Lorena, Kelly, and Christian are running in the very demanding 8th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge. I personally have decided not to run because it is so much more demanding to drive the car, eat the leftover donuts, and hold the coats.
Category: Family
Day 98 of 1000
We were wildly successful using the combined Igor/Eric methods to cook our turkey at Thanksgiving last Thursday. Tom, the CFO at our company said he uses an even better method to cook his turkey. It sounds very good. He says he got his recipe from Southern Living magazine. He applies Crisco to the turkey, then heats the oven to 450 degrees. As soon as the oven is at 450 degrees he puts the turkey in and immediately turns the oven down to 350 degrees. After that, you watch the turkey until it is brown on the breast, then cover it with aluminum foil so it does not burn, then take it out when the meat thermometer in the thigh reaches 80 degrees.
Right when he explained this part of the process, Terrie, the Adminstrative Assistant walks in and says, “Did you know they now make butter flavored Crisco?”
We all agreed that would be a fine adjustment to his recipe. I have decided that is exactly how I am going to do it when Lorena’s brother Jorge and his family visit in late December. I need to have the Igor theory cooked turkey still in my mind when I cook this next turkey so I can have something for comparison.
Day 97 of 1000
Gladys will go stay with her dear friends in Hillsborough after meeting this afternoon and we will not see her until the next time she visits. We had an incredibly good time.
We had a great Thanksgiving dinner. Here are a few photos:
First the guests of honor. We were profoundly humbled that Gladys was able to spend Thanksgiving with us.
Also my old boss Andrew and his (soon to be) veterinarian Sara. We were especially thankful these people were so gracious to listen to Grandpa Milo’s and Dad’s stories. We are hoping they make this a tradition with us!
It does not seem like it is Thanksgiving if Grandpa Milo is not taking charge of the cooking.
Lorena cooked, too!
Grandma Sarah is her usual joyful self.
Kelly gives instruction to Kiwi about not bothering the guests while they are eating.
We all have a great time. This must have been during one of Grandpa Milo’s “true” stories.
We sat at the table from about 2:30 PM to about 8:30 PM. It was an awesome Thanksgiving!
Update: Warren (who is often with us for Thanksgiving) has a wonderful Thanksgiving post here.
Day 94 of 1000
Last night, we had a wonderful dinner of French onion soup, french bread, cheddar cheese, and pizza. It sounds a little odd writing it, but it tasted great. We all sat around the table and talked for a couple of hours after dinner, then made our way to the couch and continued talking until about 1:00 AM this morning. We got the turkey in at around 9:00 AM. Andrew and Sara will show up just in time for dinner. I will put some cooking and eating pictures up later.
Day 93 of 1000
My plan was to take some pictures of our visitors–Grandpa Milo, Grandma Sarah, and our dear friend Gladys–and post them here on the blog last night. Grandpa Milo lost his luggage (it came to the house later that evening), we came home through heavy traffic, ate Lorena’s amazing Kung Pao Chicken for dinner, went to Gospel meeting, ate some chocolate chip cookies, and talked until midnight. None of that should have prevented me from posting a few pictures, but everything was SO interesting and we were enjoying ourselves SO much, it just slipped my mind. I will try to do better tonight.
It is GREAT to have them here. I have decided that we really need to buy a mini-van for these kinds of visits. Our total automobile capacity right now is eight people and that is just not enough.
Day 92 of 1000
Grandpa Milo, Grandma Sarah, and Gladys (also a Grandma) will arrive at the airport this afternoon to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with us. I am running hard right now, but life should slow down by later today. I will have plenty of pictures to take and posts to write over the next few days. I am really looking forward to it.
Day 87 of 1000
For the first time in five years we will have a fairly big group of people at our house for Thanksgiving. Grandpa Milo and Grandma Sarah will get here on Tuesday along with our dear friend Gladys Christie. That makes seven and we expect to have an additional three to seven people beside that. It is not as big as we did in Oregon, but it that is OK because we need a medium size one to get back in practice. Lorena had me do a little work on a clogged shower and she has been preparing like crazy for a week. Studies should slow down a little after the weekend, so I am sure she will put us all to work.
We purchased a Wurlitzer console piano for the family about eleven years ago for about $2500. It was a big financial hit at the time, but has been an absolute joy ever since. Kelly took piano lessons for ten years with that piano and Christian took three years of lessons as a little kid before he switched to guitar. Kelly still plays the piano frequently, but, since she no longer takes formal lessons, we have let it get out of tune. We decided that everyone would probably want to sing hymns or play the piano during Glad and Grandpa and Grandma’s visit we would use that as an excuse to get the piano tuned. That happened on Tuesday so we are all set!
Day 75 of 1000
We went to breakfast this morning at Cooley’s Restaurant in Fuquay-Varina. It was OK. We have yet to find a really good breakfast restaurant within short driving distance of our house. Pam’s Farmhouse over by the NCSU certainly qualifies (Thanks Troy!), but it is too far away for an every Saturday visit. We are still looking. Our driving radius extends mostly to Fuquay-Varina and Garner, but we have had very little luck and have been here now for four years.