Well, Thanksgiving turned out a bunch of surprises for us.
1. We got an AWESOME appraisal back on my house. (my closing is tomorrow)
2. It snowed in Charleston Tuesday morning, November 21st
3. My parents came down on Wednesday and stayed all the way through Sunday. They LOVE the house and what we have done with it.
For Thanksgiving, I prepared my first Turkey. (yeah!!)
Here is everything I made for our meal:
Citrus and Herb Turkey
Italian Sausage Stuffing
Chiptole Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Homemade Maccaroni and Cheese
Green Bean Casserole
Fresh Cranberry and Orange Relish
and Citrus and Herb Pan Gravy
Boy! Where we stuffed!! Everything was excellent!! My mom was weary and tried making me do things her way, but I stood my ground. The night before I stufed the turkey with orages, lemons, onion and fresh herbs. I made the Herb seasoning rub and rubbed it on the turkey and put it back in teh fridge. In the morning I took it out, let it rest and warm up, and popped it into the oven and cooked according to th directions. (not using an "Oven Bag" like my mother had wanted) an Presto! a scrumptious, moist Turkey. Wow. It was the moistest Turkey I have had for Thanksgiving in a LONG time. Usually, a family member (not my mom) makes the Turkey and it is SO dry.
So, I had to give myself a big pat on the back.
I hope your Thanksgiving was full of wonderful surprises and many blessings!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
One Wild Night
I have A LOT of catching up to do. The weekend of the 10-11th, Joe and I went to the upstate to stage my house for an appraisal for my refinancing. On the way home I was about 3 miles ahead of Joe, cruising at 75-ish, just past Orangeburg (i.e. - I'm in the middle of the boonies), and I hit something in the road - hard. I immediately got over b/c I KNEW I had blown my tire. I immediately called Joe so that he wouldn't pass me.
So we unload my trunk to get out my spare and tire iron, etc. Well, needless to say this wasn't your ordinary tire change.
See... I got all new tires back in March - and wouldn't you know it - the bolts where on TIGHT!!!
How tight? You might ask. Let's see, we broke not one but TWO lug wrenches. Before we broke the second one, Joe tried using the wieght of the car to help. Let's just say that they were on so tight that it LIFTED my Camry off the ground. After that, we finally called 911 who directed us to *HP who directed us to another number (which was closed), so we called *HP back to see if we could get a trooper out.
By the time the nice trooper came, we had already been out there 2 1/2 HOURS! He (THANK GOD) had one of the 4-lug wrench. The kind tha tlook like an X. It took Joe pulling up and the trooper JUMPING UP AND DOWN on the wrench in order to get the lug bolts off. Luckily they weren't stripped or broken.
They put the tire on and it was flat! (excellent) So the trooper gave me permission to drive down the shoulder the two miles to the truck stop down the way. Had we know that there was a truck stop two miles down the way - I would have sent Joe for another wrench way before that.
So our normal 3 hour trip to 6 hours to get from the upstate back home to beautiful Charleston.
So - what shoudl everyone learn from this leasson??? Make sure that Firestone or whoever, backs off your bolts a 1/4 turn when they screw them on with the torque guns. AND always have a Cross style lug wrench in your car. Wal-mart has them for $7.
So we unload my trunk to get out my spare and tire iron, etc. Well, needless to say this wasn't your ordinary tire change.
See... I got all new tires back in March - and wouldn't you know it - the bolts where on TIGHT!!!
How tight? You might ask. Let's see, we broke not one but TWO lug wrenches. Before we broke the second one, Joe tried using the wieght of the car to help. Let's just say that they were on so tight that it LIFTED my Camry off the ground. After that, we finally called 911 who directed us to *HP who directed us to another number (which was closed), so we called *HP back to see if we could get a trooper out.
By the time the nice trooper came, we had already been out there 2 1/2 HOURS! He (THANK GOD) had one of the 4-lug wrench. The kind tha tlook like an X. It took Joe pulling up and the trooper JUMPING UP AND DOWN on the wrench in order to get the lug bolts off. Luckily they weren't stripped or broken.
