TWO DAYS

Okay, it's go time.

Today, the first of the culinary preparations for Thanksgiving are taking place. This morning, while the kids were getting ready for school, I cubed the "good-quality white sandwich bread" (as demanded by the recipe) and set it out on the island to begin drying out. I am supposed to be cleaning the kitchen so I can begin making the cranberry sauce, but, would you look at that! I'm blogging! I can't cook in an untidy kitchen so cleaning it always has to be the first step. Plus, it just feels more festive that way. And, later, I'm heading to the store for the perishable feast items. I will have to make one more trip out tomorrow, as the store I'm getting the turkey from isn't open today and I have a few other things to get there, but that will be a short, but fun trip. The Viking is off the rest of the week so I'm hoping he'll go with me. I'd like to drop the kids off at school, grab a cup of coffee, and head right out to get the turkey and other last-minute fixin's just the two of us. To me, that's the perfect way to start the day before Thanksgiving. Baking pies is the perfect way to end it.





But today, today, is cranberry sauce day! Those photos above are from last year's batch, but it will look exactly the same when I make it today, I promise! I make it from scratch because it's so good, so easy and so FUN! I love hearing the cranberries pop like bubble wrap as they cook! It fills the house with good Thanksgivingy smells and it truly, officially, makes it feel like Thanksgiving is upon us when the cranberry sauce is made!

I have other, non-fun things to do today, as well, such as cleaning the living room AGAIN, sweeping the floors, and wiping down the bathrooms. And I'd really like to take Man-Cub to our favorite consignment shop and look for a new coat. I noticed two days ago, a day that was particularly blustery, that his current coat is rather shabby, has a temperamental zipper, and seems woefully inadequate in the warmth department. So, hopefully, we'll get that accomplished, too!

Right, so I must be off (do I end every post that way? Seems like it)! The Viking has returned home with pumpkin spice donuts and is brewing coffee (and no one makes coffee like my Viking) so we're going to enjoy a quick little breakfast together with NO KIDS!



Hope your day is productive and pleasant!