My husband is in the kitchen making dinner rolls...to show me how to make good ones. I struggled with the rolls this year. I think I did too much at once and the first batch didn't turn out so great, a little heavy to be exact. The second batch turned out pretty good except I left them in the oven so they would brown up a little more and well...they were a little TOO well done when I took them out. So after my two failures Brad is taking it upon himself to show me what good dinner rolls should look like. As if I don't know. I'm just going to relax though and let him cook the dinner rolls. It's nice to have someone else to do the cooking and if it takes him thinking that I'm a bad cook to get him to do it, then maybe I should cook rolls like that more often.
All the kids were out of school for the whole week. I was worried that a week off would be too long for the Thanksgiving break but it was just the break we needed. No scouts, no activity days, no wrestling and no staying up late finishing all those school projects my older two children suddenly are assigned, (What happened to the good old days where you didn't write your first 5 paragraph essay until 8th grade? When did that start being a sixth grade assignment?) just family together time...and Brad had Monday and Tuesday off. Of course, he worked Wednesday and Friday, but who's going to complain about that when those are the only two days he worked this week. Not me. For Thanksgiving we were alone this year. We've been alone many times before so this was nothing new. We were invited for dessert and football at a friend's house after dinner. We were to bring the desserts I made and they had their desserts and we were going to share. Well, with Brad certain Thanksgiving desserts are sacred (cherry pie and cheesecake) and I knew I wasn't about to get him to bring those to our friends house to share, so I added three pies (a pumpkin, caramel pumpkin and berry pie) to my usual Thanksgiving repertoire of mashed potatoes, rolls, turkey, sweet and green bean casserole. I also decided that I wanted to try a new recipe for a pumpkin roll. Brad warned me not to try a new recipe but I was determined that I could handle all of this. I started baking on Wednesday at 12 and by 7 pm (after the failed pumpkin roll attempt) I had four pies, a cheesecake and two casseroles to put in the oven for the Thanksgiving meal. I was exhausted and the kitchen was a mess. After a few moments of ranting and raving at my children when they wouldn't get up immediately to help, all the kids chipped in and we had a clean kitchen again by oh...10 pm. I may have overextended myself. My sister called in the middle of all this and told me next year I just need to get myself invited somewhere. I couldn't have agreed more. Of course, by the time next year comes around I will have forgotten all this and find myself in the kitchen baking up a storm again...because I always think I can handle more than I truly can.
Brad's sister and brother-in-law came and visited yesterday. We haven't seen them in over 7 years so it was good to have them over. Of course, Brad can't make any entrance without a big bang when visitors come over for the first time and this time was no different. As soon they pulled into the driveway he and Jordan were running down the hill, gun in hand, chasing after a coyote they had seen in the field. (Speaking of coyotes, did I mention Tiger has gone missing? Tiger was our second cat.) Seconds later, after receiving our long lost relatives, in walks Brad dragging the recently shot coyote through my hallway. No joke. I didn't have my camera so there is no evidence to prove it, but I did have witnesses. This just goes to prove that my husband is crazy. What other husband would bring a dead coyote into the house to greet his sister he hasn't seen in seven years? Granted, he only brought it in for a second and it was only on my tile, but really....only Brad would do something so outrageous. So, should you ever decide to visit us, (which you would be insane to do after I just shared this with you in my post) just be forewarned that I don't know what bizzare greeting my husband will have waiting for you when you arrive.
Yes...you do overextend yourself crazy if you ask me. Just make sure and remind yourself next year that Thanksgiving is awesome but it is not all about the food. You are like me trying new recipes that don't work out. But then everyone once in a while there is that golden new recipe that becomes a family fav...so ya gotta keep trying. You should come visit me. You need a break or a vacation. That way I don't have to worry about a coyote that has just been shot passing by me. EWWW! Brad is a little on the crazy side at times. Who does that. I bet his sister was super impressed. That is one of those moments where you might take Jordan aside and say I know it looks cool when dad does this but girls don't really like dead animals so maybe try baking them good cinnamon rolls :) LOL. My rolls never turn out either. I just can't get it right. So I don't make them and we survive most of the time. P.S. Is that the cutest pic you had of all of us brothers and sisters. Not my fav. Love ya.
ReplyDeleteSent you pictures by email. It was a moment I will never forget. For sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the meal. It was lovely and warm and Brett's favorite.