Thirty Day of Thankful - Thanksgiving Day

I'm sure you're all ready of the end of my month of thanks...

I'll keep it brief, I know we all have things to do.  Today, I'm thankful for Thanksgiving Day itself.  It's a labor intensive day for those of us cooking - but it's done out of love and out of thanks for everything around us in the past year.

I'm thankful for the police, firefighters, nurses, doctors and other first responders who have to rotate through working on holiday.  I'm thankful that it's illegal in MA to open for Black Friday before midnight - all of you who go shopping immediately after Thanksgiving dinner are crazy!  I love ya...but you're crazy!

I'm thankful for being forced to cook some foods that are only prepared on holiday.  As much as they aren't my favorites, it keeps family traditions alive. I'm thankful that even though I have to work tomorrow, it's likely to be a quiet day where I can sneak in a few projects of my own (shh...don't tell anyone!).

What are you thankful for this year?  Anything you've been surprised to see on my list so far...or shocked I've left off? A few more days of things I'm thankful for and you we can move firmly into December!

Tuesdays at the Table - Turkey Enchilada Casserole & Thirty Days of Thankful - Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving just might be my favorite holiday.  I love that fall is firmly in place with its cold, crisp air.  The holiday is one of family and friends, without the added stress of gift exchanges and the worry I have that I've somehow picked out a gift that is less than perfect.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE me some Christmas!  But I like having a "practice" holiday first!  This year I am looking forward to a fairly quiet day that is filled with food and love.  I have to work on Black Friday, but it will be a quiet day (hopefully) and I'll finish my Christmas shopping that evening.

This week I'm reposting one of my favorite casserole recipes.  It makes great use of all the extra turkey!

Turkey Enchilada Casserole
1 1/2 to 2 cups of cooked turkey, diced
1 package flour tortillas
1 jar (16 oz) salsa verde
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons (approximately) vegetable oil

Mix diced turkey and about 3/4 (12 oz) of the salsa verde in a bowl and set aside.

Heat tortillas in the oil, one at a time for about 10 seconds. Drain on paper towels.

In casserole dish, place a layer of tortillas. Top with ½ of turkey mixture and ½ of black beans. Place another layer of tortillas topped with turkey mixture and beans. Top with tortillas. Place the last 4 oz of salsa verde on top of tortillas. Top casserole with cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and guacamole (optional).

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Tuesdays At The Table - Turkey Enchilada Casserole

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, and scored some super Black Friday deals!!

Here is my favorite recipe for leftover turkey (or chicken).  It's an easy casserole with a yummy Mexican twist.  :-)

Turkey Enchilada Casserole1 1/2 to 2 cups of cooked turkey, diced
1 package flour tortillas
1 jar (16 oz) salsa verde
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons (approximately) vegetable oil

Mix diced turkey and about 3/4 (12 oz) of the salsa verde in a bowl and set aside.

Heat tortillas in the oil, one at a time for about 10 seconds. Drain on paper towels.

In casserole dish, place a layer of tortillas. Top with ½ of turkey mixture and ½ of black beans. Place another layer of tortillas topped with turkey mixture and beans. Top with tortillas. Place the last 4 oz of salsa verde on top of tortillas. Top casserole with cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and guacamole (optional).

What's cooking in your kitchen?

A Christmas song a day comes back on December 1st!  If you have any suggestions, let me know!

A Jumbled Mess...

I could pretend that I had a cohesive, well thought out post ready for you.  But you all know me... and that I'm more "whatever pops into my mind" than that.  :-)  I save eloquent for the other blog!

So, sit tight!  I'm hauling out the bullet points!

• Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the comments and support after my post last week about my grandma!  I love you all so much for not skipping one of the harder posts I've had to write.  Grandma is now settled into a very nice nursing home.  Alzheimers/dementia is a nasty bi-atch and while it was a difficult decision to make, it was the one best for her safety and overall health.
• I'm gearing up for a craft fair during Thanksgiving weekend.  Wish me luck!  Anyone interested in a coupon code for my Etsy shop?!
• I'm making Meadow and Paisley tu-tus for round two of our Christmas card photos.  Stay tuned...I have money on them being hysterical.
• For the first time in years, I'm not excited about Thanksgiving.  Someone find my holiday spirit - STAT!
• Breaking Dawn Part II comes out Friday (as if you've been living under a rock!) and I'm so excited that some of my favorite ladies and I are going to see it opening night.  We need a girls night!

So...what's going on with you?!

Giving Thanks

I did a "giving thanks" post last year.  Why not carry on the tradition, right?!

