Tuesday was declared shopping day. I had my list ready and headed for Meijer's, thinking their produce was good and I'd get everything on my list. I spent a lot of time in the produce section, then moved on to get the rest of my groceries. The store is not familiar in its layout and I spent a lot of time searching for the sections I needed. When I needed panty liners, they were in pharmacy, which was on the opposite cater corner from the groceries, plus I needed a 3-way bulb. They didn't have fresh scallops, so I thought I'd get them from Empire, which would really be a trip. But my shopping at Meijer's was very exhausting, and I'll not do that again. Next, I picked up a fresh turkey at Ray's and also some frozen scallops in their freezer section. That saved me a trip to Empire. Putting away all the groceries was another chore.
I wasn't going to brine the turkey this year, but the Journal Sentinel had an unusual brine recipe with apple cider, the only ingredient the I didn't have. I picked some up at P & S and did the brining before picking up Terry for Red Hat at Crawdaddy's. We had eight show up. I had a delicious shellfish etouffee that should satisfy me for the day. At 4:00 p.m. I had a hair appointment with Rachel, then drove to Jimmy's Iguana for Over the Hump. I should have my head examined for going out before a holiday when I had so much to do. But the weather was pleasant, and I haven't been to one in months. Peter ordered a quesadilla and I ate just one piece with a margarita. When I got home I made the turkey stock, so that kept me up until 11:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
I made the stuffing, washed the floor, did some pick-up cleaning before putting the turkey in the oven at noon. I put my feet up on the recliner, and Hello Dolly didn't waste any time cuddling up. She was in a funk for a couple of days; sleeping and hiding downstairs on the comforter, making herself scarce. I was about to take her to the vet because she wasn't acting normal. But she perked up yesterday and seems her old lovable self now. I had to disturb her resting on my arm to baste the turkey that is coming along nicely. Claude came about 1:45 pm and pulled out the table, brought up the chairs, set the table and fixed my hanging bird feeder with a loose string. Peter arrived at 2:45 pm with beer and a beautiful fall bouquet. The Dorns arrived shortly after 3:00 pm with a pressure cooker to make the potatoes. The Sorensens arrived shortly after with appetizers and a dessert. We noshed a cheese log, flavored pecans, deviled eggs and veggies and dip for awhile, then I continued to prepare. The turkey was done before 4:00 pm. I finished cooking the Brussels sprouts and carrots, made the gravy, carved the turkey and prepared the scallops in lemon butter sauce with garlic. Janice cooked the potatoes and Claude put them through the Foley mill and Annika filled water glasses. I had my camera prepared to take a group picture, but everything was so hastily put together that I didn't seem to find time. The table was full with everyone around it except Jay who was in China on an airline seminar. Everything was delicious, if I must say so myself. We cleared the table with most of the dishes in the dishwasher and Claude tackled the big pans and dishes that didn't fit in the dishwasher. Brad and Peter dried, while I put away food.
We relaxed for awhile before Laura presented her dessert, pumpkin Paflova. I'm disappointed in this picture; it should have been sharper.
It was so light, with a touch of pumpkin. A perfect finish. I was so pleased to see all the grandchildren gathered in the living room, even though we were rather crowded. They were on their phones, but still engaged. Everyone left before 8:00 p.m, except Peter who stayed to watch part of a football game and read the paper. He left before 10:00 pm. He was going to the car while I was putting out the lights. I was very tired and overworked.
Friday, November 23, 2018
I stayed in bed until 8:00 am. Had breakfast and cleared out the dishwasher. I made a huge pot of turkey stock with the carcass. It really looks wonderful. I plan to make some soup every week until I use it up. Peter and I decided that we didn't have to go out to eat today. I relaxed, knit and read.
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Breakfast with the Vagabonds; I had a nice bowl of oatmeal with my raisins. After breakfast I went to Stein's and bought three boxes of Christmas cards and an outside tree decoration. I stopped at Wild Birds for peanut butter and nuts. I also picked up some fruit, Creamettes and creamed corn for the soup I plan to make today, vegetable turkey soup. I had all the vegetables, plus the turkey and stock; all I needed was the creamed corn and pasta. I used older stock. That took a good part of the day, with all the cutting and preparing. In the meantime, I assembled the outside tree, which wasn't too difficult, but still needed a lot of putting things together. I went to 4:00 pm mass today because snow is predicted for tomorrow. When I got home I had my soup, which could use a little sharpness. I might add a tiny bit of Tabasco.
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