They put the tire on and it was flat! (excellent) So the trooper gave me permission to drive down the shoulder the two miles to the truck stop down the way. Had we know that there was a truck stop two miles down the way - I would have sent Joe for another wrench way before that.
So our normal 3 hour trip to 6 hours to get from the upstate back home to beautiful Charleston.
So - what shoudl everyone learn from this leasson??? Make sure that Firestone or whoever, backs off your bolts a 1/4 turn when they screw them on with the torque guns. AND always have a Cross style lug wrench in your car. Wal-mart has them for $7.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
More Stuffed than a Thanksgiving Turkey
WoW!!
So Dear hubby took me to Candelight Christmas at Biltmore. After Joe got out of the presentations, we went driving along the Parkway. We didn't see much so we went shopping while we waited for our reservations. We entered the Estate about 4:30 and proceeded to the Deerpark restaurant. We were one of the first tables sat.
OMG!
We feasted on Baked Brie with praline pecan sauce, Sweetpotate soufle with praline pecan topping and chipotle pepers, Trout Mondine, Prim Rib (we put the praline pecan sauce on this as well!), Turkey with sausage stuffing with Sherried pan gravy. They also had oysters, clams, mussels and peel and eat shrimp. Along with an assortment of salads (I had the Waldorf Salad). They also had Split-pea Soup and Minestrone.
For dessert we had Bananas Foster over Vanilla Ice Cream, Pumkin Cream Pie, Red Velvet Cake, Chocolate Torte, Blueberry Cobbler, Applie tart, and I can't remember if there was anything. Basically all the desserts were yuck except the Flambe station where they created the Bananas Foster. I had to have two servings of that. Hey! I told you I was more stuffed than a Turkey.
Oh.....but it was SOOOOOO Good!!! I think I now need to go to confession for my glutony. ;-)
Afterwards, we went to the car and drove to the house. This year they did MP3 players with headsets for the tour. The house was beautiful and so were the decorations.
I was very excited because they have added new rooms and a new route (on the third and fourth floors) to the tour.
So we had a wonderful night at the Biltmore Estate. I highly recommend it.
Blessings!
So Dear hubby took me to Candelight Christmas at Biltmore. After Joe got out of the presentations, we went driving along the Parkway. We didn't see much so we went shopping while we waited for our reservations. We entered the Estate about 4:30 and proceeded to the Deerpark restaurant. We were one of the first tables sat.
OMG!
We feasted on Baked Brie with praline pecan sauce, Sweetpotate soufle with praline pecan topping and chipotle pepers, Trout Mondine, Prim Rib (we put the praline pecan sauce on this as well!), Turkey with sausage stuffing with Sherried pan gravy. They also had oysters, clams, mussels and peel and eat shrimp. Along with an assortment of salads (I had the Waldorf Salad). They also had Split-pea Soup and Minestrone.
For dessert we had Bananas Foster over Vanilla Ice Cream, Pumkin Cream Pie, Red Velvet Cake, Chocolate Torte, Blueberry Cobbler, Applie tart, and I can't remember if there was anything. Basically all the desserts were yuck except the Flambe station where they created the Bananas Foster. I had to have two servings of that. Hey! I told you I was more stuffed than a Turkey.
Oh.....but it was SOOOOOO Good!!! I think I now need to go to confession for my glutony. ;-)
Afterwards, we went to the car and drove to the house. This year they did MP3 players with headsets for the tour. The house was beautiful and so were the decorations.
I was very excited because they have added new rooms and a new route (on the third and fourth floors) to the tour.
So we had a wonderful night at the Biltmore Estate. I highly recommend it.
Blessings!
Sunday, November 05, 2006
On Holiday
Or as we in America like to call it, On Vacation. I think I like the European title and so will use it for this brief jont to the mountains with my DH. He is giving a presentation tomorrow and Tuesday to the N.C. Society of Tax Professionals.
So we started off today at 2 p.m. It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes to drive from our house to Reidville Road in Spartanburg. (Excellent, almost a new record for me. I have made it from my parents house all the way to IOP (that's Isle of Palms for all you non-Charlestonians) in three hours.
