Thanksgiving Day

So today I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner. It went pretty well. I started prep earlier in the day by doing things like cooking the onions for the stuffing and the green bean casserole as well as the sausage for the stuffing. The picture to the left shows the onions for the stuffing in the bowl, the onions for the green bean casserole next to the sausage.

I also made the dessert early in the day. I made what my family calls "Whipped Cream Log" its basically whipped cream and Nabisco/Mr. Christie's (depending whether you are in the US or Canada) chocolate wafers. It is simple and sort of bad for you but I love it!

My final menu was baked turkey breast, Green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, HOMEMADE gravy (I didn't end up having to use my "back up plan" canned gravy... yuck), canned jellied cranberry sauce (for my guest), bread and butter pickles, pickled onion, black olives, dinner rolls and whipped cream log. That was a list of everything that was served on the table and probably far too much detail then anyone would ever want. Also the plates on the table are a brand new set I bought at Ikea yesterday. I need a complete set of dishes not just two bowls and two plates like I've had for the last 2 years.

I told you I'd post food porn of my Thanksgiving.

Dirty Dishes

Why is it that even when most of your dishes are in the sink dirty you don't have any motivation to wash them? And you end up washing things as you need then so they end up back in the sink after your done with it. This is the first time I have lived completely on my own. I had lived in a dorm and other types of campus housing aragements before one of which where we had a kitchen. So I have washed dishes before and this is not new. It is sort of overwhelming that I am the only person who can and will take care of the place I live. I "own" more rooms then I ever have because I have a kitchen/living room a bathroom and a bedroom. All I have ever had all to myself at home or away was a bedroom and not suddenly I am in control of a space that is about 3 times the size of my room back home and easily 5 or 6 times the size of the dorm rooms I had when I lived on campus. I live living here on my own. I like that I don't have to share the kitchen with 5 other girls and there for don't get nearly no space in the cabinets or am trying to cook while some one else is. I like that the furniture here is mine. As a student most all of my furniture is Ikea but I didn't buy it there. I bought all my Ikea furniture for half the original price or less used and in great condition from various people off of craigslist. Although I did go to Ikea to make my furniture wish list. I feel pretty good about that because I got all the furniture I wanted without compromising at a great price and almost all of it is in fabulous condition. I also like that if I ever have to move everything except my "Klippan" couch will come apart and be flat to move or store. I like my little basement suite... it's mine but it gets lonely.