Thanksgiving Recap

  We had a lovely Thanksgiving here this year.  As suspected I did host and roasted my first turkey!  It turned out very well, thanks to some invaluable advice from my grandmother and mother.  After doing some research on different recipes I decided to create my own based on what I already had in my pantry.  What I came up with was a simple, flavorful recipe that will make your home smell like heaven and impress even the most critical of in-laws.   This recipe would also translate well to roast chicken or other poultry.  Here's the recipe I created:

Herb-Rubbed Roast Turkey

Ingredients:

1whole turkey-I used a 12 lb bird

salt

thyme

rosemary

water/chicken broth

Supplies:

Roasting pan (with or without lid)

tin foil (optional)

turkey baster, ladle or long-handled serving spoon

meat thermometer

carving knife

Instructions:

Begin thawing your turkey several days before hand (mine took four days).  Remove turkey from packaging and remove giblets from the cavity.  You can save these for soup or discard them, we discarded them.  After rinsing the bird, place in roasting pan.  Rub salt on the outside and inside of the bird, you will need more than you think.  Now rub the rosemary and thyme on the outside of the entire bird.  Be liberal with the herbs, you will need at least two tablespoons or more of each to reach all the little nooks and crannies.  Position bird with the legs pointing up in the pan.  At this point you can cover it with the lid to your roasting pan or "tent" it in tinfoil if you don't have a lid.  This prevents the bird from browning too quickly and allows the juices to flow back into the pan instead of evaporating during the roasting process.  About half-way through cooking begin adding water or chicken broth (we used water) to the pan.  You won't need much, about a half cup each hour.  At this time you may also want to start basting the bird with the juices collecting in the pan.  Just gently ladle the juices over the bird, making sure that some get into the cavity and in the crevices of the wings and legs.  Remove the lid or tin foil about an hour or so before the bird is done cooking to allow it to brown nicely.  At the end of cooking time, check the internal temperature at the thigh; it should be 175 degrees.  When the safe temperature is reached, remove the bird from the oven and carve.  

Voila! A simple and savory roast turkey that everyone will love!

Grad school, Baking and Paint Chips.....Oh My!

  The last few days have been a little busy.  The hubs is enrolling for his masters degree and we have been having all sorts of fun learning to navigate the new world of college online, it been complicated, but we're figuring it out as we go.  I also agreed to provide some baked goods for our church's holiday bake sale on Saturday, so your's truly shall be baking tomorrow!
  We also decided that it is time to give our master bedroom a face lift.  We bought our home knowing that it needed some cosmetic work done.  The dining room was peach with dark green trim (now pale blue with white trim), the living room was harvest gold (now a soft khaki/putty color), the master bedroom is currently an awful shade of peach/pink/yellowish color that I can't begin to describe, the guest bedroom is a dark shade of blue and the final bedroom is yellow with light green trim.  The kitchen isn't a terrible color, but it needs a renovation to function well.  The bathroom is the only room that really looks good.  So yesterday I picked up some paint chips and we got down to business.
  Picking a paint color can be either nerve wracking or fun, it all depends on how you go about it.  I've learned that advance planning is key:  collect pictures of rooms that you like for inspiration, find the common thread between them (mine is soft/pale colors on the walls and brighter colors in textiles) and then pick out your top three or four.  Then look at your space.  Is it small, large, has really high ceilings?  Does it get plenty of daylight or is it in shade most of the day?  Do you want the space to feel vibrant or soothing?  Is the existing furniture dark or light?  Now that you know these answers it's time to go to the store.  Pick out paint chips, lots of them, of colors you like and fit your ideas for the room.  Use painters tape to stick them to your walls and look at them.  Look at them in daylight and artificial light, hold them up to your furniture and textiles  ( you can also use your existing textiles to find a color you like).  Discard the colors that just don't quite work.  Keep narrowing it down to two.  Be ruthless, you will probably like lots of colors, but not all of them will work with your room.  Now go get samples, they usually run about two-three dollars.  Paint large squares on every wall in your room, let them dry completely.  At this point you will either have found the perfect color.......or will need to start back at chips again.  Paint is a tricky thing, but I find that going with my gut and trusting my instincts will usually yield a result I am happy with.
  In the case of our master bedroom the winner(we are still waiting to see it daylight) is currently a soft pale greige that complements our furniture and gives our cottage-sized bedroom a light, airy spa-like feel.  The best part was that the hubs was an active, even enthusiastic participant in the whole endeavor !  He has even volunteered to help paint!!  This is remarkable since he is usually a "whatever you think is best" kind of guy when it comes to home decor......I'm not sure, but I think I may be starting to rub off on him a little bit.  And the whole process has been fun with him involved, as projects usually are when you have someone to share them with.  And that is simply lovely.

Autumn Loveliness

  Last night we had a rain storm and, after two days in the balmy sixty degree range, we are back to crisp cool weather.  As I was preparing lunch today I happened to glance out my kitchen window to the most beautiful sight.  Most of the trees on our block are old sycamores, beautiful in summer but really unremarkable in autumn.  Across the alley behind our home is large tree, species unknown, that is one of the last trees to change color this time of year.  So today when I glanced out my window and saw it had turned a beautiful golden yellow, it made me smile.  The rain from last night was still soaking everything and the bark of this tree looked almost black against the yellow leaves.  An absolutely beautiful sight.  And as I looked around our neighborhood I noticed that the Japanese Maples, we have two or three scattered here and there, had all turned a gorgeous red, some so bright that they almost appear to be lit from within.