So DH and I had dinner with my parents at Outback. Very poor service and might I say skimpy on their salads. So after that quick break we headed on up the hills. Too bad most of our winter clothes are in storage. Can you say brrrr..............?????
So we are now in the lovely Mariott Renaissance hotel in downtown Asheville. I haven't a clue what I shall be doing tomorrow while the hubby is away. (probably sleep, read, and watch t.v.)
After D.H. is finished with his group we are going for a drive down the Parkway (i.e. The BlueRidge Parkway) to see some fall color. Since we live in Charleston, there isn't very much fall color around us. Unless you count the slight browning of the Palmetto trees as they shed the older fronds for new ones.
DH surprised me a few weeks ago with tickets to Candelight Christmas so at 5:30 we will be dining at the Deerparkrestaurant on Biltmore Estate and then will enter the house at 7:30 for the Christmas Candelight Tour at Biltmore. I am so excited. We used to be passholders but aren't anymore. Christmas is the only season I have not seen Biltmore, usually because I wasn't paying the extra money to see it at night and I can't stand crowds nor heavy traffic. Every time I have tried to go I have gotten backed up on I-40. Sorry, but if it's backed up that far, it isn't worth it.
So I brought the warmest skirt I currently have in my closet and hopefully with layers, will be warm enough.
I also hope to have a little time to blog a bit.
I see that SCGG [slacker! ;) ] got a job (Congrats!), BTCM is almost to the end of the alphabet (beautiful moon this month, btw. should have seen it low in the horizon and beautiful in Chas, and looking great here in NC), and Napoleon is still off having "fun" at law school. Btw, your blog makes me want to run out and eat seafood somewhere.
Well...I better go. DH has ironed each of his shirts and is on to polishing his shoes. I might be able to get him to iron my shirts before I slip in to something a little more "comfortable" and left over from our honeymoon.
Hey.....this is a vacation!!! ;)
So we started off today at 2 p.m. It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes to drive from our house to Reidville Road in Spartanburg. (Excellent, almost a new record for me. I have made it from my parents house all the way to IOP (that's Isle of Palms for all you non-Charlestonians) in three hours.
So DH and I had dinner with my parents at Outback. Very poor service and might I say skimpy on their salads. So after that quick break we headed on up the hills. Too bad most of our winter clothes are in storage. Can you say brrrr..............?????
So we are now in the lovely Mariott Renaissance hotel in downtown Asheville. I haven't a clue what I shall be doing tomorrow while the hubby is away. (probably sleep, read, and watch t.v.)
After D.H. is finished with his group we are going for a drive down the Parkway (i.e. The BlueRidge Parkway) to see some fall color. Since we live in Charleston, there isn't very much fall color around us. Unless you count the slight browning of the Palmetto trees as they shed the older fronds for new ones.
DH surprised me a few weeks ago with tickets to Candelight Christmas so at 5:30 we will be dining at the Deerparkrestaurant on Biltmore Estate and then will enter the house at 7:30 for the Christmas Candelight Tour at Biltmore. I am so excited. We used to be passholders but aren't anymore. Christmas is the only season I have not seen Biltmore, usually because I wasn't paying the extra money to see it at night and I can't stand crowds nor heavy traffic. Every time I have tried to go I have gotten backed up on I-40. Sorry, but if it's backed up that far, it isn't worth it.
So I brought the warmest skirt I currently have in my closet and hopefully with layers, will be warm enough.
I also hope to have a little time to blog a bit.
I see that SCGG [slacker! ;) ] got a job (Congrats!), BTCM is almost to the end of the alphabet (beautiful moon this month, btw. should have seen it low in the horizon and beautiful in Chas, and looking great here in NC), and Napoleon is still off having "fun" at law school. Btw, your blog makes me want to run out and eat seafood somewhere.
Well...I better go. DH has ironed each of his shirts and is on to polishing his shoes. I might be able to get him to iron my shirts before I slip in to something a little more "comfortable" and left over from our honeymoon.
Hey.....this is a vacation!!! ;)
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