95% Successful

Due to needing to deal with some mental issues and health insurance issues, I haven't had contact with my kids recently. I just need to get some of my depression under control before I bring them home. Also, I absent-mindedly put something perishable in the pantry and (boy did it perish!) as a result, we've got some roaches hiding in the back of our cupboards and things. It's driving me nuts and they infested the extra mattress I had for when the kids come over, so they've nowhere to sleep if they do. Bummer.

I was still determined to do Thanksgiving, though and thankfully my sister came to join in. I made the usual cranberry and apple inside of everything. The turkey cooked in apple juice and fresh cranberries were stuffed in its cavities. There was apple-cranberry chutney instead of regular canned cranberry sauce. There was apple cider with cranberries, apple and cranapple juice. I did make green bean casserole, though, with cream of chicken instead of cream of mushroom; next year I'm replacing the fried onions with funyuns (sp?) for a gluten-free version. Funny thing, funyuns will be so much cheaper than fried onions! And I'm sure it'll taste better! I also tried my hand at apple pie. This is where the 5% fail came in; the apple pie wasn't so good. It was pretty and still tasted great, but I didn't cook the apples well enough. I went with a preset temperate according to a recipe. I should've listened to my instincts and lowered it a good 30 Degrees or more. I doubled my stuffing recipe, but didn't realize it would take so long, so it wasn't ready until a good hour after dinner was done. Mashed potatoes were missing something. Every year, I make them in a pot, hand-mashed, heated stove-top and then I add roasted-in-olive-oil garlic cloves and mash it all in. This year I used make-ahead mashed potatoes, thinking the crock pot could handle it. It was nowhere near as good as my usual potatoes and much more bother when putting it away. I'll stick to using the crock for roast beef.

Everything was great, though. My sister made a gluten-free stuffing inspired by my own bread stuffing. It's way better. I might even edit my recipe and make it stove-top next year. You know what's funny? Her stuffing was easier and less messy to make than mine! And almost as cheap!

I've already made the soup from the leftovers of the first turkey. It's wonderful. I made it kind of spicy and used some green onion and chive in it. Also, red and green peppers. It's kind of christmasy-looking compared to my usual Third Degree Soup. I'll definitely cook the bell peppers longer next time, though, like the potatoes. I like them softer like when I cook Chicken Tortilla Soup, which I also need to rename and add to my recipe blog.

If anyone's reading, feel free to post some suggestions for names for some upcoming recipes. I'll be posting my famous Two Dimes Soup, which needs no renaming. It costs about 2 dimes a serving, thus the name. I'll be posting a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup, so some ideas on what to name it would be nice. Remember all recipes need a pagan or witchy name! Perhaps something related to Santeria. I'm not sure. I also need to post a recipe for my candied yams, which also needs a name. I may put a recipe for my favorite peppermint bark, you know, the simple white chocolate and peppermint kind. It really melts in your mouth, the peppermint too. I may also make some cider candy. These two candies will need names, but I haven't thought of any yet.

Well, keep an eye out. I'd like to post more recipes and spellwork soon. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!