Creating: Cooking and Crafting

I saw a short video online with some paper stars made from book pages.  So, I tore up a sad book that my mom sourced for us.  I started on the project about a week before Thanksgiving by gluing the pages to boxes out of the recycling bin, but knowing the projects that Thanksgiving would bring, we had to knock it out.  Emily, Grace, and Juliet all helped trace, cut, punch holes, and string the stars for us to hang.  The original had lights, but we weren't quite that fancy.

The Kroger magazine had a special festive issue, and as usual, had some great ideas, but I loved this penguin cracker in particular. = )  So I made some for our most recent visit to the Cornishes.

Alice used the air fryer, for the first time ever, despite the fact that we've had it for four years (according to the date that I wrote on the box when I stuck it down there.)  She was making knock off chick fil a nuggets.  They weren't bad, but not quite like the original.  The first round was pretty overdone, since none of us had ever used an air fryer before, but I fried up the rest using the traditional pan and oil to cook up the remainder of what she had.

When my mom left for Texas last time, she left two bags of kale in our refrigerator, so I thought it high time to make another round of kale and bean soup.

Billy was in the mood to make some fresh bread, so my lunch one day was fully homemade and exceptionally tasty!

I made some sliders for dinner one night, and while making up leftovers, thought that the leftover mulberry jelly that we'd brought home from Clare, and a dash of powdered sugar, would make them in to a Monte Cristo knock-off.  It was pretty good considering I didn't use a fryer!

At some point during the year, I found a cute little turkey craft, probably at a rummage sale.  On Thanksgiving eve, Grace and I put it together to turn it into a magnet.  Sadly, It didn't stick very well, since we had just used a glue stick.  So, when I went to glue the magnt on it the next day, I added more glue, but it didn't get to hang on the fridge, since it had to dry.  But, once it was time to put away all of the Thanksgiving day decor, it was ready to sit until next year, when it will grace our fridge. = )

I was making a chicken and rice casserole one night, but doubled the recipe, to make sure that all of us could have our fill.  Turns out, my dish can't quite accommodate a double portion, so I made a smaller portion out of the rest of it, and froze it, to send over to my mom and sister.

Looking forward to all of the cooking and crafting that the Christmas season always brings!

later days

Thanksgiving 2025

Thanksgiving was relaxing and full of fun and family in our house!

Emily turned our October pumpkin into a turkey.

And the tiny gourd even got a turkey feather!

When Emily set it up outside, she pointed out that it was three holidays in one: a Halloween pumpkin, a Thanksgiving turkey, and snow for Christmas!

We also had our sixth year of tablecloth handprints!  The only thing I dislike about this tradition is having not started it when the kids were younger!  Looking at the twins original handprints, and seeing how many full-grown handprints are on this year is so delightful!

We have nine slots left on this cloth, if my calculations are correct!

A full table, full bellies, and full hearts!

Once the Thanksgiving dishes were cleaned and put away, it was time to get out Christmas decor!  Rauchermann is always a favorite!

And this year, at one of my favorite thrift stores, they had maybe 13 or so figures that match my nativity scene!  At two dollars apiece, I wasn't sure that I wanted to drop that, since they weren't on my wish list.  I compromised and got my five favorites.  When I couldn't stop thinking about them for the next week, I returned and bought the rest of the set!  

Look at how full the nativity scene looks!

And, my favorite new addition, the rug seller!  Isn't he fantastic?  

 

Looking through the booklet that my mom had to track her original set, I think I might have to buy a couple of out buildings to go with it! When the kids were helping me set it up, it was so lovely to acknowledge that all the figures were focusing on Jesus, because that's really what Christmas is all about!

We skipped out on the outdoor decorations, because of the dogs in the mudroom, but did manage to get them up the next day before going to the shuffleboard venue.  All in all, it was a good Thanksgiving.

later days

edit 12-2-25: backdated for continuity.

Thanksgiving 2024

This year, Bill and Brenda got to come up for almost an entire week!  They have a trailer that they improved into an RV.  It is comfortable enough for the dogs to spend their days in, and them to spend the nights, well, until we stayed below freezing for days in a row.

