Brrrr…. Chilly!

Hey Y’all!

Today was a very cold day. We woke up to temps in the 30’s and the wind was howling! I chose to stay in my jammies as long as I could today! But, I worked really hard! All of my Christmas decorations and trees are up and the house is cleaned and ready for Thanksgiving visitors. I may need some time to recover from all of this hard work! Pitty Pat and I stepped out about 3:30 for a chilly walk, and then back under the covers we went! I only ventured out to change the laundry from the washer to the dryer and then to fold it. In fact, Pitty Pat and I are about to head back to bed for good in a few minutes!

I am really enjoying my Christmas tree lights. I haven’t taken a picture of the whole set up yet, because I am playing around with getting a new garland to go around the entertainment center this year. The one I have is nice, but it is falling apart. So I plan to head out this week to see what my (not so expensive) options are! This year I did have to add little something to my green tree. This tree is very old… at least 15 years. It is starting to brown in some spots and the limbs are not holding up well. I had a fake snow blanket that I decided to break apart to add a snow effect to the branches. I love the way it makes the tree look! I might decide to flock this tree next year (add a fake snow effect on the branches with paint) so it can last even longer. I am enjoying this tree all over again! Here’s a quick pic… remember, I am not done decorating this part!

Sadly, I did not get in any knitting this weekend. I really wanted to get my house cleaned and my decorations up. At least I have only two days of school this week and all of my hard housework is done. Now I can kick up my feet and knit over Thanksgiving vacation!

Tootles!

JKP

It’s Pumpkin Time!

Hey Y’all!

I hope everyone had a great week! I didn’t get to go to any turtle nest inventories this week because of school, but there are several this week that I plan on attending. The last nest in Garden City hatched on Friday, so there will be a nest inventory tomorrow night. I definitely plan on being there. It is the last nest of the season, which is a little sad. I will post pics as soon as I can!

Last night we had a faculty and staff get together at my assistant principal’s house. We had some very yummy barbeque. Everyone had to bring a dish to share. So yesterday morning while drinking my coffee I went on the search on Pinterest to find something quick, easy and delish! Enter the Pumpkin Fall Dip! This is a cinch to make and it is so yummy when you pair it with Gingersnaps! Bonus.. this dip makes A LOT!

To make Fall Pumpkin Dip you will need:

 

1 15 oz can of pumpkin.. NOT pumpkin pie filling

1 5oz box of vanilla instant pudding (do not make the pudding, just use the pudding powder)

2 tubs of Cool Whip (The recipe calls for plain Cool Whip, but I like to GO BIG OR GO HOME. So I used the Extra Creamy one!)

1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

A bag of Gingersnaps and/or Nilla  Wafers

Combine all of the ingredients except for the Gingersnaps and Nilla Wafers. Mix well.

 

After mixing, place the dip in the fridge for a few hours. It tastes just like PUMPKIN PIE!

Then serve! Here’s a serving dip…. When you have to go to a party and you need to bring a dish, head to Dollar General! It is one of my favorite stores! For some reason all of my serving dishes are at school. So I headed to Dollar General and picked up a huge serving plate and bowl for the dip for under $2. The nice thing about that is you can always leave the dishes at the party if you need to leave and  you don’t have to worry about getting your serving dishes back! This is great, especially if your dish is still being enjoyed!

Alrighty, I think I am off to the beach to get some reading done. It is so quiet around here because all of the tourists are finally gone. It will be so nice to have some peace on the beach!

Tootles!

JKP

Christmas Sock of the Day.. 3! Turkey in a Crockpot and Corn Puddin' too!

Hey Y'all!

Wow. If you follow the Twilight series and you haven't seen Breaking Dawn 2 yet, Oh My. You need to. I had a lot to ponder after the movie yesterday so I didn't get back to post. Wow. It was good!

Any hoo... here's today's Christmas Sock of the Day... From now on I think I will call it.. CSOD..
This sock is an oldie but goodie. I technically wear them past Christmas because I think gingerbread is great year round! I love this sock because it has all of the baking ingredients for Gingerbread Men!

AND! Speaking of cooking... hee, hee... Did you like my segway?
Here are the Thanksgiving recipes I have been promising for DAYS. Oh. They are worth it. You can use them for Christmas!

As I told you in my last post, I, JKP have never, ever, ever, baked a turkey before. I know. GASP. But. I decided this was the year and my crockpot was going to do all of the work. :)

For Crockpot Turkey you will need...

A SLOW COOKER LINER (Do not skimp on this. You will be a very sad monkey if you do.)
1 packet of onion soup mix
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 can of WHOLE BERRY cranberry sauce
1 turkey breast (anywhere from 3 to 5 pounds. Mine was a 4 and a half pounder. I bought mine fresh not frozen. With all of my digestive issues, I don't need a 20% solution of who knows what in a frozen turkey sending me to the hospital!) ALSO take into account the size of your crockpot. That will really determine what size of turkey breast you can get.

Now. Line your crockpot with the crockpot liner. You can find these on the aisle with the aluminum foil and plastic wrap.
Take your turkey out of it's packaging. Check inside to make sure there are not any bits or pieces. Just in case. Place your turkey in your crockpot and WASH YOUR HANDS!

