Gram's Stuffing

This is all for you Ellyn! Please note, I have not measured out this recipe, it's one of those just add a little bit of this until it tastes good. My Gram taught this to me, and it's my favorite dressing in the whole world!

1 bag dried bread
1 package jimmy dean sage sausage
butter
2% milk
salt and pepper
sage
poultry seasoning
some celery and diced onions
some thyme

Crumble and cook the sausage until no longer pink. Drain off fat and rinse in warm water to get more fat off of it. While the sausage is cooking, simmer your diced onions and chopped celery in water until tender. In a Large bowl, Pour in your bread and seasonings and dry toss. Add in the cooked sausage and veggies. Mix well. Place in a large casserole dish and evenly distribute. Cover the bread in milk and add several generous butter pats all over the top of the bread mixture. Taste the mixture. Add more seasonings if desired. Bake in the over at 350 degrees until edges are brown. About halfway through add some more milk and more sage and poultry seasoning. I'm sorry if this is a really confusing recipe, but that's how Gram did it!

Roasting Chestnuts

Even though I can't have chestnuts, my boss has asked my to come up with a recipe for Roasting Chestnuts! You can do this on an open fire with Jack Frost nippin at you nose, but the oven works just as well!

First, rinse off the chestnuts that you buy from the store. Most grocery stores at this time of year have an open bin of them in produce. Try to buy those instead of the ones that come prepackaged in a plastic bag. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Next place one chestnut on a padded surface, like a clean kitchen towel, just so the nut is stationary and won't move. Then cut a cross into it's surface.

Place all the chestnuts you and your guests want to eat cross side up on a cookie sheet and sprinkle them with water.

Pu them in the oven uncovered for about 25-30 minutes or until the skins start peeling back from the nut. While they are roasting, line a bowl with a clean towel.

Once the nuts are roasted, place them in the towel lined bowl and wrap them within the towel for about 5 minutes.

Serve while still warm, the skins peel easier that way. Peel and sprinkle with some salt or a cinnamon sugar mixture. Or just enjoy them plain! If the nuts get cold while you're still eating them, place them back in the oven to heat them back up!

Thanksgivings Day 23 & 24

Here I am slacking off again. Oh well. One of these days I'll get better at blogging.

Day 23 - I'm thankful for super glue. As most of you know right now, it's my super busy time at work and that I work with my hands. With the air being dry here and my hands always in and out of water, my skin cracks on my hands. And of course I get the occasional nick on my hands also. No matter how much lotion I use, they are always getting really sore and splitting. I know duct tape works the best on my cracked fingers, but I can't do that while I'm handling food. So I've resorted to super glue! Yup, that's right, super glue to keep my war wounds all sealed up while I go on my merry way! Also the super glue lasts a lot longer than a band-aide and helps keep the cracks from cracking more! So yes I'm very thankful for super glue!

Day 24- I'm thankful for my quiet time in the morning before I wake the kids up. It's become my time of the day where I read my scriptures, have a nice glass of OJ and just prepare myself for the day. Even though I only read for about a half an hour, it still starts my day off on the right foot with uplifting thoughts and peace in my soul. Lately I've been using the topical guide and looking up scriptures that pertain to certain words. Today I looked up the word thankful and was directed to Psalms 100. It's a good read, look it up! Let's just say I'm pretty uplifted today! So not only am I thankful for my quiet time, I'm thankful very much for my scriptures too!

Thanksgivings Days 21 & 22

Here we go again, I'm slacking in my thankfulness. Argh.

Day 21 - I'm thankful I can identify different species of animals accurately. It amazes me how many people get deer, elk and moose all confused. Someone I know was showing me a picture of a huge moose that she saw on her vacation. I couldn't help but laugh. I said,"Hun, that's not a moose, but a mule deer, a tiny one at that!" I guess I take for granted sometimes for the beautiful place I was raised with all sorts of wildlife running around. But I must say, please, before you go braggin about the HUGE Moose you saw in your camp site; make sure it was really a moose!!!

