Why can't I just have a crappy day?

Today was supposed to be about writing my critical essay for my grad school application. Instead, I spent my morning cleaning my house and cooking for a Thanksgiving meal I didn't want to have. I kept getting emails and phone calls about issue I shouldn't have to deal with. And my evening was taken over by house hunting--a task I despise on a good day. I hadn't gotten any writing done, and I wasn't any closer to finishing my grad school applications.

And then I walked into a bedroom in a house we were looking at and saw this:

(So it was really a regular white coffee mug with the Vermont College logo, but I couldn't find a picture of it online.)

One of the current tenants of the house we were looking at had recently graduated from one of the colleges I'm applying to. So I got to ask her questions about the program and play the "Do you know him/her?" game and talk to her about my concerns with the critical essay. All of a sudden, my day didn't seem like such a waste. In fact, even though we decided the house wasn't a good option for us, I was glad we went house hunting this evening.

That got me thinking, maybe my day wasn't so bad. After all, I got to sleep in for an hour. I even spend more time on my post-cardio yoga routine than I ever have time for. My carpet is clean and my refrigerator is full of good food. Almost all of my holiday shopping is finished, and my friend whom I rarely get to see went with me to a free screening of The Muppets on Monday. I got 10 cents off each gallon of gas I put in my car this afternoon because I had bought a Thanksgiving meal for three women who are far from home this year--four, if I count myself. My best friend sent me the sweetest email that made me feel like maybe my friendship is worth more than I give it credit. Tonight I get to visit with two of my favorite people, and I still have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to get my paper done.

I know it sounds sappy, but this Thanksgiving I'm grateful for all the little things. I'm grateful for one little coffee mug that made me realize giving thanks isn't about what you have so much as it's about all the good things that are yet to come.

Thanksgiving Is Here Again

It's still a few days before the big day, but I probably won't have a change to post again as I'll be having too much fun in the Outer Banks. So here are the things about Thanksgiving I'm most thankful for.

• I love getting together with friends and hanging out. Because it's difficult to get home to Chicago for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, I often spend Thanksgiving with friends. Over the years I've adopted a lot of families and made some great friends.
• Food, glorious food. I try making something new for every Thanksgiving dinner, and someone always introduces me to something delicious from their holiday cookbook. I love all the fall flavors with cinnamon, gourds and cranberries. I can't wait to see what I get to try this year.
• Every year I get a few days off work to enjoy exploring whatever city I'm in. I can't wait to see Kitty Hawk, especially since I've never seen the "birthplace of aviation" before.
• I love all the family-friendly movies that come out around the holidays, and I also get to return to some of my favorite holiday classics as well. I'm so excited to see HP7.1! And with my roommates nephews along for the ride, I'm sure we'll have a great discussion about the perks of being a Harry Potter fan.
• Breaking out the Christmas tunes is probably the best part part of Thanksgiving. Although it's a controversial move, I often pull out the holiday music around Halloween, but Thanksgiving is when I can come out of the closet and jam with everyone else.
• Of course, holidays also mean extra time to delve into a few good books. If only I could decide which ones to take with me and which ones will have to stay at home.

P.S. Today is my dad's birthday, so wish him a happy birthday and give him a big hug for me if you see him before I do. As for all of you who have never met my dad, you don't know what you're missing.

Thanksgiving Food Recipes

After days of writing about all the food prep, the dinner really came together. I thought I'd post some of the recipes I used for this Thanksgiving dinner. I tend not to use any one source to create my culinary masterpieces, which as many friends can tell you either turns out horribly wrong or somehow manages to come out wonderfully right.

My first foray into turkey making was a hit--and let me tell you, I have never felt more pressure to get something right than in preparing the main dish of a big holiday meal.

• 8 lb turkey breast
• 1 cup sea salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 large onion
• 2 carrot sticks
• 3 stocks green onion
• 1/4 cup pepper corns
• 1 gallon water
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 3 tsp poultry seasoning

1. Thaw turkey in fridge overnight. Remove any entrails and place in large oven bag in a deep roasting dish.
2. Boil water, salt, brown sugar, onion, carrots, green onions, pepper in a large pot for half an hour. Let cool.
3. Pour brine over turkey and chill in fridge for 24 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse turkey well and pat dry. Place turkey in a fresh, flour-coated oven bag.
5. Mix oil, garlic and seasoning in a small bowl and coat turkey. Stuff with generous amounts of bread stuffing.
6. Roast for 3 hours. Save juices for gravy. Cool, carve and serve.

