long overdue

Okay.  Time to get real.  Honesty is the best policy, so I will say it:  I have been avoiding my blog.

The problem is not that I don't have a lot to talk about - I DO!  That is actually the source of my avoidance.  So much has been happening since my last post that I kind of had a mini-meltdown because I didn't know how to organize all my thoughts.  So I have been thinking.  (And trying to organize, simultaneously, obviously.)

 I came to this conclusion:  what do I love to do when I have a lot of ideas?  Answer: make a list.  Really, I love lists (and Post-It Notes).  Sometimes I put stuff on a list that I have already done in order to mark it off...yeah.  It's kind of an illness.  But let's look at the bright side.  I am super-organized.  So here we go:

Warning: This post is going to get very list-y.  And that includes bulleted points.  

1.  Thanksgiving

• Yes, Thanksgiving was a while ago.  Yes, everyone is in super-Christmas mode.  But I have some good things I need to say about it!  So think turkey and pilgrim thoughts and suck it up.

• For the last few years, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving has been the day for my Grandma Terri and I to roll up our sleeves, put on some Frank Sinatra, and start cooking a wonderful Thanksgiving meal together for the next day's feast.  

• It never ceases to amaze me what an incredible cook she is.  Nothing is EVER measured - and from my previous post, you know how OCD I am in the kitchen - but when it comes to Grandma Terri, I don't question her ways.  The perk of actually letting someone else be in charge?  Secret recipes.  Let's just say, over the course of about 4 hours of cooking, the phrase "Don't tell anyone about this!" was thrown out about 3 different times.  I could tell you...but then I would have to kill you.  

• To wrap up my thoughts on Thanksgiving, I will end with an anecdote.  As I was leaving school to start my mini-vacation, I asked a friend what her and her husband were doing for the holiday.  Her response: "You know, we probably won't even cook a turkey.  I feel like we should probably be giving thanks every day of the year - not just one day."  Now, I can't say I agree about the turkey (I LOVE Thanksgiving food.)  But, what she said really made me stop and think about how many opportunities I am missing to be thankful for all of the blessings in my life.  It was a good refresher on what the Holidays are really about - giving thanks!  So, thank-you, Thanksgiving.  What a perfect holiday to precede the craziness of Christmas and New Year's - one to remind us of what we already have and to be thankful for the people that we complain about being forced to spend time with...you know, the people that love us no matter what we do.  I think that's pretty great.

Next on the list:  It's time for an update!  The Great Cooking Adventure is underway and going extremely well!  So far, I have embarked on two cooking journeys.  One will be discussed following this rambling paragraph and the other will be saved for a separate post, because it needs a place of distinction.  

2.  My Great Holiday Cooking Adventure, Part I

• I was really on the fence about where to start with my Holiday Homage to some of my favorite women.  I knew that one of the recipes was always made on Thanksgiving, so I at least had one constant, but other than that, I was lost.  Fortunately, these situations have a way of working themselves out.  

• I mulled it over, I vowed to not think about it, I didn't think about it, I thought about it...I could go on.  I won't.  In the end, I started with the present before heading into the past: I started with a woman that supports me, inspires me, and loves me every single day - my Grandma Terri!  I thought that cooking a meal, in its entirety, was the perfect way to start my adventure before breaking off into single dishes.  It made it extra special that the woman I was honoring with cooking was actually cooking right beside me!

Our food prep consisted of: Turkey, Dressing, Mashed Potatoes, and Sweet Potatoes...the following photos consist of me snapping shots of random things between being bossed around...(Love you, Grandma!)

The Bird.

Yes, I cut all the bread.

What an artsy photo of potatoes!

Yes, I peeled all of these...As you can see, I was doing the grunt work.

YUM!

• I think it was a nice way to start.  Also, it saved me some heartache that I am sure I will suffer later on in this adventure: I had the woman who knew the recipe by heart directing me.  No miffed measurements or forgotten ingredients here!  The next installments of The Great Cooking Adventure will come with some coveted recipes...but for Part I, I was sworn to some secrecy.  And let's face it, I am sure my other favorite women would be giving me a little mischievous smile as they told me "Don't tell anyone!" and making me promise to keep my trap shut as they showed me some of their signature dishes, but since they are no longer here to defend themselves, I think it is safe to spread the love.  That is how they would want it to be anyway - I'm sure of it.

Whew!

Well, I don't know about you, but after all that bulleting I feel like a new woman.  I have to admit, cowering in the corner was no way to handle my abundance of info that I wanted to share...Lesson learned.

The next installment of my Great Cooking Adventure will be coming much sooner than later, I promise!  And, just to give you a little taste (pun intended) of what to look forward to, I will let you in on the delicious next dish...drumroll, please... My Great Grandma Polly's Noodles!  A staple at every Thanksgiving and the perfect lunch on a cloudy, cold day.  Warm, comforting, and full of love.