Day 22 - I'm thankful for Harmons. I know I've blogged about the people I work with, but I'm thankful for the company as a whole. It is an awesome place to work for. They actually care about the little people. They've provided me a great place to earn a paycheck with cool perks. To name a few, tickets to Lagoon, Christmas turkey or ham, Chirstmas Day completeley off, vacation time, sick pay, wellness programs, employee rewards and so on. Today was interesting at work, to say the least. It just seemed like nothing was getting done, not for lack of trying might I add! We were crazy busy and I was starting to feel panicy about the up coming holiday and so on. So the gals and are busy doing our thing when they page all department managers up to the front end. No big deal, whatever. Then Glenn (my boss) calls our phone and asks Ellyn to tell me to go up front to help Glenn set up a display over by the deli and just meet him at the booth. Something was up. We weren't going to have a display over by the deli. So I go walking over to the booth from back in prodce and I see ALL the stores department managers and our store director waiting up from with Glenn grinning like a Cheshire cat and waving me over. My face starts burning up and I almost cried. I was nominated Employee of the Month for all my hard work, great customer service and so on. Part of my reward for this is a cake (Yum), ballons (the kids love them), a pin to go on my uniform, and a $50 gift card of my choice. I'm pretty stoked about this even though I was mortally embarrassed to be put in the spotlight like that while the front end was pack with customers and produce associates and other department managers! The whole store was full of hollering and clapping! All in all, it was a good day. So yeah, I'm thankful for my job and that I won't have a chance to be Employee of the Month for a long time again!!!!

Thanksgivings Days 18, 19 & 20

I'm getting so busy at work that by the time I get home, I'm just exhausted! So that's why I haven't been as diligent in my blogging the past little while. Sorry!

Day 18 - I'm thankful for friends and friendships! I'm so glad I have friends and great friendships with them! Some people say they don't need friends, but I think that's why they are really lonely! I so enjoy having someone to talk to, to be with and to have fun with! So thank you to all of my friends!

Day 19 - I'm thankful for my day off today. This will be my last day off until after Thanksgiving. Nine days straight of working. It'll be rough, but well worth it! So I'm going to relax and de-stress and not worry about veggie trays!

Day 20 - I'm so very thankful for my husband! Not only is he my husband, he's my best friend! I just got home from work a little bit ago and I walked into a super clean house, dinner cooking and happy kids! He seems to know what I need most when I need it! Without him I'd be so lost! And Thomas, even though your are a butt sometimes, I do love you and appreciate every thing you do for the kids and I! Thank you!

Thanksgivings Day 17

Yesterday I was thankful for chocolate. I know that sounds incredibly selfish, but there you go. There's just something about chocolate that gives you a nice, sweet little pick up saying everything is good at this moment. Chocolate is kinda like a band-aid for the soul. Yum!

Thanksgivings Day 16

Today I'm thankful for time spent together as a family. We had a wonderful day today just being together as a family. We went to breakfast and a Christmas show and had a ball! We saw Santa, talked about all sorts things and just enjoyed each others company! I am so thankful for my little family, they make my day brighter and life such a good place!

Thanksgivings Days 13, 14, 15

I'm such a slacker!!!!! Argh!!!! So my bad, that I've not been posting my thanks. Life has been busy, but that shouldn't be an excuse! So here goes for the past three days:

Day 13: My electric knife sharpener at work! Yes I do know how to sharpen my own knifes with a steel, but heck that takes a half an hour per knife! Time I do not have!!!! So with my nice nifty knife sharpener, my knifes go fro sadly dull to wickedly sharp in no time! It makes chopping veggies and fruits so very much easier!!!

Day 14: My daycare provider. Daisy and her daughters are absolutely awesome! They are the best caregivers I have had for my children so far! They teach the same principles to my children that I teach them, watch over them like hawks, make sure they are safe and are just so wonderful with my kiddos! I can't tell them thank you enough!!!

Day 15: Policemen. So I was driving down state street Saturday morning and one of those stupid bullet bikes came up behind me from the rear, rode my rear super close (I could see that the guys eyes were blue!) and then gunned it past me, in between me and another car and then proceeded to cut me off so I had to slam on the brakes. Right after I slammed on my brakes, the cop I didn't notice behind me flashes on his lights. So I'm thinking crap this is not going to be a good day. But instead of pulling me over, he pulled over the idiot on the bullet bike instead! Finally! So thank you to all the law enforcement officers out there that protect us and pull over those stupid bullet bike people!

