HAPPY GOBBLE GOBBLE DAY!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I am thankful for so much each and every year, but this year, I have been truly blessed.  I have a beautiful man by my side that supports EACH AND EVERY CRAZY new thing I do and I love him so very much!

I have an adoring family that anyone would be lucky to have in their life!  And when you can't share the holiday with them, they will call non-stop to make sure you're not alone.  Thanks guys!

Here is a peak at our Thanksgiving was spent.  Thanks to Roscoe Sr and Ophelia for joining us too.  It was so lovely to be able to spend some quality time with them.





First thing first...must make dessert

I even made the crust from scratch!!!! Booyah!





yes, you can call me Betty Freaking Crocker!

This Recipe was courtesy of my brand new Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook <3 BHG

This is where Jason gets a little Camera happy and my attire for most of the day

Note the smirk on my face....pretty much..."put the camera down now"

Also...check out the prep work in the background... I am awesome...yes I am

Stuffing...Recipe courtesy of the old man..

Final product...

I think I missed a step though...it was not NEARLY as good as Dad and Sis make it.

Maybe if they would have let me help in the kitchen in year's past, I wouldn't have missed the flavor in this.

Maybe the bread was too big or I didn't use enough spices...not sure

Sweet Potato Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Opheila Walker and the Walker Family Cookbook (aka...the only cookbook I really will ever use)

Seriously, if you ever need a basic recipe without the flash and pomp and circumstance found on the internet and celebrity chef's cookbooks, call me. I got the hook-up with this cookbook. No, you can't have mine. Hands off! 

BTW: I think Jason ate more of this than the Pecan Pie...Maybe this should have just been dessert!

And finally...the TURKEY!!

We decided that we didn't need a ginormous bird to celebrate Thanksgiving.

This recipe is courtesy of Food Network's magazine. It's really good too and gets everything done in one pan.

Check out the steam!

The turkey induced coma didn't forget us this year either.

 Some pointers for my self for next year:

1. Gravy had no flavor, just use the canned stuff

2. Stuffing was cold, keep the lid on

3. Stuffing had no flavor...get Dad/Sis to just make it for me ahead of time

4. Pecan pie was awesome

Well I hope everyone is passed out on the couch watching some football and won't be able to read this for a few days!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE

All my love!

Meredith

 P.S. Shade and Zeus enjoyed their turkey prequel this morn

 Also...watch out if you come over to the house in the next day or two..Jason made deviled eggs and that can only mean one thing....Bring on the smell good spray!

Meet Zeus

Jason proofed my story prior to publishing.  His notes are in italics.  I was just too lazy to retract my portions of the story.

Zeus is our special child.  He’s one big handful after another.  But like all things special, he holds onto your heart just a little bit more than you would expect.

Zeus was originally Jason’s dog but as we have grown as a family, he’s become my adopted child too. 

Jason tells the story a lot better than I do, but I’ll give it a whirl.  Jason works for the NC Forestry Department and his first assignment was in Granville Co, NC.  If you’ve never been to Granville Co, don’t worry, you’re not missing much.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful area.  There are trees and fields everywhere, and I swear I think time moves a little bit slower there.  Jason lived on a big farm with all kinds of land around it, so naturally he needed a farm dog to help with the company. 

Jason was going into work one day when he saw a Budweiser box on the side of the road.  Now, this is where the details are a little fuzzy to me.  I don’t know if the box moved somewhat or if Jason actually saw little baby Zeus poking his head out, but whichever it was, it peaked Jason’s interest.  And I’m pretty certain he told me he went on into work and didn’t think too much about it.  But on his way home, the box was still there.  Well only Jason would stop to check out a beer box on the side of the road.  Well low and behold; there was a very tiny, very skinny, big eyed puppy that looked just a little too sweet for Jason to leave him there.

Ok, now for the actual story of how I came to own Zeus.  I was never going to work at all. I was actually riding around looking for deer land 1 Saturday.  I saw a little puppy standing on the side of the road and when I drove by, he ran back in his Budweiser box.  I stopped the truck and got out to see what deal was.  When I got over to the box, Zeus had curled up in the corner of the box.  So I snatched him up and put him in the bed of the truck and took him and his box home.  Once we got to the house, he lived upstairs for a week, out of sight of the landlord, because I wasn’t supposed to have pets.  Anyway, I found a way to smuggle him in and once the landlord saw him, she couldn’t say no.

What a cutie pie

Jason took him back to the farm and raised him to be the crazy dog he is today.  His big eyes needed some work due to his eyelids turning in.  And he also had a hernia when I found him and also he was allergic to doggy flea shampoo and had a bad reaction.  Jason got them fixed by a vet and now Zeus is left with the saddest, droopiest eyes you’ll ever meet.  So don’t be fooled when you meet him: he’s not always that sad, he just looks it!   And because he lived on a farm, Zeus was able to play and chase deer and bark at horses and overall just run amuck!  He loved getting under the barns and in tight spaces to stay warm and to sleep.  He smelled something awful most of the time, but hey, he mostly stayed outside, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Fast forward three years and here we are living in Spencer and on a busy street with lots of neighbors and no place to run and chase and (thank goodness) get in ponds to get smelly.  As much as we hate having to do it, Zeus has to be on a leash when he’s outside and boy does he hate it!!  Hopefully soon we’ll get him some more land to run crazy on.

For now, Zeus likes being inside.  He’s the master of his domain.  He will bark at anyone even walking the street past the house.  It can be annoying, but for Halloween, I always knew when trick-or-treaters were at the door! BTW: Zeus looked very handsome in his Halloween collar.  (I’ll post a how-to on this eventually).  He gets his own bed to lie in every night.  One of his best qualities is his enthusiasm though!  Talk about a dog who is excited to be outside: every time Jason or I even get close to the door or his leash, Zeus turns into a kangaroo.  I wish I was joking too.  Literally on his back legs with the front ones repeatedly leaving the ground plane.  I don’t know if he thinks that the extra leverage will get us to jump up and down too, but whatever it is, there is no denying the excitement that a red leash brings him. Or at least the idea of being outside.  I doubt it’s the leash because as soon as we’re out the door, the leash is his worst enemy.  Go figure.

One of Zeus’s other qualities is how sweet he is (most of the time).  When you’re lying on the couch watching TV, Zeus always wants to show you he cares.  He does this by being just on the other side of arm rest and looking/breathing directly in your face.  Aww…the love.  Don’t worry, he’ll share the smell of his breath with ya.  You’re welcome. 

Zeus also loves to share in the chores.  He helps mop the floor in the kitchen by putting the water from his bowl on the floor for ya.  It just won’t stay on that big ‘ol tongue like it should, so he shares.  You’re welcome.

Well I guess that pretty much sums it up, Zeus, our crazy, special, scares the neighbors, no idea what he is kind of dog.  Feel free to visit for a proper introduction.  Don’t bring over small animals though, he doesn’t like them.  And trust me, you don’t want to know.  Don’t wear black either, or you’ll be taking some Zeus home with you.  And I’m currently running low on lent roll sheets.  Sorry.

Loves as always!

Meredith