too lazy to go look. So we're having a fake Christmas tree. I've never had my own fake Christmas tree! There were a few years where I didn't have a tree at all when I lived with roommates and we decorated a potted palm tree, but whenever I've actually had a tree, it's been real. I love the smell and feel and look of it. Truth be told, I've never really understood why someone would want a fake tree when they could have a real one?? I guess it just boils down to personal preference. Whatevs. My point is, I like real in my house. And every year we Christmas in the US (doesn't sound nearly as fancified), we will have a real tree. This, I vow.

When I say "we decided", btw, what I actually mean is Tim had a good point and I agreed with him. For once. Usually when Tim starts telling me what to do with decorative items in the house it doesn't bode well for him. Lol. But this time, he said we wouldn't be around to water it and we're not around in December really at all to enjoy it, so we should just get a fake tree. I'm not gonna lie, it took me a little while to accept this, being the real tree hugger lover that I am, but eventually I saw that he was right. There's not much point rushing around, getting a real tree, decorating it, then leaving it to die for a few weeks while we're out of town. So we acquired my Grandude's old fake tree. It's a little... small (it's slightly taller than me). I seem to recall a couple years where we were hunting around Grandude's house trying to find something to prop it up on so it seemed taller. Lol. It's also a little... sparce (lots of lights and ornaments to fill in the holes!), but it's just fine. Well, except that the top half doesn't quite "snap" into place, so I was wary of putting anything heavy on top, which meant our tree topper this year is just a big bow, but it works! I like it. :)

Also due to the fact that we are out of town for half of December, I cut back on decorations this year. This made Tim happy because he only had to pull out like 1/4 of the decs from the basement.

This is a MUST HAVE that I have no idea how long I've had or where it came from, but I've had it forever.

However, there are a few favorite MUST HAVES that were missing and I had to venture down to the basement when he wasn't looking and find them because they were in a box that wasn't marked Christmas ("Mixed Holidays") and he would've had a cow if I told him there was another Christmas box. Shhh... But I'm pretty sure my peacock wreath and tree were worth the trip.


Did I mention I don't go down to my basement? Tim has to do it because there are creepy crawlies (CAVE CRICKETS ARE THE WORST) and I'm totally arachnophobic and when I go down there I practically hyperventilate so he yells at me to go upstairs. This is why when we buy a house someday, it will need to have a finished basement and no creepy crawlies whatsoever.

The minimal decorating this year included some wreaths, some Christmas-y stuffed animals and pillows, some garland and pine cones around the TV, obvi the Christmas tree and decorations, and last, but certainly not least, a mini wreath on each pig cage. Don't judge. It's CUTE.


Also, last year I set a precedent (for myself) by taking a picture of my pigs in front of the Christmas tree.

You all know I've since lost my Scooter... so this is Tyson's first photoshoot in front of the tree. Tim stood behind me freaking out because he thought they were going to jump off the stool I had them on. Valid point I suppose. As you can see, it took a few takes (and a quick trigger finger). I guess the baby's a little camera shy.

How are you all getting ready for the holidays? Are the decorations going up?? How many boxes of Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa stuff do YOU have?

-C
xxx

Lefting Over: T-Day Ramblings

What do you do with your holiday leftovers? Be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any other day you have turkey and stuffing and lots and lots of other food? We (my family) usually have a TON of leftover turkey, and just like in everyday life, I'm always the one to take home leftovers. This year, however, we had Thanksgiving at my mom's house and we had a ton of family there for a couple days, so in addition to actual Thanksgiving dinner, everyone was snacking on leftovers and lunching on leftovers. Which left not so much left over by the time I was venturing home. Usually we make turkey soup (and apparently I'm the only one in my family that cares to do this), but this year *someone* threw out the turkey carcass so it couldn't be soup-de-fied. (Side eye to you, Mom.) So this year we had a couple new leftover ideas I thought I'd share with you fine people.

The first was the basic turkey sandwich, but my mom mixed up pieces of turkey with gravy so we had hot open-faced sandwiches (including mashed potatoes and stuffing). I also highly recommend dabbing a little cranberry sauce on top. Trust me, it's good.

Next up was the Thanksgiving Shepherd's Pie. I found an idea for this online a week before Thanksgiving, and I must say it's a new favorite. This is my first try at any kind of shepherd's pie because *someone* never gave me their delicious shepherd's pie recipe (Sorry, MIL, but you have to get side eye too on this! Lol.). This uses all kinds of leftovers! I layered peas, cut up sweet potatoes, turkey/gravy mixture, stuffing, then topped with mashed potatoes. Tim told me it wouldn't be shepherd's pie without cheese on top, so I added some swiss I had in the freezer, too (and, ok, I'll admit I had to cook up some peas to add because we didn't have any leftover veggies). Popped it in the oven on 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until cheese starts to brown). YUM.


