Fred lives on...

I realized today that I never explained how Fred the turkey came to grace our table this year... I was browsing through the ads in my paper one day (a new habit since starting GG) and saw that SaveMart was giving away a 15lb turkey to every customer who spent $99.99 in one shopping trip. Now this used to be easy for me, pre-GG, but now the thought of spending $100 (leaving me $50 in my budget for food for the next 2 weeks) in one go made me cringe... So I decided that I would just buy things that we needed that would not hit our list (ie:eggs, meat, and milk) to last us the 2 weeks... So Toby and I hit the store, Coupon Binder in hand (yeah, it's a little OCD, but it keeps me organized) and went straight to the meat section... Lucky for us, the butcher was at that moment starting to do markdowns, so we followed her down the aisle tossing stuff she had just marked down into our basket... We ended up with 3 small whole chickens, 3 pkgs of Half Chicken Breasts, 3 pkgs of 90% lean Ground Sirloin, a rack of Pork spare ribs, and a beef chuck roast! We also got 5 dozen eggs, some juice, a 10lb. bag of potatoes, and some fresh fruit and salad. All for $100! On top of the score, we got Fred, our 18 lb. friend for $5 (just paid the overage for the extra 3 lbs.)... We ate from him just about every day this week... His final performance was in a Turkey Pot Pie...



I got the idea from $5 Dinners and the pie crust recipe was my family's (same one used for the Pumpkin Pie)... Next time I will use half butter and fresh shortening (I did this on a whim today)... But what made it taste so great was rather than using straight white sauce, I mixed in the rest of my white turkey gravy and a lot of the juice I had saved from Fred as well as some cream cheese (which I used in my gravy this year after KT did it last year...) made it taste great! I think next time I will add in some chopped mushrooms (maybe canned ones) and some diced potatoes... Yum...

It's Begining to Look a lot Like Christmas...

Thanksgiving is almost over (well it is for me anyway)... And since I celebrated it to the fullest this year (all week oh yeah) I officially feel it is time for Christmas music... I waited all year for it and now it is time... So enjoy the blasts from my past and classics as well... Get started on the decorating and shopping and have a wonderful holiday season!

Happy Turkey Day Everyone!

Well, it was happy, but not a Turkey Day for us... Somehow I think some wires got crossed and we ended up having Roast Beef for Thanksgiving dinner today! I think it was a special request by my brother-in-law Simon

(pictured here with Nana - yes, that is his hat she is wearing!) who is leaving for Prague in a couple of weeks... Boy am I ever glad I cooked Fred on Sunday, I would have been a sad panda if I hadn't been eating turkey with all the trimmings all week! (Though I could always go for more turkey!) I may buy another small one when they get marked down tomorrow if their are any left when I make it to the market (still feeling a little under the weather and I have to work from 11:45am-4pm tomorrow)... Is anyone heading out to brave the madness that is Black Friday? I don't think I am going to this year... I think I'm just going to hang out at home after work... But I might hit Target to see if there is anything I need that has been marked down... Blessings to my family in LA and to the Metzger/Alterton clan braving the desert and driving down to the Grand Canyon! Have a Happy Holiday All! I am off to deck the halls (well my blog at least)!

Makin' Pie

Me and My pal Grace made pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving last night! (That is such a bad pic! Oh well...)

There is the filling and the dough :)

And the pies in the oven...

This is what the husbands were doing, and that's Grace's cute dog Flora (I totally named her!)

Here's our finished pies in all all their glory...

Grace is keeping one and this is the one I'm saving for Thanksgiving...

And of course we had to eat one right out of the oven...

Yum...
We used the recipe my family has used for years... My Mom and my Aunt Marcie always make Pumpkin Pie together this time of year... Thanks for making pie with me Grace! It made Thanksgiving feel right :).

New Traditions? Let's Hope Not!

So Fred came out of the oven and he was lookin a little, well, extra crispy on top, so I was scared but...

He done good! Fred was perfectly juicy inside! Toby and I ate dinner at 12am, just like my mama predicted lol... She said it reminded her of her first Turkey experience (not ON Thanksgiving, and WAY later than they should have been eating) it makes me smile that I am carrying on a little tradition, but I am hoping that this is not the start of a new tradition (I would lose my mind)! Toby loved our little all-to-ourselves-Thanksgiving meal though, and I enjoyed it too,

(please don't mind the mess behind food... it was far too late at night to be setting the table... we just kinda dug in) but I will pay for it tomorrow when I can't get up for church because my back is killing me (I pulled it at work Friday and was in bed most of the day on Saturday because it hurt so bad)... Hopefully a couple of Motrin will do the trick tomorrow like they did today (funny that I was reading and watching anti-motrin propaganda most of the day today lol)... Hopefully the magic turkey drug will start working on me soon here! Goodnight!