  Autumn is truly one of my favorite seasons of the year.  From mid-July on I look forward to the onset of "sweater weather", falling leaves and the fresh air that comes after the hot and humid summers we have.  I love curling up on my couch with a blanket, a book and the dog while the hubby snores in his chair.  Walks with Ike are more fun since we both love the fallen leaves.  Cooking gets more interesting because comfort food always tastes better after being out in the crisp air.  There's expectation in the air.  Fall festivals come and go, we start thinking about the holidays and apple pies and there is the hint that the first snow of the year is just around the corner....but not quite here yet.  Winter is amazing for a few months, but we are ready when spring finally comes.  Autumn is a short season, like Spring, when the weather is invigorating and we all wish it would last just a little bit longer.  There is something magical about this transition season that is so refreshing.

  So here's to the Autumnal loveliness we are currently enjoying.  Take some time to walk or drive and take a look at the leaves.  Maybe take a few moments and jump in the pile of leaves you just raked, or just enjoy your favorite hot beverage outside in fresh air.  Slow down for a few minutes and enjoy the season.

Do you have a favorite season of the year?  Several?  Maybe all of them?  What is the most lovely thing about Autumn for you?

Fall Cleaning and Clothing Switch

  I've been slowly working on my seasonal cleaning over the last couple of days.  There is something about doing this that just makes me feel more prepared for the holidays.  Now, anyone who knows me knows that I really hate cleaning, but I love organizing.  Not that I am methodical about either one!!  But this is the year I swore I would start changing some of my habits.  I was going to get more organized, start a regular weekly cleaning schedule, etc,etc.  I've made some progress over the course of the year, notably unpacking the majority of the boxes left over from last year's move. So now, with the holidays fast approaching, it is time to get this place under control.

  I've been taking it in small bites, doing one or two major tasks each day.  Today it was time to tackle the master bedroom.  The spring and summer clothes were switched out for fall/winter clothes, summer shoes packed away for the winter and some general organizing done.  I should mention here that I have discovered that my husband has twice as much clothing as I do and most of it doesn't even fit him!!  Methinks that we will have to do a donation run to our local thrift store before the winter is over.  One of the habits I am trying to change is our inclination to never get rid of clothing.  We keep it in boxes in the basement, in drawers and hidden in the back of closets.  We both have lost weight over the last few years, yet we are still clinging to the clothes of the past.  There is probably a good psychological reason for this particular quirk and I am sure we are not alone.   So I have quietly made some new house rules for clothing, they are as follows:

1.  If you haven't worn it at least once in the past two years it should probably go.  Special occasion clothing is exempt from this rule providing it meets the requirements for the following rules.

2.  If it is two sizes or more too big (or small)  for you it should go.  The exception is if it is an 'investment piece' and therefore worth having it tailored to fit.

3.  If it still fits but is out of date to the point where you wouldn't wear it in public, it should go.

4.  Clothing that is stained beyond help or worn out should either go, become cleaning rags, be relegated to the "clothes for painting/working" department or be made into something new.

  Now they are out there, in print, for all to see.  Hopefully I will be able to stick with them and our lives will get along just fine without all the extra 'weight' filling up our home.  Do you have your own rules for keeping the clothing monster under control in your home?  Any tips and tricks for switching out clothing for the different seasons?

Thanksgiving Already??

  As is typical for me the Thanksgiving holiday has crept up on us once again.  It is officially sweater and boot weather, much to my delight.  Thanks to Hurricane Sandy our respective families haven't decided what they are doing yet this year.  Only two weeks to go and no plans yet!!  My obsessive compulsive side is in a tizzy!  Usually, not having children, we are required to travel for the holidays.  Occasionally, last year in fact, we are lucky enough to host the holidays at our own home.  I really, really enjoy hosting.  I love planning the menu, searching for new recipes and decorating.....that being said, I usually end up finding out that I am hosting at the last possible moment and have to throw something together in three days or less.  I have a strong suspicion that Thanksgiving will be here again this year.  So, I am planning as if it will be.

  I am currently wildly searching Pinterest to find recipes and diy decorating ideas. Specifically diy because, courtesy of the current economy, it is all we can afford right now! I have to say, I love Pinterest.  I could, and sometimes do, spend hours on there looking for inspiration.  My most recent "Ah Ha" moment was when I came across an idea for a fall garland.  It involves stringing fallen leaves together.  Sounds simple enough. And we have enough leaves in our yard to populate several others.  We can't rake them up as fast enough.  Such is life on a street lined with sycamore trees. So, when I finally get around to trying it I will post pictures and a tutorial here, successful or not!  In the meantime I have been lighting the pumpkin pie scented candles, stocking up on my baking supplies and enjoying walking Ike (my Labrador) in the crisp fall air.  It's safe to say that autumn is one of my favorite seasons.

  What are your plans for the holiday?  Do you have any traditions and dishes that it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without?  In the next few days I will continue to share some of our favorites and some new ideas too!

To My Readers

Hello Readers!!  

Just a quick introduction to me and my humble blog.  My name is Becky.  I am the proud parent of a lovable Labrador and wife to a really great husband.  I am a seamstress, my specialty is historical clothing but I am beginning to dabble in modern clothing creation.  After leaving a strictly religious upbringing behind I have spent the last ten years or so figuring out who I really am.  I have discovered fashion and style, something I once believed was beautiful on others, but not for me to participate in.  There is a great love within me for all things beautiful; nature, people, music, the arts and lifestyle.....always has been.  I love creating things (see my above comment on being a seamstress) and learning, I am always learning.  I have suffered illness and injury, but both of those things brought me to who I am today.  

Here I share all my musings.  Things that are happening in our lives, things I find interesting, musings on fashion, beauty, design.....basically whatever is going on in my head on any given day!!  I hope you enjoy and I look forward to sharing and learning with you.

Here's to all thing lovely!

Becky