Thanksgivings Day 12

Today I'm thankful for my kids' school teachers. The are such wonderful, amazing people with such dedication to children! My kids love going to school, love their teachers and love learning! I'm so glad that and grateful for such good teachers! John has really come out of his shell, and Carol has really blossomed! They are both actually disappointed when it's the weekend or a holiday! So thank-you to all teachers out there who make learning fun and enjoyable and for teaching children because you truly care about children!

Thanksgivings Day 11

Ok, ok, ok, I know, I missed yesterday's post. Yesterday was my day off, and boy, was I busy! I went up to Clinton to see my sister Stacy and her daughter Breezy and took John with me. Lets just say I'm thankful for who ever thought to put a dvd player in a car!!! John loved watching his cartoons while I drove up there and back. It's so nice to have something to entertain him while I drive!

Thanksgivings Day 10

I am thankful today for the people I work with. My manager Glenn is a an awesome person to work for. We have loads of fun and great times while we work hard to keep produce looking good. My fellow teammates Ellyn and Dee Dee keep me very well entertained and help make the day pass by faster! The other guys on the crew are so much fun also. I don't think I would enjoy work so much if I didn't work with such stellar people! Produce is definitely the best place to work! I'm very thankful for the best work environment out there! Kudos!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

8 ounces egg noodles, uncooked, medium size
1/3 cup flour
2 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups Appenzellar cheese, shredded
2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
2 tbsp brown mustard
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup cooked ham, diced
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. While the noodles cook, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour and 1/3 cup milk in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Place the pan over medium heat, whisk in the rest of the milk and mustard. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low. Add the cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in the chicken, peas, ham and black pepper and serve hot over the drained noodles. The Appenzellar cheese can be substituted with a Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese.

Thankgivings Day 9

Sunday. There are so many things I am thankful for on Sundays. I was thinking in church today about what I could write and it hit me, I'm thankful for my freedom of religion. I know I wrote earlier this week about my freedom to vote, but this freedom is much greater in my eyes. Our great country was founded by people who wished to get out from under the tyrannical thumb of the King of England so they could have the freedom to worship their beliefs that they choose, not the King. Without these peoples desire to be free, this county would not have been created and set up for the Restoration of the Gospel. I am very thankful that I could sit in church today and worship freely, pray openly, sing hymns, and enjoy the blessings of the sacrament. Yes, today I am very thankful for my freedom of religion.

Thankgivings Day 8

Today's the 8th of November, and I'm thankful college football season will be over soon! I really don't mind it that much, I'm just not a huge fan! I'd rather be watching a movie and snuggling with my husband than sitting here on the computer blogging and listening to college ball. I know way more than I ever wanted to know about football. Why do I need to know that Utah played their blackout game against the Horned Frogs I don't know!!! Or that BYU has only lost one game this season but yet they rank only 17th. Huh. I don't get it. I don't want to get it either. But in order to have a conversation with my husband while he's watching the games intently, I come up with these questions. I am glad that he's not much into the NFL this year and that college fb is almost over. The final games are coming and then I'll only have to deal with he bowl games. WhoooHoooo!

Thanksgivings Day 7

Today I am very thankful my husband is coming home! He's been gone to a Les Schwab Tire's brakes class that is required to promote up into a supervisor position. He left on Wednesday morning to drive to Prineville Oregon. The kids and I have missed him something fierce, but we are glad he's at his class. So he'll be home around 11:00pm tonight! It's funny how our home feels different when he's gone. the kids said they are going to try to stay awake to see their Dad, we'll see about that! Thank goodness tomorrow is Saturday and they don't have school! Thomas has the day off also, so they get to be with their Dad all day. Unfortunatly I do have to work, but I'll get all day Sunday with Thomas and the kids! I'm so excited he's coming home!!!

Thanksgivings Day 6

Today I'm thankful for colored paper, scissors and glue. These three simple things are heaven sent. My darling children where absolutely insane tonight while I was getting dinner ready and the house picked up. But give a child three simple items and silence fills the house as they create princess crowns and monsters. Dinner didn't get burned, the floor vacuumed and the house is at peace. The kids are happy, Mama's happy and all is well. Now I wonder if someone has invented something to remove the mysterious blob of paper and glue from my tabletop?