Before they arrived, I subbed and found the most apt Thanksgiving poem in a book at the twins' school.

The twins usurped all of Enisi's time the second they arrived!  They couldn't wait to show her all of the things we collected for her during the year.

All 5 had two days of school the week of Thanksgiving, so Monday night saw us all going up to the school for the twins' art show!

Grace showing off her art.

Juliet showing off her art.

Not the twins' art, but a very cool effect on the clay pumpkins! It maded them look really soft, but they were porous and rough to the touch.

For "friendsgiving" Grace wanted to bring sprite (so easy!) and Juliet wanted mashed potatoes (not so easy.)  But I made up 32 servings of mashed potatoes to deliver to school on Tuesday afternoon.  My girls are really good at gratitude though, so it was totally worth it!

All three Williams (II, IV, III) and Grace!

All my girls!

Billy's parents, very kindly, gave him one of their vehicles, a Cadillac XT5.  It's so fancy that I had to get instructions just to use the gear shift!  This meant a trip to the SOS, but with an appointment, our wait was minimal! 

Thanksgiving this year was paid for by my sister, since Billy hadn't yet started at his new job, so Bob Evans did the heavy lifting, and my mom helped me reheat the food, while Brenda entertained the children and Bill and Billy argued something political, or monetary, or something very important. ; )

In picture one we got Avia and Alice,

Picture two had Grace, Emily, and Enisi!  

No pictures with everyone, but Juliet did a good job, and made sure everyone had a handprint on the tablecloth!

By my calculations, I have 10 years left on this tablecloth, and by then we'll probably need a new table anyhow!

We sent some leftovers home with Avia for Sarah and Acea, so they could also enjoy some tasty Thanksgiving food!

Grace decked out our garden pumpkin for Thanksgiving!

 

Speaking of Grace, she was totally, 100% safe getting down the fire starter.

I finally got out my favorite Christmas decoration from my childhood, after 10 or so years of it being stored away, and found that it was wrapped in a wiggles sheet?!  Is this considered vintage yet?

And there he his!  The Santa with his cookies and toys!  I had to replace two of the bulbs in the cottage this year, but bought a 5 pack, so as the others burn out, I'll have replacements!

Once the Christmas decorations were out, and the pumpkin pie was gone, the whipped cream disappeared; has anyone seen it?

So strange; I guess some mysteries will never be solved.

On Friday, all of my crew, plus Bill and Brenda, loaded up and went to see Moana 2!  I enjoyed the solitude and got many projects done around the house!

They left early Saturday morning, but not too early, since we got some overnight snow, and the plows needed time to clear the roads.

Hopefully they'll be able to come more often with the new trailer!

later days

12-22-24 backdated for continuity. 

Thanksgiving

Bill and Brenda came up this year to celebrate Thanksgiving with us!  This year the tree lighting was the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and it was pretty cold!

We had our big meal a few days early, so that they could make it back down to Texas for another meal with John's family.  Sadly, their new iteration of Gretchen and Savage did not take well to our house, so Bill and Brenda ended up in a motel for the time they were up here.  We still got to see them lots, just not at night.

We added another round of handprints to our tablecloth!  

I can't believe this is only the fourth year of the tablecloth, it feels like we've been doing it forever!!  It makes me so incredibly happy to see!

Grace made name tags so that everyone would know where to sit! = )

While they were here, we also did our Christmas exchange!

While getting out the Thanksgiving things, we found the wooden turkey maker!  I half thought I'd gotten rid of it, so it was a pleasant surprise to find it! = )  And that's one of the pumpkins from our garden!

We also unearthed the miniature accordion. Grace and Emily spent the longest with it, practicing until they learned the tune to "Happy Birthday!"  It's kind of a weird instrument, in that pulling out and pushing in while holding the same button are two different notes!   

I was stained by the paint from the table cloth.  My children would not accept the tall tale that I was pecked by the turkey that we had for thanksgiving!  = 0  lol.

By having our big meal before Thanksgiving, it allowed us to spend the entire day of actual Thanksgiving decorating for Christmas, which was lovely!

It was cold, but a lovely time, and we felt well rested heading into the Christmas season!

later days

edit: back dated for continuity 12-24-23