SAFE HOLIDAY MENU PLANNING!

Good morning from FRIGID Connecticut! Connie, I'm moving in with you - new kitchen to cook in, new bathroom to pee in, Arizona weather   ... we'll just have to build a barn and put up a pasture and a riding ring for Laela, what do you say??? Ok, seriously folks - what are your plans for Thanksgiving? Let's do some menu planning to help each other through these dangerous waters, ok?  For me - I'm an emotional eater - we ALL know that by now! Jillian won't be with us, first Thanksgiving without our family intact, just me and the guys, Jim and Devin ... I'm one sad puppy going into this thing so I'm already thinking to eat my way through those feelings... HELP!!! What's on your plate for Thanksgiving? What are your plans? Are you going out, visiting other relatives, cooking for your own family, having folks over, talk to me - how are you going to get through this holiday in a sane and healthy way?? Love, Reenie

Good morning Reenie,

We finally made a commitment to Thanksgiving last night.   We had toyed with going to CT ... driving up on Thursday and coming home on Saturday.   Dinner would not have been a big deal, probably just at a restaurant when we go there.   My sister and her family are traveling to CT from the DC area and I decided it would be just too much excitement for my Mom so our choices where to stay home or accept an invitation to visit friends in NC.  

Mr Mo and I haggled back and forth about it ... he had no feelings one way or the other, so I found a hotel I could be happy with (I HOPE !!!) for not a lot of $$$ and made a non-refundable reservation.   Our friends are excited to have us come for dinner and I know we will have a good time.   We will leave home about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday and get to their house about 1-ish.

We will spend Friday wandering around the souvenier blow out sale at Lowes Motor Speedway, and taking some laps on the track in my truck, and then head home on Saturday.  Hoping to see some other friends while we are in NC as well.

Our rule of thumb is that we do NOT travel on either the Wednesday before Turkey Day or that Sunday.  It has worked for us so far.

My goal is to eat reasonably.  I know the restriction that I have with my esophagus will keep the quantity in check, I just need to make responsible choices and to watch the grazing.

Hugs, Mo

Goodmorning from beginning to SNOW arggg Maryland!!!! if I get through Wednesday ok...Son has his court date that day which I am absolutly dreading,...then,Thanksgiving hmmm...welp Im cooking a big old feast...Im not slacking on anything, Ill just have to eat in moderation. Im having my husband, son(hopefully), and MIL over, daughter is this year having dinner at BF house....soooo, Im cooking a big turkey and ham,stuffing,mashed potatoes,gravy,green bean cassarole,corn,yucky sweet potatoes with marshmellow topping, my orange stuff, cranberries,rolls, maybe some homemade candy my son loves that, a pumpkin pie with SF cool whip...and whatever else I can muster up LOL....maybe some meatballs...I always over do it. Anyway Im all about moderation...Ill eat alittle of everything but not a ton. And Ill be sure to have plenty of leftovers for some good eating the following week! I hope everyone has a GREAT, SAFE and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

aw Reenie so sorry to hear she wont be with you... but you can start cheering up by counting your blessings and being thankfull that all is alive and well. ((hugs)). My brother, sisterinlaw, nice chelsey who is 10 (my sons age) and Joshua who is 8 are comming up from VA to have thanksgiving with us. We are really happy and my brother cannot WAIT to see Katelyn. WHo is doing good by the way... if I start talking about her I will never stop!   shes such a cutie. She thinks she owns Matt (my son). hahaha...  shes so funny when matt is laying on the floor she will bend all the way over, put her little hands on the floor and stick her butt out and sloooowly back up and sit on his head. HAHAHHA... he thinks its soo funny too but to see it is just hilarious and sooo cute! she needs one of those beepers thats on those contruction trucks for when she's backing up. She can count to 6!!! its so cute to hear it because she cant say the numbers really clear but she "knows" up to ten just cant quite pronounce them just yet. She LOVES to sing twinkle twinkle little star... she gets that far and then just makes up words for the rest. and she absolutely LOVES LOVES LOVES ELMO. haha... what little one doesnt matt did too when he was litlte. and telletubbies. Oh she loves them too. SHe can say all their names. She calls elmo Melmo. and she also loves blues clues. She always says "HI TEVE!" (hi steve) who is the host who says "Hi out there!" when the show starts. So if she says bye bye to anyone its always "bye teve or bye zee" Zee is a little bird on noggin a tv show... she also calls the cat MEOWEE. with 2 ees at the end. She thought that up all on her own... her amazing micmicking cat call sounded EXACTLY like the darn cat.. then it slowly changed to meowee... so all cats are now called meowees.  hahaha... too cute. She does call them keekats sometimes but the TRUE name for them is a meowee.  even the lions are meowees.  hahaha too cute!!!!  OK OK OK  .....   i could just go on and on ... and I severely digress here...

THANKSGIVING! not sure what we are going to do. I am going to make Kims orange yummy stuff... and ordered some banana nut bread that is TO DIE FOR so I wont kick the carbs and sugar till after thanksgiving because there is no way i will NOT have a piece of that. just being realistic here. haha... i just have to really limit myself. Which is no big because i wont be cooking and when it comes to a complete dinner, i dont eat much in a setting. I could...but i normally loose interest pretty fast. Just wish I could loose interest in the candy and cakes and BAD stuff. yeah right wishful thinking. we go to my cousins and they make the food... i leave there empty handed and more than happy about that. My mom is having her own turkey though so i'm planning on 2 turkey dinners most likely. So thats more cake and pumpkin pie. "sigh' well... actually not the pie because i already had my fill of that. so not in the mood for it. I AM in the mood for kims yummy orange stuff so thats good since its sugar free :)    anywhoo... hoping everyone has a nice thanksgiving. One more week to go.. time sure flies!!!!!! and i am soooo broke that i dont know what im gonna do about christmas and getting everyone gifts. 'sigh' matt wants two big time things. guitar hero and this optimus prime 70 dollar collectable from the  1980s that he has been asking for for a year straight. thats about 200 right there. sheesh. ill let the husband get all that. but even then... tile work has been slowing down. its scary beacuse people dont want to spend their money... hurts the small businesses. ANYWHOO...... i wrote a book, hope you all have enjoyed the long winded tirade. LOL....

it will be just michael and me for turkey- i think/hope that we got a small turkey breast in the food package that we stood in line for a week or so back...that is my plan-otherwise i would somehow buy a turkey- i will make stuffing and potatoes and a punkin pie...michael will probly cook the potatoes actually and he will make some kind of cranberry sauce type thing -he cooks sf for me ...
my issue will be portions..i really wonder if my stoma is all stretched out???

he is a football fan and will probly watch some- we both will cruise the net - he is hooke don freecycle now! and he is the ambassador when it comes to making family phone calls...

i worked over hours at work so that i can be off on friday without losing pay--the whole bldg is closed but we were expected to be there or make up the hours-sucks!

i wanted so badly to drive to wisconsin to his brothers- they have a great feast and my SIL and i would shop black friday- even tho i have no $$ it is a riot with a capital R being with her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well- between lacka gas money and having to have someone watch the dogs and then the sick bird--it isn't happening! his brother and sister and another SIL have birthdays next week too- ah well.....

sorry you won't have your daughter with you in person but she is in your heart and you can talk....it's so hard when they get older, reenie! we plan a special seperate Christmas with my kids and grands so taht we are not intruding on teh holiday with their dad -and he on mine....