Thanksgivings Day 5

So today I'm very thankful for books. I love books, fiction, nonfiction and so on. I can't get enough! Without books, we'd only have the stories of others close to us to listen to. With books we can read about others' stories without having to leave our home! Last night, my daughter, Carol read her first book all by herself! It was just a really simple book, but she read it! I am so proud of her! She's loved reading with me, but now, she can start discovering a new world with every book she opens up and reads! I can't wait to share with her some of my childhood favorites! I am so lucky to live in a place where I can get as many books as I want from the local library and enjoy! So pick up a book tonight, and immerse yourself in a different world and enjoy!

November 4th Thanksgiving

Today I am very thankful for my choice to vote. Not only is it my choice, but my right and my freedom! I have the freedom to choose who I will vote for, and have a chance to voice my opinion on who runs the government, what laws passes and so on. Without this freedom, I would not have a say on what happens in this country I live in. I could be stuck living under the iron fist of a dictatorship and have no voice at all. Here in the United States, we all have a voice, all have an opinion and all have a choice. So make you choice and let your voice be heard instead of complaining about something you could change! Voting is a major thing to be thankful for, and I'm proud of my chance and choice to vote!

Thanksgivings

So, I've just read my sisters' blogs, Patty and Tiana, and I've been inspired to try to be more thankful this month, being Thanksgiving and all. I've had a pretty rough day today, but after reading their blogs, I feel uplifted and at peace, like this was what I was looking for today to help me get through everything. So, like Patty, I'm going to try to post something I'm thankful for every day this month. All three of my sisters have such beautiful testimonies and their words seemed to uplift today. Thank you for that! And since it's November 3rd today, I need to post three things I'm thankful for. So here goes . . . . .

#1 - I'm thankful for family. All of my family. Husband, kids, parents, brothers, sisters and so on. Without them, I'd be so lost. I love my family so very very much! I know we all annoy each other at times, but heck how boring would life be if we weren't all different? I enjoy spending time with all of them, and wish that I had spent more time with everyone before they all moved away! As for Thomas and the kids, wow, I can't love them enough! Thomas is such a solid rock for me and gives me such love and support! And the kiddos, they are the best!

#2 - I'm thankful for rain! For one, I just love rain. Secondly, rain brings so many wonderful things! Fresh smells & Life! I love being able to sit at home listening to the rain with my window cracked just a little bit to let in that wonderful smell! It's just so refreshing!

#3 - And finally, for today, I'm grateful for prayer. Without prayer, I don't know how I would have made it through today. Thomas was in a car wreck this morning and totaled his car. He's ok, he just has a gooseegg on his head and a scrape or two. I was so freaked out after he called, wondering how we'd make everything work out, towing bill, paying a ticket, paying for a new vehicle, how would Thomas get to work until finding a new car, what to do with the totaled car, and everything else. Stress upon stress, anxiety attack galore. Then I remembered one of those saying boards, "When life gets too hard to stand, Kneel." So I did. Afterwards I felt a little bit better, at least able to face the day. And throughout the day,as I went to work, then up to SLC to take care of the car, and so on, everything seems to be working out. My husband was ok, it could have been a lot worse. My boss worked with me, and I was able to go up to SLC to help Thomas with taking care of the car. Yes the car is totaled, but the towing company said that if we sign the title over to them, we wouldn't have to pay the towing bill or storage fee and they'd take care of the car. The damage on the other vehicle was minimal. Thank goodness for insurance. The driver of the other vehicle is ok, and very nice. Thomas's boss is letting him borrow a service truck until we find a different car. Thomas's parents have a small car that they'll let us buy. Thomas isn't badly hurt. As for the ticket, well, we'll just deal with it. But without prayer, I don't think my day would have gotten better, but worse. And after reading Patty's and Tiana's blogs, their words gave me a final bit of peace to where I can now see everything is really going to be ok and I have so much to be thankful for. Like it says in the scriptures:
"Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day." (Alma 37: 36-37)