Giving Thanks To My Pillow

That is what I did this afternoon.  My pillow was feeling neglected, with all that was going on this week.  So, this afternoon I made sure that it too was forwarded the gratitude it undoubtedly deserves.

The insanity started on Monday, with the kids having the entire week off from school. 

Wednesday is when it got intense.  I first had to go to the Grocery Store to replenish my Thanksgiving ingredients, for the THIRD time......

Then it was time to make pies.  I made them from scratch!  At one point in time I had even picked apples myself, but those had already been eaten. So, we used apples we found in the produce section.

I totally rocked the pie crust!  It's only taken me the better part of a decade to figure out pie crust.  But I did it!  Just in time too!

This is my Apple Pie.  Is it not gorgeous!

I was nervous about the pumpkin.  When I filled the shell, I overfilled it a bit.  I was afraid it might spill over while cooking.  But with a big whew and a heavy sigh of relief, it came out pretty darn exceptional itself!

My Sister had to go into a Piggly Wiggly for this one. 

Apple Pie, nom nom nom.

Fresh Whipped Cream.

Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream.  NOM NOM NOM.

There was other food too. 

My Turkey.  He spent 6 hours in the Smoker with some Hickory.  May I just say, I didn't cause a fire this time around.......  And the bird was OUTSTANDING!

I admit I am a food snob.  And the thought of Green Bean Casserole on my table.  Well, no.  Not gonna happen.  Instead, we had this.  Green Beans and Mushrooms simmered in a Creamed White Wine Reduction.  And for my Sister, we got her a can of those French's Fried Onions to top it with.  It must have been good, I didn't get any.

It doesn't look nearly as grand as I had anticipated.  But we are all full and comatose. 

The Menu:

Hickory Smoked Turkey

Ham

Snobby Green Beans

Mashed Potatoes

Sage Giblets Gravy

Rolls

Canned Cranberry Sauce

Green Chile Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Sour Cream and Buttered Brown Sugar

And those French Fried Onion Thingies

This was After.....

Pixie knows who to hit up for a little bit of the good stuff.

Moops and his Uncle Jake

Leftovers!

Pixie is a Dumpster Diver....

Ella and Pixie seem to be confused.  Pixie thinks she is a lap dog and Ella thinks she is a Mastiff.  Hence the switching of bowls...

Food Coma Ella Style.

Food Coma Pixie style.

We introduced the kids to Tetris and Classic Super Mario.  They still kicked our butts.

Duuuuuuude.

My Sister and I had a deep conversation on how our parents broke us with their OCD laundry skillz.  But that is a whole post on its own.

We also went to the museum, where we encountered this dude.  It is so awesome I took a picture.  I am now going to print it, frame it and hang it over the kids' Time Out Spot!

I call this the "Stalker House", no matter where you walk, it follows you.  It is the coolest optical illusion I have ever seen!