Ten on Tuesday

1.  The Thanksgiving cooking has begun!  So far, I've made two fruit salad's for MDO and the traditional cheeseball for the Dotter/Blakley Thanksgiving.  The Cheeseball is "slightly" more spicy than usual, it turns out.  As you may know, the last step in our cheeseball recipe is a dash or two of cayenne pepper.  I added my usual amount, then tasted and remembered that my cayenne is MUCH fresher than usual.  I tried to dial it back by adding in more cream cheese, etc... and we now have a larger and still slightly spicy cheeseball. Ooops?

2.  The remaining things I plan to cook for Thanksgiving week are:

• Beef Wellington - We adapt this somewhat, but this is the origin
• Roasted Root Vegetables - using the collection from this week's vegetable basket and a few more tossed with olive oil, salt, and maybe just a spice or two.
• Homemade Bread - the recipe for which I really will post one day
• Homemade Apple Sauce - I have no actual recipe in mind, but I do have a lot of apples!
• Cheesy Polenta - I'll probably make it something like this. 
• Peanut Butter Fudge -  Scroll to the second 15 minute version
• Chocolate Pie - via the Smitten Kitchen, of course

What are you making? I'm always looking for tasty ideas!

3.  Today's tasty idea was this Fresh Tomato Sauce from Smitten Kitchen.  Our tomatoes were of the hot house variety via our vegetable basket and needed a bit more oomph.  I added a little tomato powder and Parmesan Pesto Sprinkle and it was awesome!

4.  We have decided to paint the bathroom.  I suspect this is a hidden compulsion from my father to start ridiculous projects right when large groups of people "might" show up at your house.  We've bought all the supplies and committed to them staying in the garage until after Thanksgiving.  I picked out the color in about 3 minutes at Home Depot and it is basically white, with maybe a tiny hint of blue, but Brent says to brace yourselves it is just going to look white.

5.  E loves to give me big open mouth kisses and I love it too.  He is talking more and more and to my completely crazy imagination I thought I heard him saying mama when he was crying once and another time thought he was saying hello. I know I'm nuts, but whatever.  He is also rolling both directions now, on occasion and wildly in love with jumping.  He thinks big brother is a complete riot and makes this hysterical giggle type noise when B walks past. It is great fun.  He has also started sucking his pointer finger more, which results in this odd thoughtful look a lot of the time. 

6.  I attempted running yesterday under the thought that I was going crazy and surely was well enough.  I was most clearly not.  I did feel like I needed to walk more than usual, but only when I got back did I realize I was light headed and probably not getting enough oxygen.  My cough appears to be worse also. I am endeavoring to give myself more time to heal.  We shall see.

7  M has had two "feasts" at school this week and brought home a large selection of turkey themed crafts, place mats, hats, and a very adorable song.  She was delighted to be picked up early today to go see big brother and is quite ready for Thanksgiving to begin.

8.  B had his first mini-school program today.  We videotaped each song and I'll try to upload them soon as they are so adorable. Then, they all shared a jointly made stone soup, milk, bread, and pumpkin pie.  B discovered that pumpkin pie was very good indeed and was delighted to get to go home early for the second day in a row. (Yesterday I checked him out early to go to the Doctor to work on his very persistent, constant coughing). 

9.  Everyone else in our family is off of school/work tomorrow and I believe headed to the zoo.  I, meanwhile, just keep thinking I am off and am sure to be disappointed.  Work is going well, but the zoo on a lovely fall day sounds better.

10.  While Brent has been home a bit more this week we've been trying to do some more cleaning.  I'm not sure we're making huge progress, but today I did vacuum and clean with the kids in a dress and pearls.  It was very June Cleaver here today.  (I had dressed up for the program, per the instructions).  We also came to the sad realization that the rooms we don't let kids in are actually messier than the others (aka office and our bedroom suite). This is not really surprising, but not a good thing.  We tided our room a bit tonight, but the office is too big of a project for this moment.  

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanks giving and thanks for joining me here this year!