Gravy has to be the easiest thing I made. And it was the only thing I had ever made before.

• turkey juice
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup water
• salt and pepper

1. Strain turkey juice into a medium sauce pan. Add broth and bring to a boil.
2. Mix flour and water in a small bowl until a smooth, pasty consistency. Slowly add to boiling stock. Reduce heat.
3. Boil and stir continually until gravy begins to thicken.
4. Salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for at least five minutes.

Honestly, for how much effort it took to make this alternative to green bean casserole, this wasn't really worth it. But it looked good.

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 2 stocks green onion
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 lb fresh green beans
• salt and pepper

1. Toast almonds in large frying pan over medium heat. Remove and set aside.
2. Melt butter and saute beans and onions for five minutes. Add wine and steam covered for 10 minutes. Remove beans and onions.
3. Bring sauce to boil and reduce by half.
4. Pour sauce over beans, salt and pepper to taste, and toss to coat.
5. Add almonds right before serving.

There might have been leftover, but let me tell you, now that everyone is gone, that fridge is totally empty. I'll have to do some major shopping tomorrow if I want to eat this week.

Thanksgiving Day Fun

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. We really did have a house full of good people and good food.


Because my parents were in Hawaii visiting my little brother for the holiday and my sister was with her boyfriend's family in Chicago, I was adopted by my roommate's family who came in from North Carolina and Michigan.


And of course after the food was devoured and the kitchen (almost) clean, we pulled out the books. Melinda's three-year-old niece loved Mo Willem's new pop-out book Big Frog Can't Fit In.


And the boys found plenty of books to occupy their time with as well.


The next few days were filled with more adventures, fun and movies, and yes, even some writing and chores.

So this holiday season opened up with a bang. Now I just need to get through my birthday, Christmas and the New Year. I've got a lot of fun stuff coming up and look forward to seeing my family again. I missed Christmas in Chicago last year, and I'm excited not to miss it again this year.

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 12

Happy Thanksgiving! There are too many things I'm grateful for that I haven't been able to mention, so I'll list as many of them as I can.

I'm grateful for:

• All the little things, like paperclips and pennies and four-leaf clovers.


• The books I've read. From the classics I was "forced" to read in school to the books I'm given to review, reading is a joy I never want to be without.


• My teachers. There are many teachers, both in school and out, who have taught me lessons I will never forget and encouraged me is ways they will never know.


• Talents. So many people have been given so many gifts, and my life is better for all those who have shared their talents with me.


• Time. Time to do more, be better, learn something new. Time to say "I'm sorry" or "I love you" or "Good luck today." Time to enjoy life and live it to the fullest.


• The places I have lived. I am a cheese-head by birth, a city-girl by circumstance, a Cajun by adoption and a lover by location. I have been infected with wanderlust, and I've loved every place I have been blessed enough to live.


• Chocolate and ice cream. I think sugar is a far overlooked food group. Dietitians everywhere are cringing, but chocolate and ice cream have gotten me through a lot of very trying times.


• Friends who know how to listen. This is not a talent of mine--I talk way too much--but I have been the beneficiary of wise friends who know when to close their mouths and open their ears.


• Sisters, both by birth and by choice. I have an older sister who is one of my dearest friends, even if I didn't know it until after high school. And I have three of the best sisters in the world thanks to The Scroll, a children's lit class and a little thing called love.

This list could honestly go on forever. How blessed my life is!

Speaking of blessings, the turkey is now in the oven.


We have people traveling from Michigan and North Carolina, so we're having an early dinner rather than a late lunch. We'll really have a full house with kids and friends and maybe a random stranger or two as well.


I love the holidays!

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 11

I'm incredibly grateful for those people who work to keep our nation free.

This doesn't just include people like my little brother in the Navy. It encompasses those who fight to preserve our freedom of speech, sacrifice to improve our environment and dedicate their lives to ensuring our country is better tomorrow than it was today.

You know who you are, and you have my thanks.

