After Thanksgiving Randoms... Picture Heavy!

Finally, after Thanksgiving randoms…Where do I begin?


My Friday was last Tuesday so I left my full-time job and headed to my part-time job giddy and apprehensive at the same time. I was praying there would not be a manager’s meeting and guess what? God heard me. No meeting, but the Manager took great pride and having me whine about a meeting only to make me so very happy saying there wouldn’t be one! Seriously, I just wanted to have a good night and finish the schedule for the next two weeks.

So I left work that night and went home to mop and wax my kitchen and foyer and hit the bed as soon as possible. My back doesn’t like me mopping or waxing. I finished but my goodness the spasms were ridiculous.

I woke up Wednesday ready to finish my last bit of cleaning and hit a store or two before coming home and doing some marathon cooking. And I did. In fact, I didn’t even take a nap that day, was too wired with all I had to do.

My finished turkey breast, which was tender and juicy!

When I began my cooking, I put my brined turkey breast in the oven. While it was baking boiled my sweet potatoes for the soufflés and mixed up sugar cookie dough. Yes, I did.

Sugar dough ready for my niece to roll out and make!

Then I mixed and baked the Oatmeal Cranberry Orange cookies. I also had to do the Mini Salted Caramel Apple pies.

Oatmeal Cranberry Orange Cookies

Mini Salted Caramel Apple Pies

When my sweet potatoes had cooled, I put them in my mixer got them season for the soufflés I would fix on Thanksgiving Day.

Then, I realized my azz had forgotten to do the Millionaire pies. I was so out done I was ready for a bath and bed and those on my nerve pies had to be done. Sighing… I am so over those pies. However, I finished them and was ready for the night to wind down.

I was up at 5:30 am to make my yeast rolls and cinnamon rolls. I know I could freeze the rolls and just bake them when I need them. Yet, my aunt always made them on Thanksgiving and Christmas morning and that is how I learned to make them. So up I was, but I had the foresight the night before to have my counter ready to rock and roll. Once I got them ready to rise, I hit the store for some last minute items and to get a newspaper.

Homemade Yeast rolls

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Once the rolls had risen, it was time to roll out the rolls and cinnamon rolls and let them rise again. They were ready for the oven by 8 am and I was actually done with them by 10 am. So it was just a waiting game for my sister and her family to arrive.

Of course my sister was worried about Lala flying since the airline was asking for her birth certificate and she couldn’t find it. Alas, I prayed over it and was over it. No problems with the birth certificate coming or going. Once they touched down in Atlanta, they had to wait on my oldest niece to land. They got to my house at a little after 11 am. I was polite and then I proceeded to lie down, because it was in everyone’s best interest that I take a nap. No seriously.

Upon meeting the baby, whom I hadn’t seen in person until now, she let me know in uncertain terms she wasn’t feeling my azz at. all. LOL! And plus, she was a bit under the weather as well.

Lala tormenting folks while they are eating...

Hunny Bunny normally hugs me upon seeing me and this time she didn’t so I asked her why and she thinks about it for a second then says, “Sneak attack!” And runs to hug me. Moments like that can’t be reproduced.

After my nap, I got up to finish off the soufflés and everyone was sleep except my sister’s husband, who offered to help me in the kitchen, but shoot I am a pro and I was basically done. I did appreciate the offer though. Then it was time to get ready for Thanksgiving at my cousins.

Ya’ll know I love my cousins, right? I need to ask you a question. How do you tell your cousin that her turkey and ham are just too damn dry without hurting folk’s feelings? The ham is the spiral kind that all you have to do is heat up, not cook. And the turkey, even the dark meat was dry as hell. She tries and the sides she cooked were delicious, but the turkey and ham? Ugh! Lawd, forgive me! And how do we tell her that her baking has fallen off? I want to introduce them to brining the turkey so it will be moist and flavorful. Really.

Having family for Thanksgiving is the best part of the holiday. Spending time with folks and having a great time. At one moment when I was up rolling out the yeast rolls, all I could think about was my aunt and how much I truly miss her. It has been two years and although it doesn’t hurt as much as it did two years ago, my heart still aches.

In her mind, "I don't know you like that.  Get the camera out of my face."

My sister and husband decided to sleep in the guest suite. She said she prayed over it. Um, hmm. She did tell me that the room has a lot of Energy in it. She said Lala tossed and turned and laughed and answered, huh? all night long. My aunt and uncle were just playing with her. LOL!