A Conversation with Fred, My Free Turkey

Me: (standing in front of the fridge with the door open) Hey Fred

Fred: Sup?

Me: So I know you were expecting to be the centerpiece of our Early Friends Feast tomorrow, but I just don't think that's gonna happen...

Fred: What? Then Why the heck did you defrost me?

Me: Well, I thought we would be eating you tomorrow, so I naturally had to decide that a few days ago and put you in the fridge.

Fred: Well that was stupid, you should have made sure first cuz you can't put me back in now you know.

Me: I know, sorry Fred, things happen... Now when am I gonna find time to cook you?

Fred: Tonight.

Me: What? I don't feel like it, it is already 5pm and you won't be done for a long time.

Fred: I don't care, I am tired of sittin here waiting around to finally have some peace! I have been knocked off, plucked, brined, frozen, and thawed! So pull me out and give me the attention I deserve!

Me: Fine. But, you know, I've never done this before...

Fred: Amateur! Alright, you just listen to what I say - get me out of this plastic and put me in the sink.

Me: Alright.

Fred: Now get out some salt, no not that iodized crap, the good stuff. Yeah Kosher, that's what I'm talkin about. Now rinse me with some cold water and rub that Kosher salt all over me real good.

Me: (rolling eyes) What is this, ClubMed?



Fred: Do you want to eat tonight? Then listen up! Keep rubbin! Hey do me a favor, get this junk outta my mouth!

Me: (pulling out neck and other parts) Ewww... what was that?

Fred: I had a neck stuck in my throat, thanks.

Me: Anytime... I thought there was gonna be a bag of stuff in there...

Fred: (let's out a fart and drops giblets) There, ya happy? Toss that crap out, we aren't gonna use it.

Me: Okay...

Fred: Now melt up some butter for me.

Me: What for?

Fred: Would you just stop asking questions and do what I tell ya?

Me: Alright alright, pushy bird aren't you?

Fred: Better believe it!

Me: What next?

Fred: Mix up some salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley and pulse it through that electric grinder Nana got you.

Me: You sure are asking for a lot Fred. I though this was going to be easy since I am not stuffing you.

Fred: Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa missy! Not stuffing me? Are you crazy?

Me: Well, I don't like stuffing and that would just make you take longer to cook...

Fred: (mumbling) Not gonna stuff me, what is she thinking? (Louder) Well, you gotta put somethin in me so I don't have to hold myself up when I'm in that oven roasting. Have some decency, geez!

Me: Well what would you like?

Fred: Carrots, Celery, Onions, and Apples...

Me: Apples?



Fred: Don't question me, I'm feeling fruity...

Me: Okay... So about the butter...

Fred: Lather me up!

Me: Right, then the seasoning?

Fred: Yeah dry rub it on, then stuff me up... Don't forget to put flour in the bag to keep it from bursting, and cut some slits in it for the steam to let out...



Me: Alright, you're all stuffed up and ready, into the oven you go!

Fred: See you in the sweet there after! Don't forget the mashed potatoes!



Me: Bye Fred! (after shutting the oven door) Whew! And I thought Turkey's lost consciousness before they were plucked, guess I should know better since they run around with their heads off... Well, now I better get to those mashed potatoes... I don't want to suffer the wrath of Fred when he comes outta that oven...

SITS

I have a new button on my blog that looks like this:

SITS has such a cool concept, you should go check out what they are all about!
Since there isn't any type of prompt today, I will borrow another from Jennifer P. over at The Peterson's Go Public...
Edit: Okay, the prompt wasn't behaving itself, it was showing things that I haven't done so I am deleting it so I don't get in any more trouble with mi Mama (sorry mom) - Censorship! j/k But check out Jennifer P.'s it's funny...

My Dream Wedding

I was inspired by this post by one of my new fav bloggers, Jennifer P. plus, this blog needs some photos bad, I just have a broken camera :( So ya'll will have to put up with my Wedding Pics...

I could make up a great pretend wedding, but I really feel like I had my dream wedding (I know I know, sentimental mush from a nearly newly wed) but seriously, it was more stylish and beautiful than anything I ever could have imagined it would be! I have to give a special thank for that to my Mother-In-Law, Teresa, who helped me conceptualize the whole thing, and my own dear mama, Terri, for helping me pull it all off those last 2 weeks! You made my day so perfect!

