Beth and Cory's Mom

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Cooking for Thanksgiving

Image by kendiala via Flickr

I've got a lot of cooking to do tomorrow, because Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we're having it here. We're not having a big group, just us and my brother and his daughter, but I've still got to fix turkey and all the rest. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it all. So tomorrow I'm cooking the turkey, baking rolls and some pies, and maybe making cranberry sauce. I say maybe on the cranberry sauce because the people in my house like the jelled stuff that comes out of a can, but I just really want some real, fresh cranberry sauce.

I always cook the turkey the day before because it's just easier to deal with that way. I can cool the broth, remove all the fat, and have it to make the dressing and gravy. I add some broth to the sliced turkey and reheat it in the oven. No pretty turkey for the table, but so much easier. And seriously, I've never been able to get the turkey out of the pan in one piece.

So if the turkey and the baking is done tomorrow, all I have to do is dressing (I already have the bread laid out to dry a little), mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, and a vegetable on Thursday. Right? I feel like I'm forgetting something, but I have time to figure it out. As it is, it sounds like there's going to be so much food people are going to need appetite suppressants or they're going to eat so much they'll explode. Time to start talking up the benefits of leftovers, I think.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Peter Pan Pics

I finally got pictures from Peter Pan uploaded to Facebook. You can see them here.

I took a bunch of video, too, but I haven't had a chance to look at it or upload it or anything.

I think Cory was an awesome Captain Hook! (and not just because I'm his mom)

Heads or Tails - Soft

The theme/prompt for THIS week, November 24, is:

HEADS - "Soft"

This is pretty easy, because we have the softest cat in the world living here.

Everyone who touches her remarks on how soft she is, and it really is hard to walk past her without touching that soft fur – especially when she rolls over and exposes her Tillie tummy, which is even softer than the rest of her.

Heads or Tails is a fun weekly meme created and hosted by Barb (aka Skittles) – feel free to join in!

Who Do You Think Will Win?

So far this Dancing With The Stars season I haven't picked a favorite and haven't voted for anyone. In the past I always had my favorites - Emmet Smith, Kristi Yamaguchi, Apolo Anton Ohno, Ty Murray - and I voted. I didn't go so far as to get t-shirts or promo keychains, but I used several email addresses and my home phone and my cell to vote. This season, no one really stood out, and it wasn't until last week that I decided it should come down to Mya and Joanna, because they were the best dancers. I still didn't vote, though, and Joanna got eliminated.

So now here we are in the finals. It's down to Donny, Kelly, and Mya, and I might even go ahead and vote. Of the three, I think Mya is the one who deserves to win. What do you think? I think Kelly is adorable, and there are flashes of good dancing in her performances, but she just hasn't put the whole package together. Donny always seems to have so much fun, and he really knows how to put on a show. But Mya can really dance. If the Mirror Ball Trophy goes to the best dancer, then she should win.

I guess we'll find out tomorrow night.

ETA - never mind. I'm voting for Donny (if I can get through and if the ABC website will cooperate) - that freestyle was awesome!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Camera Critters (#85)

I caught Weasley watching TV on Thursday. Good Morning America was showing just a little about the huge cruise ship they were planning to show the next day. Wow is that ship huge! Did you see any of the GMA story on Friday?

Weasley, are you planning to go on a cruise?

Who, me?

He looks a little guilty, don’t you think? Maybe I better check my credit cards and be sure nothing’s missing.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Looking at the Sky on Friday - 36

I’m so glad there’s a meme like Looking at the Sky on Friday, because it means all the time I spend looking at the sky, and taking pictures of it, has a purpose! Click the badge for more info.

I went to get the mail. I don’t remember what we got in the mail, probably just some credit card offers, bills, something from a store trying to sell us a ps3 and some games we don’t really need, something like that. What I do remember is the sky. I grabbed the mail from the box and hurried inside for my camera.

If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out Looking at the Sky on Friday.

Does Movie Theater Popcorn Have to Be So Bad?

Image by Kaptain Kobold via Flickr

Did you hear on the news this morning about all the fat in movie theater popcorn? No wonder I always feel sick after I eat it! Of course the fact that we always buy the large and get the free refill, and I always seem to eat most of it myself has absolutely nothing to do with it. Why is it that I just can't stop eating that stuff until the bucket is empty?

I'm just trying to figure out why they think they need to add all that fat. On its own, popcorn is a healthy, whole grain, low-fat snack. It's all the oil they pop it in and then the butter (or butter flavoring) that is drizzled on top. I never get added butter because that's just too greasy, but apparently the popcorn is about as bad for you even without it. The news report said that some of the theater chains tried selling air popped popcorn, but the customers didn't like it. I personally love air pop, but I know a lot of people don't, and I'm pretty sure the theater had to know that too. Of course the customers weren't going to buy it - well, except for me if I'd known.