Ahhh! Only one more day to finish cleaning the house and cooking. I've been trying to do it a little at a time so I don't wake up tomorrow morning and realize I have nothing done. So today I made sure my gas tank is full, the floors are swept and all the Christmas decorations are up. (I don't have any Thanksgiving decor, so Christmas comes a little early.)

On the food front, I prepped that old Southern Thanksgiving favorite: macaroni and cheese.


This isn't exactly a complicated dish (just noodles, milk, butter, an egg and a few different cheeses), but I didn't want to have to worry about doing it when there is a turkey waiting for me to season and bake in the morning.

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 10

What would my life be like without the many students I have worked with?

From the kids at BSTA to the DC students I tutor to the kids I went to high school with who have never managed to grow up, I have discovered that you are never too old to learn something new from the most unexpected places.

May I meet many more of you and continue to be edified by your vast wisdom.

The food preparation has begun. Because my parents are visiting my little brother in Hawaii for Thanksgiving (it's a tough job, but they're selfless like that), I'm hosting Thanksgiving with my roommate. Two of her brothers, their families and a few friends are coming over, which means plenty of shopping and cooking.

Today I started on the turkey with a brine.

I also made that old Thanksgiving classic with a twist: cranberry sauce with a handful of blueberries and some orange zest.

This year I am making a bunch of traditional foods I have never made before, so we'll see how it all turns out.

This reminds me of one Thanksgiving up in Idaho when a couple of friends and I decided to get a fresh pumpkin and make a bunch of pumpkin-themed sides from scratch. Of course we did the traditional pumpkin pie, but we also made pumpkin bread, pumpkin butter, pumpkin cake, pumpkin roll and a couple other things. We had never made any of it before, but it was so much fun I think we convinced ourselves the food tasted better than it really did.

Good memories.

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 9

I am grateful for a clear view.

I've had glasses since I was about eight years old, and I can honestly say not a day goes by when I'm not happy for the ability to see clearly. They might be annoying, but because of them, I can see more than two feet in front of me.

Just got these last week. What do you think?

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 8

My life is better for all the roommates I've ever had.

I am a better person and have a much fuller life because of the many people I have lived with over the years. I've learned about different countries, eaten different foods, listen to different music, learned about different subjects and loved vastly different people because each one of you was unique and willing to put up with me.

So for all of the people who were, are or will be my housemates, I am grateful for each of you.

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 7

This shout-out goes to every music player I have ever owned.

Music has been an outlet for me since I can first remember. It has helped my express feelings I didn't understand enough to put into words myself, overcome bad times and remember the good. I have sung along, danced along and played along--all fairly poorly--but music has been there for every important event in my life.

So from my dad's old record play to the 8-track in the Ford to my first walkman, CD player and iPod, you have filled my life with music.

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 6

I am grateful for my car.

This past year I bought my first new car. It's a 2009 Honda Fit: gets great gas milage, easy to park in DC's tiny parking spaces and manages to cram everyone and everything I need into one place I can call my own. I know it sometimes feels neglected when I take public transportation, but even the Metro can't take me places my little blue car can.

That's why I made sure it got re-registered, renewed parking stickers and an oil change today. I take care of my own.

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 5

I'm grateful for modern life.

What did they do without the internet or even electricity? It has made travel more doable, medicine more reliable and information for accessible. And I could never have done any of it on my own.

I love living in the 21st Century.

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 4

I'm grateful for laughter.

I tend to be a little too serious and negative, but laughter keeps me grounded. It makes my heart swell and clears my mind. The best part is, the more often I do it, the more I want it.

So to all the songs, books, movies, knock-knock jokes, silly kids and best of friends who make me LOL, thank you.

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 3

I am thankful for my family.

They are my friends, my confidants, my teachers and my own personal cheerleaders. Never once have they said it couldn't be done, overcome or figured out. They encourage me to reach for the stars and set the example.

Both near and far, I love them bunches.

P.S. I hit the halfway point with my NaNoWriMo WIP. I can't believe I am actually doing this and keeping (almost) on track!

Twelve Days of Thanksgiving: Day 2

This one goes out to toothpaste.

I have never had to have any dental work done, and I know that is no small miracle due to a combination of genetics, geography and good hygiene. I will continue to do my part and hope I die with all my own teeth still in my head.

So to my new dentist I saw for the first time today, toothpaste has served me well. Now I expect you to hold up your part of the bargain.