Now in a bowl, combine the orange juice, onion soup mix, and the  whole berry cranberry sauce. Mix well. Pour over the turkey. Put on the crockpot lid. Cook on low for 6 and 1/2 hours or until your meat thermometer measures 170 degrees.

 

Warning. Your house will smell so yummy!

I am also SAD to say.. we ate this so fast, that I did not get a final picture. But. It. Was. Oh. So. YUMMY!

 

Now every turkey needs a sidekick... right? I present you with Crockpot Corn Puddin'.

 

For Crockpot Corn Puddin' you will need....

 

 

 

2 cans (10 ozs) of whole kernel corn ( DO NOT DRAIN)

2 cans (14 ozs) of creamed corn

2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 stick of butter

1 8 oz container of sour cream

 

Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix.

 

Then pour into a lined crockpot. Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 2 hours.

 

It is the perfect sidekick to your turkey! And, again, I was slack with the final pics!

 

I hope you enjoy these recipes. They are so easy and they taste like you went to a lot of effort. I will say, the turkey sammies we made from the left over turkey were just divine. The crockpot will make your turkey very juicy and moist. :)

 

And, one last thought...  I think the reason I never attempted a turkey before was because of the movie Christmas Vacation. You know the scene. The one where they cut the turkey.. AND it basically decompresses in front of the family? OH LAWD. I did not want that kind of failure. :)

 

Now. Guess who has been nominated to cook Christmas Dinner at my Mom's this year? I better start looking for recipes!

 

Tootles!

:) JKP





Happy, Happy Thanksgving/Black Friday!

Hey Y'all!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I did! Do you know what? I technically cooked my first turkey on Wednesday! Granted it was in the crockpot and it was just a turkey breast, BUT I DID IT! And, it was yummy!

I have a recipe for the turkey and corn pudding that I made on Wednesday, but I will post about that later on. As you know, my family eats out on Thanksgiving, so I wanted to make sure I had leftovers to munch on over this busy weekend. And munch we have!

Here's a quick recap of our Turkey Day Meal....

Family Pics..

Me and Mom!

The Fam!

 



We always eat at The Boundary House in Calabash. The meal was yummy and we had leftovers from this meal too!

After our yummy meal, we went and checked out the movie Lincoln. Y'all, this movie is so good,  you must go see it. It is so interesting and the cast of characters is very enjoyable. Go, you won't be disappointed especially if you are a history buff!

Now, I am not like most folks. I likey a good shopping deal, BUT  I do not like to get out in the wee hours of Black Friday. But, I don't mind going out during the day. However, if I walk in a store and it is mass chaos I will walk back out! Mom and I hit a few stores today. Our main goal was to hit Belk. I had heard a wee bit of a rumor that the Belk up in North Myrtle Beach carried Orthaheels. And. Y'all know the sad shape my left foot is in. It has really been bothering me lately because the weather has turned cold and most of my Orthaheels are for warmer weather. Mom and Pitty Pat gave me a new pair for my birthday, but I can't wear them everyday because they are black.So off we went. 5 minutes in the store and I thought I was going to lose my mind! But WE FOUND the shoes AND WE GOT TO USE A COUPON! So, I have two new pairs of shoes to wear! Both of these are brown and they are so cute. So, now my feet can be happy again.. EVERYDAY!  I still may have to make a trip back to the podiatrist sometime soon. I am hoping these few days of rest will help it though! :)

Tomorrow we are planning to take it easy and maybe hit a few consignment stores. I don't really need anything, but the weather is really turning cold... well, beach cold here, and it wouldn't hurt to have a few more sweaters. I'll do a post soon on the latest finds I have found in consignment stores.

Before I go... I do want to tell you guys about a few favorite things I have discovered this week....

Bookbub! If you have a Kindle or a Nook you need to visit this site daily or sign up for emails. Everyday they send you an email with 3 or 4 books that are free to download to your Nook or Kindle. To see the daily deals and not have them emailed to you visit www.bookbub.com/deals/
I have put 6 new free books on my Kindle Fire as of today. And. Yes you read that right! I now have a Kindle Fire! We originally ordered it for my Granny's Christmas present, but once we got it, we realized it would be very hard for Granny to manage. I do have an ipad, but it is not mine and it is only mine as long as I am employed by my school district in a primary grade. I didn't feel very comfortable downloading books on something that really didn't belong to me. This way I can download away and continue reading the e books that I have come to love reading! :)

As if I am not enough of a medical mess these days, I have had the worst eczema breakout I have ever had over these past two weeks. I have fought with this since I was a baby and winter is really the worst for me. On top of that, my Crohn's can cause terrible skin rashes, so the past few weeks have been very uncomfortable to shower and put on clothes. After dealing with Aveeno and failed results, I picked up some Cetaphil and finally started to use it this week. I have now added the Cetaphil lotion to the mix... and y'all... it is a Christmas miracle! My skin has calmed down so much and I can actually take a shower and not be in pain! Every day the rash gets smaller and less irritated. Thank goodness! So. Cetaphil is awesome if you are having eczema issues or just crazy dry skin. I swear, I will never be without this stuff again! It is terrible to go to bed one night and wake up the next morning covered in an eczema rash. I am sure stress is playing a part in it too! So run, don't walk if you need this product!

Well, that is what I have been up to. I want to leave you with one more pic... I think "someone" is very happy I am home for a few days!

Tootles!
:) JKP