winner, winner, Thanksgiving dinner!

Michael left for golf at 8:30 AM Friday morning (12/7) even though it was only 33 degrees outside…..br-r-r-r-r-r!!!  I made myself breakfast and read the paper a bit before heading off to Mary Jo’s to learn how to turn my strings of beads into actual necklaces.  We did one (ok the truth is that SHE did one) and it certainly looks like a pain in the b_tt!!!  I need several more tools and heavier gauge wire….but at least I have one done.  It is going out as a Christmas present so sorry, no pics until after Christmas.  

After that I met Anne at Karen S’s annual open house….she is truly a dynamo….tons of yummy food…and lots of door prizes.  They didn’t call my name  :~(, but they did pick Anne’s!!!  

I spent a few hours in the afternoon working on the second (and final border) for my 3^rd retreat quilt and my honey joined me when he got home from golfing.  Cookie, having been separated from him all of those lonely hours, parks herself here while he does his emails and we watch a bit of TV:

Lucy & Ethel joined us as well....and even though I got several pictures....I didn't get the perfect one I wanted because they move too fast and my camera moves too slow!

I was mashing down the camera button saying 'why isn't this working!!!'

Eventually we headed upstairs to make our traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Michael got out cranberry sauce and made mashed potatoes, 

while I worked on making gravy 

sauteeing finely minced onions & garlic in mushroom olive oil.  Then I added in flour and cookied until it was dark brown

I stirred in my stock, some herbs, DRY SACK, and a bit of Worcestershire and cooked it down

and stuffing.  We just slid thick slices of turkey into the gravy, 

and at the last minute nuked some broccoli with cheese….what a yummy feast:  

We decided to watch the SECOND BEST MARIGOLD HOTEL….I didn't think it was quite as good as the first one, but it was still totally delightful  (and with a gorgeous Richard Gere in it....how could you go wrong  :~)  

I wanted to make my honey a special dessert, so I started with a homemade brownie, 

topped with our current favorite triple chocolate ice cream (eat your heart out BG): 

but it all fell apart when I realized we didn’t have any redi-whip in the fridge  :~(.  He said it was scrumptious anyway.  I spent the rest of the evening loading up beads for another necklace.