First, My Handsome HUSBAND
(wow, his face has matured so much, he looks like such a youngin' in this pic)

My DRESS
by
Venus
Which I never would have picked out for myself, but I loved it!

My SHOES (2 pair oh yeah!)
Outside (being buckled by my foot-a-phobic photographers daughter)
and
Inside (sitting on the chair so the suede dance soles would not get ruined)



My RING
(Which Toby designed for me specifically)
and
His (which was a loaner because his was not ready, good thing too because he lost this one!)

HAIR and MAKE UP
&
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED
Toby's Nana's Vintage Pearls took care of 2 of those, and Toby bought me earrings to match
(you can't see my SOMETHING BLUE, that would be too cheeky!)




My FLOWERS
(I love this shot!)



My RECEPTION
Before & During



My CAKE
Straight out of Grace Ormonde's Wedding Style
I *knew* this cake had to be *the one* when I first saw it.



MUSICAL STYLINGS
by
SVETTE
(Which includes my two brothers, not just Mike)
Mark Healton and Melanie Krimetz
&
DJ Rick



Our FAVORS
(everyone got a little round tin at their table place labeled with our Name and the Date to fill up)



And Finally
Our GETAWAY CAR
(not as nice as that Aston Martin, huh? It would've fit with my colors!)



The day could not have been so perfect without our
FAMILY & FRIENDS



WE LOVE YOU!

New Job, Class, and So Many Other Things...

I know I haven't blogged lately, it has been crazy nutso over here! I started a new job (back at Starbucks, different store, you know I'm dreading those 4am shifts) and I also started a writing intensive 5 week English class (hence my lack of writing posts)... All the while trying to keep up with the mass of paper taking over my living room (that's why I only wanted Sunday post, but it was much less expensive to get 3 day weekends because of a promo) since I started couponing... I have stopped blowing our rent money on food (lol) and we are all caught up on bills (which I had no idea we were behind on)... I have a freezer full of meat and a pantry back on its way to being full again... Don't get me wrong, we were nowhere near going hungry, but we were using up every canned good I had in my pantry so we could buy as little as possible during those tight weeks... God really blessed us though and they didn't even seem tight!!! Isn't He good? In two weeks we will really see this hard works benefits, first double paycheck (one from Toby and one from myself) that we have had in a while... We also went to Toby's cousin Rachelle's wedding on Saturday... It was 40's themes and took place in this cute club that had a stage and booths along the side... Her dress was so perfect too! I am really happy for them! It gave us our first chance in over a month to talk to his grandparents and they are ready to bury the hatchet, which we are so happy for... It is hard when you feel like you can't talk to someone you love! We are going to go out to dinner with them sometime next week and talk... I am tired but feeling good that we are getting back on track. We went to a marriage confrence called Family Life Weekend to Remember two weekends ago and it was amazing! I mean really life changing! Toby and I were so moved that we attended a staff opportunities meeting for Family Life and decided that if God called us to it, we would be willing to pick up and move to the home base for Family Life in Little Rock, AK... Don't know if that is going to happen, but if we get the call we would begin the 1-2 year process of raising support just like our international missionary friends and then head out there... It is something we are praying about together regularly... I found two new blogs that I really enjoy reading, they have been added to my sidebar... I also somehow lost all my other blogs I had added, I don't know what happened, but somehow I didn't have a lot of them bookmarked, so if your blog was on my list and it is no longer, toss me a comment and back it will go :)... Right now I am cooking two things from Crockpot365, John McCain's Ribs and Baked Potatoes (did you know you can do em in a crockpot?!?)... I am getting hungry! Today I found a use for some of the many eggs (8 doezen!!!) I got on sale... I boiled 18 (we love us some boiled eggs here!), scrambled 2 with tomatoes for lunch, and froze 8 with a little salt in an ice cube tray and am going to freeze another 8 with a little sugar in ice cube trays for using in baking and such later... I might do more than that, but I only have room for 1 ice cube tray perched precariously in my freezer... We have enough meat in there to last us 2 or 3 months (including a free turkey!!!)... GG has really taught me how to shop... I am going to go chat with my good friend (surrogete mom is more like it) Sue to get a few more tips... Sometimes I think I am getting a stellar deal on something, but I am really not, cuz I don't really know any better... I am working on being more frugal but still feeding my hubby and I good food... It is kinda fun actually :)... I really need to fix my camera so I can post some pics of the things I have been making... It would color this blog up a bit :) I am working on making things a little less rambling (clearly not in this post lol)... Anywho, just wanted to update that we are doing well and God is taking care of us! :)