Monday, November 26, 2012

Leftovers....


Do you still have a refrigerator 
full of Thanksgiving leftovers?  

We did a decent job of consuming turkey + fixings sandwiches
to take care of most of the foodage,
however, there were lingering bits still haunting the fridge
that I couldn't bear to toss yet...  

Still, I needed precious fridge space,
so I turned to my favorite problem solver, Pinterest,
to find a solution to this culinary baggage...  

Sure enough, I found the right answer;
Turkey Pot Pies...  

The page wasn't really a recipe,
more a suggestion of how to assemble the pot pies...  

So, if you, too, are wrestling with space and food waste,
try this....  

Take pie dough that is either left over
from your pie making frenzy of last week
or use some store bought stuff
and trace a circle, adding about an inch,
all around the pie plate... 

I used a disposable aluminum single serving pie plate,
but any pie tin will do... 

This will be for your bottom crust... 

Cut out the circle and fit it into your pie tin... 


Refrigerate about ten minutes...  

Now the fun part!  

Fill your pie tin with whatever leftover goodies you like...  

I tossed in shredded cooked turkey,
sweet potatoes, stuffing
and then I drizzled gravy all over...  

Much like a Shepherd's Pie, I spread mashed potatoes
over that and then topped the whole shebang
with another pie crust circle...

Crimp the edges, cut slits in the top
and brush beaten egg with milk over the pastry,
for a nice browned crust...  


Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes
or until the crust is brown...  

Hello, today's lunch! 

That pretty much cashed in most of the leftovers,
but I still have a fair amount of turkey left... 

The troops are turkey-ed out,
so I may put together a pan of turkey enchiladas
and freeze them for another date...  


On another note,
after Thanksgiving was booted out the door
(at about 8 pm Thursday night),
it seemed the Christmas season was upon us, full tilt... 

We succeeded in avoiding any Black Friday Sales,
namely because we are broke,
but I have to say it was fun to stay home
with a fire blazing in the fireplace,
Jenga games happening on the floor
and cheesy movies on the TV... 

Yesterday, I decided that this blissful family togetherness
was wearing thin,
so I broke out the Aldi Gingerbread House making kits...
  

One good thing about squirreling away
Halloween and Dollar store candy
is that is really comes in handy for this project...
  

We have more than enough sugary goods
to doll up twenty houses... 

I love watching the kids' creativity come out...  

It's one of my favorite Christmas traditions
and they only fought over the candy once....

Okay, twice...  

Have you made out your December Calendar of Fun yet?  

Nope, me neither....

but I am coming up with some ideas...  

On the list are:  

Cookie Day  

Ice Skating  

Ladies Crafting Party  

Date Nights    

I need to find some more fun things
to do with the kids that are easy on the budget...  

Would love to see some holiday shows, but tickets are $$$...  

Anyway, share with me any fun,
family friendly holiday traditions you enjoy... 

I'd love to hear 'em!!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Gift List 2012




 LeRoy Turkey (I can't say Tom, it reminds me of my husband) is roasting happily in the oven.  

(The turkey pictured above, is not mine, FYI...
 LeRoy is still looking pasty...
 He needs more time in the old tanning booth... )

The apple tart, Ding Dong cake (ode to Hostess), cookies, mashed potatoes, stuffing and sweet potatoes have been made.  

The brussel sprouts, corn and popovers are waiting in the wings... 

I have downed 2.5 mimosas, thanks to my neighbors, Jack is killing enemies via video games, Tom is enjoying movie One of the Godfather marathon and Kate has yet to get out of her jammies....  

It's a perfect Thanksgiving so far...  

So, while I wait for LeRoy to do his thang, I thought I'd share with you my carefully curated 
(jargon of 2012) 
list of great gifts for this holiday season...  

Click on any of them and the link will get you there...  

Now, these items are things that I think are pretty cool...  

Considering our checking account of late, 
my beloved family is getting McDonald's gift certificates and oranges in their stockings, 
but maybe you will be inspired...

Here Goes:
 
Tell me these aren't cute in a Pinterest pallet 
obsession kind of way...
 Good for the electronically overloaded 
loved ones in your life...
Have bitters, will travel...
This has my dad written all over it...


If your kid likes to video stealth spy battles 
of himself and his buddies
as much as my son does, this is the gift...
 

Perfect for the kid who wants to live out 
those "Jackass" moments only boys crave...

Necessary accessory for above...


For the IPA lovin' man in your life...
Okay, this just cracked me up...
Perfect hostess gift...
So cute, quirky and a good hostess gift, too...
My kids use tape more than they use toilet paper...
They are taping fools around here...
For the family member who DVR's Top Chef...
Do you have a mixologist in your life? 
I hope you do...
So fun...
Pretty and whimsical and for that person 
who already has the Obama Chia...
I bought 8 of these, Friends. 
 This is the ultimate gift...

Bacon... Who doesn't LOVE bacon?!  
Okay, vegans, but other than that, 
there are maybe 4 people on the entire earth 
who don't like bacon...


For the serious baker who won't buy 
just any all purpose flour...
These T Shirts turn your toddler 
into a hipster in a nanosecond...
Art of the moment and cool b/c it's personalized...


Again, personalization makes 
a wonderful, thoughtful gift...
How fun does this game look?


Indulgence, one size fits all...

Excepting those poor souls who can't eat nuts, 
this one is a keeper...


Yeah, more spy stuff...  
It's what my son loves... 
Don't judge...

Okay, forget the list...
This one is the most important...  
Your loved one will get over the disappointment 
of not getting maple syrup of the month club 
when they realize they just helped a family survive 
by receiving a real farm animal...  
Giving via guilt, it's the best kind 
and truly the brainchild of mothers worldwide.  
Seriously, this is my fave charity...


Foodies, rejoice...

Foodies, exhult...

Foodies, this book rocks...

I want this bhudda so much...
I want to squeeze him 
and hug him 
and bite off his head...

Thanksgiving is passing by faster than a doorbuster sale, 
but this is good stuff for next year...

Francophiles: P.O.S.H. is Paris central 
and this cool tape is a mere tip of the Frenchy iceberg...
Check 'em out...


Lovely and an easy gift...


 
Unique and pretty...





More bacon!


So, I didn't cover all gifting bases, 
but there are more gift lists out there these days 
to send us all into shopping overload... 

Enjoy Thanksgiving, 
savor time with your loved ones, 
avoid those damn Black Friday sales tonight and tomorrow...  

Go ice skating... 

Get the tree out from the attic or buy one on the lot...  

Watch football... 

Maybe if we boycott all that 
Shove Christmas Down our Throats business, 
the retailers will back off..  

Okay, maybe not, but you don't have to succumb...  

Enjoy this weekend, eat leftovers on white bread...

mmmmmm!  

Wait until Cyber Monday to hit the list hard...

Happy Thanksgiving!