But anyway, customers weren't buying the air popped stuff, so they went back to using lots of oil and fat. After all, they tried, right? But my question is - isn't there somewhere we can meet in the middle? Use less oil, don't cut it out altogether. And for the theaters that give free refills - if they're like the theaters we go to, free refills are only available on the largest popcorn size. So, to get our money's worth, we usually buy the large combo - a large popcorn and two large sodas. How about making 1 free refill available no matter what size you buy? If people start out with a smaller size, even if they get the refill, the end result is less popcorn. Oh, and did I say use less oil?

Luckily going to the movies is just a once in a while thing.

Never Run Out of Toilet Paper

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Alice.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

A friend once asked, "What one thing have you never run out of or would never want to run out of?" My first thought was something like flour or onions, but then she said for her the answer was toilet paper. No one wants to run out of toilet paper! I have to agree with her. Of course, there are lots of basic things we need around the house - laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, deodorant, etc. It would be pretty inconvenient to run out of any of them. Maybe not as inconvenient as having no toilet paper, but...

I tend to stock up on all these basics when they're on sale, so I have quite a stockpile, and I don't think we're in danger of running out of anything for a good long time. That didn't stop me from signing up for a free account at Alice.com about a month ago, or maybe that's why I signed up. I don't just stockpile stuff because it's on sale. I stockpile because I don't want to run out and then have to make a special trip to the store and probably pay a higher price. Now, with Alice.com I can actually use stuff up and let the supplies dwindle a little, which will make my husband happy. He says we have too much stuff around here.

You see, Alice.com is a site where you can shop for and buy all your household essentials. They have tons to choose from, so chances are you can find the brands and products you usually use. The prices are very competitive, and they even find and apply coupons to get you the best deal possible, and there's no clipping involved. And, shipping is FREE. So, you can sit back, log onto your computer, and do all your shopping for household essentials from the comfort of your own home, and have everything delivered to your door for FREE. How cool is that? Now I'm wishing we were almost out of something so I could actually order something.

What I am doing is looking through the products available in all the different categories and adding things I know I will need eventually, the body wash Cory likes, hand lotion, facial tissue, etc. That way it will be quick and easy to find when I need it. It also looks like Alice.com pays attention to my choices and uses them to offer me special deals or suggest products I might like, which I really like. Also, as you add things to your products, you can tell Alice how often you need to buy each item, and Alice will remind you when it's time to buy, so you won't run out!

I encourage you to check out Alice.com because I think this site is going to be really handy. If you hate shopping for basic household needs and would like to save some time, money, and hassle, this might be just what the doctor ordered. Alice.com has a Refer a Friend program, too - so if you sign up for your free account and then refer your friends, Alice.com will pay you, too. You'll get 3% of the total dollar amount of each one of their orders on Alice for an entire year. Each person you refer will also get a $10 credit in their Alice account once they spend at least $50 on the site. Here's my referral link - http://www.alice.com/referral/4D789F8D - so if you copy that into your browser, I'll get the 3% of your orders for a year, and you'll get $10 after you spend $50. Sounds like a good deal for both of us, right? (or just click the ad in the sidebar)

Oh, and what one thing would you never want to run out of?

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I Keep Coughing

I woke up Saturday morning with a sore throat. Yes, I'm perfectly fine, spend a few nights around other people, and I wake up sick! I had some hot honey-lemon water, drank a packet of Emergen-C, and took some Vitamin D - and stopped eating the chocolate that is always at the sound table. After Saturday night's performance I had some hot tea and took it easy, though we stayed up way too late because we had a basement full of cast members, crew, and friends.

Sunday wasn't too bad, more tea, Emergen-C, Vitamin D, etc, but, by the time the performance and clean-up was finished, my legs ached and I could tell my voice was leaving me. More tea, more vitamins, etc. Monday and Tuesday I couldn't really talk, and if I moved around too much or tried to talk, it made me cough. I didn't feel too bad, just overall tired.

Today I actually have a voice, but I can't stop coughing sometimes. I just get this really dry tickle in my throat, and it won't stop. I watched the first video suggested by Zemanta, and I think some of it is that I haven't been drinking enough water - mostly because with all the coughing and gunk in my throat, nothing tasted good, not even water, which I normally drink a lot of. So, more water, more rest, more whiskey. Oh, I didn't mention the whiskey? Yep, very important, but after watching that 2nd Zemanta-suggested video, I think I really should have tried a Hot Toddy. I guess there's always next time, because I'm not all better yet.