Our Yummy Thanksgiving Mess

Actually, that's not entirely true, since I knew I would need to be as efficient as possible in my tiny kitchen, I cleaned it from top to bottom before I started and kept it pretty clean along the way. I was quite proud of myself (and briefly considered why I don't do it that way all the time, but well, whatever).

I started cooking on Tuesday night, with the pie crust and first set of dinner rolls.

On Wednesday, I had a wonderful helper, who's only flaw is that she gets really mad when I won't let her help with something. Here she is helping me unearth the stock pot from that cabinet behind her for mashed potatoes. Can I just say, I probably should have realized that if I was using a stock pot for a party of eight, three of whom definitely weren't going to eat them, it was entirely TOO MUCH POTATOES! That's okay, I found an awesome recipe for mashed potato pancakes (which my children still won't eat).
Rolls getting started in my wonderful, awesome and amazing bread machine:


Thank you, Sam's Club, for potatoes on steroids. I have never, in my life, seen such gargantuan potatoes. And being the lover of potatoes that I am, I made about two thirds of the bag, ten pounds or so.
I tried a new stuffing recipe, and it was PHENOMENAL! This is going to be my stuffing recipe. The corn bread is another of my favorites, and was used Wednesday night with taco soup.


Were you wondering what the boys were up to while Brenna and I cooked? Brian was helping clean up, Nathan was playing with Legos, and Isaac was eating washable crayons, which foam when they get wet, by the way. I heard Brian yell, "Miranda, I need help! It's getting on me!" by which I'm pretty sure he actually meant our precious baby is eating something and I'm terribly worried about his welfare!
Just a side note, but see those really steep stairs behind Brian? I fell down them this morning. Which is why I'm now sitting here blogging, and not walking to the park with my family.

Here's the turkey. I got a big one, 15 pounds, I think, because I figured if I was going to spend the better part of a day cooking it, I wanted to be able to use if for a while. Mission accomplished! It was lovely, but too dry. Next year I'll try the bag thing like Linda told me I should...

And here is the meal. My moment of glory! And a little fear, because what if it was terrible? Oh, the green beans were. Terrible, I mean. Scrap that recipe. But everything else was wonderful. Yay!

I bought a puzzle for the evening because, well, I love puzzles, but also because Brian's aunt and uncle had one out a couple years ago at Thanksgiving and I loved how it gave people a chance to sort of exit the main conversations and have quiet conversations, but not actually feel out of the party. It turned out really well in this case; our three guests were people Brian works with who for whatever reason were staying in New Orleans. I have no idea if they know one another socially, but I had never met them before they rang my doorbell. So the puzzle gave us something to do with our hands and softened the inevitable breaks in the conversation. One young lady left pretty early in the evening, but the other had to be dragged away from the puzzle because her ride needed to get home :)
Oh, and those leaves on the wall behind the table? They were part of our school project a couple weeks ago, when we were talking about Fall. We've spent the time since we made them thinking of things we're thankful for and writing them on the leaves.

I know it's a little blurry, so if you're interested, here's the list:

Hannah and Claire
Get together
God takes care of us
Yummy breakfast
Our family
Isaac
Daddy
Clayton Community Church
We got to New Orleans safely
Our bedrooms
Our garden at home
Wonderful friends
Our new beds
Sophia
Mama
Brenna Mae
Daddy's job that helps provide for us
Toys
Jesus took away our sins
Nathan

Here are my favorite recipes that I used:

Sweet Dinner Rolls
I made a recipe of regular flour, and one of half whole wheat.

Stuffing
based on some of the comments, i added two granny smith apples, 1/2 cup walnuts and a handful of cranberries. And I used homemade cornbread instead of a mix.

Speaking of:
Cornbread
I love this recipe because it isn't crumbly. very moist and sweet.

Potato Pancakes

A Thanksgiving Thought by Bobbi Katz

The day I give thanks for having a nose

Is Thanksgiving Day, for do you suppose

That Thanksgiving dinner would taste as good

If you couldn't smell it? I don't think it would.

Could apple pies baking – turkey that's basting

Not be for smelling? Just be for tasting?

It's a cranberry-cinnamon-onion bouquet!

Be thankful for noses on Thanksgiving Day.

Two wonderful books that will be on my wishlist for next year:

How I am, Really.

I love New Orleans. This city is amazing, beautiful, full of architecture that is breathtaking. The first week after we arrived, when I drove through town to see the community that we would move into, my initial reaction was I will stay here, if I can. I want to be a part of this history, this vibrant community, this will to thrive in spite of horrendous odds. New Orleans has a spirit that you can feel; the people here love their city, and have fought for her.

That said, I am lonely. I am depleted. The end of every day finds me angry at my children for being childish, my husband for not meeting my every need, myself for my innumerable failures. I'm not sure that God wants to hear from me, or if he does, that he's willing to act on my behalf. Does he expect me to rely on him completely? What does that even look like? What does it look like to not have a friend made of skin with whom to converse?

Yes, we have found a church, a wonderful place with lots of children. I'm sure that we will make wonderful friendships there. But that is going to take time.

I have not found a homeschooling community. My hippy-ish ways are foreign here. If I go to a park during normal school hours, I'll have to explain the craziness that is having three children five and under at home by choice.

At the end of the night, when I'm free to leave, to find a place to grab some coffee and walk around, I don't know where to go. One of the beauties, but also the drawbacks, of a true city is the lack of chain establishments that offer familiarity in unfamiliar places (except the Walmart, and that is just wrong… on so many levels). And I haven't found myself desperate or brave enough yet to just drive away in the dark and explore by myself.

So I'm taking it day by day. Trying to find the balance between relying on God to meet my needs, but acknowledging that I am only human and I am made for relationship. I need a friend.

God will meet me here, of this I am sure. He has met me far from home before. But in the meantime, I am trudging through a valley, admittedly, a beautiful valley, alone.

Nathan's First Love Letter

I have so many pictures of Hannah and Nathan, but of course they're all at the house in Concord. Oh well, I guess I'll save them for their wedding day....

My Current Desktop Picture

A Big Day for Nathan

Nathan has wanted a library card for quite some time. The rule at our library in Concord was that he had to be able to write his name on the back. Well, guess what:

Teeth! And Our New Home.

That guy is so cute. Unless no one is paying attention to him, then he looks like this:Yes, his face really gets that red when he's mad. Poor kid.

In other news, here are some pictures of our house. It's in what's called an "urban renewal" community. From what I understand, the builders took an old, run-down neighborhood, bulldozed it, then built a new community in it's place, keeping with the architectural style and street layout of the area.

The house is fine, nothing special inside, and COMPLETELY LACKING IN SHELVES! I mean, ANY shelves. So be forewarned, the following pictures are messy, because I can't figure out where to put anything with NO SHELVES.

And also, no artwork with very large walls. I'm working on that.

There are two bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs, which we're using as a playroom.

So, that's that. We're just trying to get back into a routine, fill up the refrigerator, find a place to put toys. I think we'll enjoy it here.