As good as that was, I have to say this next one was my favorite:
Sweet Potato Pierogies

This was my first shot at pierogi (pierogies is apparently NOT the plural form, FYI), and I have to say, it wasn’t pretty, but it WAS delicious, so whatever. I’m not up for a food plating contest or anything. I was sitting around my house yesterday trying to figure out what to do with the 4 sweet potatoes we had left. I was going to just have mashed sweet potatoes on the side of some frozen pierogies, but Tim was like “That’s too much potato, can we add some chicken to it?” The last part of that question I ignored, because what you probably don’t realize is that what he wants me to do is pull grilled chicken out of the freezer, dice it up, and just mix it in with the potatoes. Not like he wants me to roast up some delicious chicken or anything.

Anyway, I focused on the “too much potato” part, because, yeah, it was true. And then I went to one of my FAVORITE websites, Gojee.com and typed in sweet potatoes. This website is so cool because there are spots to type in what you crave, what you have, and even to connect your grocery rewards card to the website so it can see what you bought and figure something out for dinner that way. So I typed sweet potatoes into the "I have" area and one of the first recipes to pop up was this one, which is what I adapted for our dinner last night. And let me tell you – YUM times 10!

The recipe even made so many that we’ll at least get one more dinner out of it (I froze the remainder before boiling them). I also obviously had more than two sweet potatoes, so now have at least another batch of pierogi filling that I need to figure out what to do with. Do I wait until I make more pierogi or is there something else I can do with it? I can’t quite figure it out. Other than just sticking a spoon in and eating it. Which I may or may not have done last night. Sweet potatoes + cream cheese = heaven. In case you were wondering.

Last, but not least, I made pumpkin muffins. I’ve done this the past few years, but I feel like it needs to be included with the rest of the leftovers. Does anyone ever use a whole can of pumpkin for pumpkin pie?? I never do! Why don’t they make smaller cans or something? To be fair, maybe it’s because I make pumpkin cheesecake every year, so maybe it uses less pumpkin? I don’t know, I haven’t made a straight up pumpkin pie in years because the cheesecake is just.that.good. Anyway, I even made two pies this year and still didn’t finish the can, then made pumpkin muffins and STILL didn’t finish the can, so I froze the rest. Maybe I’ll figure out something to make with it in my spare time. You know, like, when I’m actually home on a weekend or something. Oh wait, that’s right, I’m not... until 2012.

I also finally perfected the onion chop! As in, the right way to chop an onion. I had read how to do it on a blog, but it was written by someone like me who says things like “cut it down the middle but not down the middle, you know what I mean” and I totally didn’t know what she meant.

So I saw the method in a magazine, with pictures, and finally figured it out. Basically you chop off the end that’s not the root, then make slices into the onion going towards the root, but not cutting all the way through, so it stays intact, then turn the onion back on its’ side and slice down. Ouila, chopped onion! Easy. (Surely I can't be the only one who never knew this before??)

Anyone got any other unique leftover recipes? I have a "leftover" section in one of my recipe folders that could use some filling.

-C
xxx

Gobble

So turkey day is upon us once again, folks. How can it be so?? How can December be here NEXT WEEK?! Crazy talk.

I know stores and people everywhere are skipping Thanksgiving altogether. I mean, as in thinking of Thanksgiving only as an afterthought to Christmas. Like, "We have to get through Thanksgiving before we get to Christmas." Not not having Thanksgiving dinner. That would also be crazy talk.

As soon as Halloween was over BOOM it was Christmas in all the stores. There aren't any turkeys hanging from the ceilings, because I guess not everyone decorates for Thanksgiving. HA. I mean, everyone in my family does, but I assume there are people out there who don't for... whatever reason. I, for one, do NOT skip Thanksgiving. I treat all holidays equally! I don't have multiple bins of Thanksgiving decs or anything, like my 10 (or more... I don't really know...) bins I have dedicated just to Christmas. I only *technically* have one bin for T-day stuff, but some of my Halloween decorations pull double-duty for both holidays. My rule of thumb is pumpkins can stay out if they don't have a face. I think it's a pretty good rule.

Anyway, I can't wait to have my own house and hold my own Thanksgiving someday, where I will probably THEN acquire enough straight up T-day decs for at least 2-3 bins. Don't tell Tim.

When I do... I will decorate with lots of pretty things... *cue dream sequence and harp music*

Let's start with the entrance. "Welcome, friends!"
To my home filled with 8,000 pumpkins.

found on Pinterest

via Family Circle

Have I mentioned I don't like carving pumpkins? I suppose that could present a problem there. For the past couple of years I've bought "cinderella" or white pumpkins. Pumpkins that look good and classy just sitting there. No carving. No mess. No potential stabbing of oneself. Maybe I can get Tim to do it (HA, yeah ok).

via Martha Stewart, aka the Bible.

Also from the Bible.

I really just like the turkey placecards here.

via this site

found on Pinterest

via Style Me Pretty

Uh, this totally solves my problem of never remembering which side which utensils go on! Awesome.

As you can see, my dream sequence doesn't really have any kid friendly decorations. I plan on keeping it that way for as long as possible.

via Frog Prince Paperie

Ummm no. Not happening.

But maybe. JUST MAYBE. this.

via livinglocurto.com

-C
xxx