I'm thankful for:

• My parents.  This has been a trying handful of months for them.  Mom got her knee replaced & Dad has been dealing with both a work injury and a neck issue that should have been fixed years and years ago.  I'm thankful that they are letting me support them the way they need right now.  It isn't easy being the one to nurse your parents, help them through physical therapy or jump in and make sure that paperwork got completed...but it's needed sometimes.  Being an adult sometimes means cancelling your plans and sitting at the hospital for days at a time.  As a result, my parents and I have more of a open relationship than most I've seen.
• My brother. The kid gets off light in the "parent care" category...but he always picks up when I call him for help.  He'll show up at a moment's notice to shovel a driveway, mow the lawn or let me vent.  He has been one of my biggest supporters as I try and find what the next chapter of my life brings me.
• Bloggers.  I'm a really shy person.  Despite being really friendly, it's sometimes hard for me to make friends.  Had you told me a few years ago that at some point I'd have 500 blog followers, I would have thought you absolutely nuts! Some of you fabulous ladies have become vital parts of my day/week. (I apologize if I space out and don't mention you below)
• Mrs. Jones is my favorite Google Talk buddy. I love that we don't say "hi" anymore...just jump right into the "guess what I just heard", "OMG, you'll never believe this", or "What's for dinner?" conversation.
• I fuzzy pink heart my dog people - Jessica, Kristine, Bethany, Camille, Caroline & Holly. Nothing says "love" like a pup that always wants to be with you.  I'm grateful that others feel the same way I do.
• Sporadic tweet fests with Jane & Jill. New moms & doctors in training have some pretty interesting hours!
• Even if they don't mean to - Mrs. Smith and Jessica are great at showing me all the fun finds that I covet, but can't have.  I live vicariously through their great purchases!
• Assorted crafty talk with Amber & Shell.
• I'm not a momma yet, but I hope I can be as awesome as Andrea & Beach Bum. :-)
• Every single who contributes recipes & nutritional articles to Tuesdays At The Table.  Who knew that others like to cook as much as I do?!
• Celia is seriously the most optimistic girl I know!!
• I have met so many really cool people that like me just the way I am.  I can't wait to meet more people! And...I will do a giveaway to celebrate having 500 fabulous followers.  I'm thinking after Christmas.  Mmmkay?!  And if you'd like to sponsor a giveaway, let me know!
• Kristen & Heather aka Princess & Queen.  My favorite cousin and her best friend are two of the people who I know will poke me if I get too quiet, cajole me into laughing, knitting or wine drinking when I need it most, and otherwise being the people who I know I can tell anything too and not have them judge me - too much.  :-)
• Bad days.  Yes, it sounds awfully dumb to be thankful for bad days.  But I really believe that bad days put everything into perspective.  Having a great day after a bad day, makes it SO. MUCH. BETTER!
• My dogs. Nothing makes me smile like their little faces.  Their barks, squirming little bodies, wagging tails...love them, love them, love them!

What are you thankful for this year?

Oh...and all you lurkers out there?!  I'm thankful for you too.  Please leave a comment to say "hi" so I can come show some love to your blog too!

Thanksgiving Parade

Saturday was the Thanksgiving parade in Plymouth, MA.  And, as "America's Hometown", the parade is huge.  As in, Is it over yet?  How about now?! huge.  Which I happen to like!!  Marching bands came from New Jersey, Arizona and Quebec (and I'm sure more that I didn't notice).

Let's face it, Thanksgiving Day rolls around and you end up spending your day in the kitchen cooking rather than getting to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  Plus...must of us can't get to NYC on a whim. 

Lately, I've had a few people ask what it's like living so close to Plymouth Rock and where Thanksgiving originated.  Honestly, until someone asked - I never really thought about it. Around here we take for granted that we can stroll by Plymouth Rock on a Friday night, or a summer day, or any time we darn near feel like it.  As children we *groan* at the prospect of going to Plimouth Plantation for the third year in a row as a school field trip. 

Now that I have given it some thought - I think it's amazingly cool that our area is so steeped in history.  That children here have an understanding of who the Pilgrims were, exactly why they came here, and how they arrived.  I wish more kids got to experience that.  Maybe next year, you'll think of coming up for a visit?!

Anyway...here are a few (OK, about a dozen) pictures that I stole from Kristin.  She was the smart lady that remembered her camera.  Me, not so much!

Period costume abounded...

You can't tell from the picture, but those stakes were huge.  And pointy!

We had dozens of beautiful horses trot past us.

The Boston Police Celtic group.  Bagpipes make me tear up, y'all!

I don't think we went more than 5 minutes without musket fire.

Some of these costumes were ah-ma-zing!

Fife and drum corps are pretty cool...

What's a parade without floats?!  They had to bring this one down to fit under power lines.  And, um... SQUIRREL!!

I felt bad for the guy in this piggy costume.  There's no doubt that he fell at some point.

All branches of the military marched.  I was blown away by the Army's float.  Those bronze men?  ACTUAL MEN who stood still for the whole parade.  Behind them is a real helo, and the names of those KIA are listed along the sides and back of the float.

SANTA!!!!!

Don't these three look thrilled?!  Chilly...but thrilled?!?!