We did hit black Friday sales. But let me tell you something, my newspaper was the pits I had one that had about 5 circulars in it and they had given me 3 copies of each of them. Seriously. Pissed me off. I knew I wasn’t going out on Thursday and it seems most folks did though. When we went to my other cousin’s house for a bit, the Wally World parking lot was packed; I saw no parking spaces left. I chucked the two deuces and went home and got out at 4:30 Friday morning. Didn’t have any big ticket items to get and since I wasn’t mailing a bunch of stuff I wasn’t going hog wild on buying stuff. And we even let my oldest niece tag along. Her mother couldn’t believe I said yes, but hell she is 17 years old and the gig is up.

The Shoes

The only things I really wanted for myself besides a new purse, where my gun wouldn’t keep falling into the hole in the lining was a toaster oven and mini blender for smoothies. At J.Cpenney, they were on sale for $8 apiece and since they weren’t opening until 6 am, I knew I was going to be a happy camper. Well, let me tell you about the Penney, when we pulled into the parking lot of course it was already full at 5:54 am. But when we got out of the car, we noticed that folks were leaving the store with bags on top of bags. When we got to the door, there was a big sign saying they didn’t open until 6, but baby they had been open much longer than that because folks had the items we were searching for in bulk standing in line and it wasn’t 6 am yet. Pissed me off! I was livid. My niece is a lover of scarves and she had her eye on the $5 ones. When she found the table, there wasn’t even lint on that bad boy, it was empty! I have never left the Penney without a load, but this year I left without purchasing anything, at all! Real talk. I walked around talking about how devastated I was. There was lady in front of us on her cell phone talking about how messed up it was for them to open earlier than advertised. I was like tell it sister! We were able to commiserate on our woes of not getting an eight dollar toaster oven.

After that debacle we decided we would go have breakfast and then hit up DSW, because it was the only way I could feel better. You know, shoes always make me feel better.

Friday night my sister got to meet The Guy. My nieces got to meet Uncle “G” as my sister says. And guess what? They liked him and he liked them in turn. He also got to meet one of my cousins, who I call my child. We have been together almost 2 years, wow and he is just now meeting some of my folks. I probably just wanted to insure he met my sister first. LOL!

The only time she would let me hold her, was when she was sleep.

Isn't she adorable while she is sleeping and not crying?

Saturday, I cooked breakfast for my sister and family. I had my niece help me get the Christmas stuff out of the storage shed and of course we saw a lizard. Sweet baby Jesus! I can’t with them, but none of them were in my containers. After last year’s incident, I taped them bad boys and to death. Really. Of course, Lala was dealing with me by then. Then I sent them off to Atlanta and I decided to take a little nap and then watch the Iron Bowl. I woke up when the game was already on and Alabama had already scored 14 points in the 1st quarter. I texted The Guy and called the game BS and turned right back over and went back to sleep. When I finally got up and saw the final score, I was livid. Auburn lost so bad I didn’t even have to wait until they announce the coach was fired. I knew and I wasn’t mad.

Hunny Bunny in her Mom's lap, and her mom's husband's legs.

I am cute! Falalalala...lalalala!

Hunny Bunny and Lala before they left Saturday.  She did allow me to give her a kiss and she blew me a kiss.  So cute.  But I still hear her crying in my sleep!

I actually put up my tree Sunday and did some decorating. I hope to finish this weekend. With all the cooking and cleaning I did, I managed to really hurt my back. I had spasms most of Saturday and Sunday and Monday it didn’t get much better. Sad, my body is betraying me.

As my oldest niece said, "She's cute."  I never thought of my tree as a girl...

 

I did manage to make the Tomato Basil Soup and hopefully it will post by next week.

Tomato Basil Soup, delish!

Although my brother didn’t make it down, I did talk to him on Thanksgiving and of course he put in his order for cookies. Shyte! I had no plans to mail nothing but Christmas cards. Sighing…Yeah, he will be getting some cookies.

Hope you had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving as I had. Enjoy the rest of your week, because before you know it, Christmas will be here. Somebody pump the breaks!!!!

Me in my contacts and done all up on Thanksgiving day!  Curls looked great!

Just so you are reminded, Christmas is almost here!  And plus she is cute!