Giving Thanks

I'm thankful for so much this year.  Excuse the bullet points - but away we go:

• My job.  Quite frankly - my job sucks sometimes.  But I'm thankful that I have a job in this economy and that the seven years (in two weeks) I've spent there have flown by so quickly.
• My work besties.  They make long meetings and crabby customers bearable.  I look forward to our lunch and coffee breaks each day!  They are such special ladies. 
• My parents.  They are two individuals that have totally different outlooks on life, but they both instilled in me that it's better to give than to receive, to try hard and to make lemonade out of the lemons life throws you from time to time.  I'm so thankful that they've made me the person I am today.
• The royal court.  See below.  :-)  I look at the two of them and see in us the relationship that my mom, Kirstren's mom and our Aunt Donna forged 30+ years ago.
• Kirstren - aka the Princess. Don't tell anyone, but she's my favorite cousin and has become one of my best friends.  I love our shopping trips, knitting nights and other random outings.  She's always able to cheer me up after a bad day and I'm thankful for her just being her.
• Heather - aka the Queen. I'm hugely thankful that Kirstren brought her into my life.  They're besties - and I'm such a lucky person that the Queen saw past my natural shyness, "gets" my brand of sarcasm and welcomed me to their larger circle of friends. 
• My brother. Like most sibling relationships, we've had our ups and downs.  He is really a great person, I'm proud of the time he spent in the Army and thankful that he's home and living with me now.
• My dogs.  I'm so thankful that they chose me.  Such big personalities in such little dachshund bodies!  I'm thankful for their unconditional love and that they've been so patient while I wait to get my backyard fenced in.

Instead of the eloquent soliloquy I had planned, I'm going to share the Thanksgiving letter that a work friend did this year.  I just can't say it better than she can.  She's an amazing person, my ex-boss, and was kind enough to give me permission to share her words (even though she doesn't know exactly how I was planning to share it!).

Thanksgiving: As the name implies, a day for giving thanks. Since the day that the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving Day.



So, what am I thankful for this year?


The ability to get out of bed every morning, put my feet on the floor, and “get going”. So many people cannot do that.


A wonderful family and great friends, whom I love. Too many people do not have this either.


I have a job that I love and wonderful people to work with. How many people can say that, and really mean it? It’s all about the people, and I am blessed to work with the best group I have ever had to work with. There are probably not too many people who can say that.


I have fond memories of days gone by, which I pray I will have forever. Many people have lost their memories; they are gone forever. Some of them may be at our Thanksgiving tables. Be patient and kind, and thankful that they can still join us.


Every year, we celebrate Thanksgiving. But, do people really stop and give thanks for all of their blessings? Or are they too caught up in the cleaning and cooking and preparations for the day to stop and smell those roses.


I have a couple of assignments for each and every one of you this Thanksgiving. Take time for you this Thanksgiving. Enjoy your time off with family and friends. Think about everything you have and be truly thankful. Stop and smell those roses. They may not be there forever.


A very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

What I'm Thankful For...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, LADIES!!!!!

Feel free to string me up (or whine at me), but I'm using bullet points for the second post in a row.  I'm a list maker and am fond of bullet points.

What I'm Thankful For This Year.....

• My family.  I've covered it before, but family to me, means the world and I use the term "family" loosely.  These are the people that love me the most, cheer for my successes and pick me up & brush me off when I fail.
• My dogs.  They are smart and amusing and sweet and for some reason love me despite the fact that I work so much.  I didn't choose them; they chose me.  I couldn't imagine my life without them. (Though, I'd love to have a morning where I wasn't woken up by a nose in my eye.  Are you listening Beckett?)
• My job.  There are days that I want to scream from the rooftops how frustrated I am with my job; how I'm going to win the lottery, quit and never look back.  But, the economy stinks and I'm so lucky to have a job.  It's hard to quantify why I love my job - but I do.  I've been there for 6 years, for heavens sake!
• Music.  A great song tells a story - with a fantastic melody and good beat.  "Where words fail; music speaks."  Music has the power to energize, calm, or otherwise change your mood.  I can connect most both the happiest and saddest moment in my life to what was playing on the radio/CD player.
• Insomnia.  There. I said it.  I'm thankful for insomnia.  Given that I work so much - I have no idea what I'd do if I actually slept at night.  There would be so many emails not answered, blog posts not written, books not read and music not listened to.
• Caffeine.  Um, to keep up my insomniac lifestyle, caffeine is a must.  I tried to give it up for lent a few years ago.  It didn't happen.
• Good genes.  Sure, my genes made me a short workaholic who wears contact lenses and gets migraine headaches.  But these genes also gave me the compassion of my dad's mom, the craft skills of my mom's mom, the culinary skills and humor of my mom's dad & organizational skills and wander lust of my dad's dad.  I'm blessed.
• Faith.  I'm thankful for the faith that I have in God.  That He has a plan for me; for the faith that JC and the boys will make it home from their deployment in one piece; for the faith that my Prince Charming is still out there and will eventually sweep me off my feet.
• DVR.  How did I live without the ability to record shows and watch them later?  And being able to rewind and watch pivotal moments again?!  Fantastic-ness!
• All of you.  I started blogging in March and in the past six months have loved getting to know each and every one of you.  Thank you so much for sharing in my life and letting me into yours.

What are you thankful for this year?