Thanksgiving 2014

Imagine my SHOCK when Krista suggested, a couple of weeks ago, we forgo Turkey on Thanksgiving in favor of Veggie Pot Pie.  This veganized version of Country Chicken Pot Pie is one the whole family enjoys!  But for Thanksgiving?

Michael wasn't so sure. Krista shared the visit would be short and she wanted to spend it all with family time - not worrying about a big meal.  I think she envisioned a one pot meal....

Michael suggested we ask the other kids. I was equally shocked when they all wholeheartedly agreed.  The discussion continued. I was fairly sure my parents would side with Michael. I offered to fix the traditional meal for  Michael - a late birthday gift - and I'd do it with joy.  In the meantime I discovered I was volunteered to bake a turkey for the chapel.....and there was a bit of leftovers....so I brought it home. 

My parents were unable to come due to another MRSA outbreak.

Sunday, Michael agreed that heating  up turkey for those who wanted turkey would be fine...and I agreed to  fix the traditional favorites to go with the Veggie Pot Pie.  I have been making the traditional Thanksgiving dinner AND a vegan entrée for the past two years.  I sort of did the same this year...but it was funny to see that many didn't touch any turkey.   As always, the food wouldn't fit on the table....There it is - a totally plant based meal (except for the little platter of Turkey).

We all had a big laugh when we were setting things on to the China. The big platter was reserved for the freshly baked, whole wheat, braided loaf of  herb bread. The small platter had moist  turkey meat.  Honestly, making veggie pot pie is harder than turkey - though the clean up is easier...but I loved the sentiment. I also loved the comments about many of the new recipes I tried - the Thanksgiving flavor was present without the bloat.  I'll be posting recipes in the next days....


Turkey in forefront, bread in center

 

A few Random photos: 

 

Before we could set the table we had to remove Stacia's sewing and various completed puzzles

3 D Star Wars

 

WHEN did our baby Arielle become a Senior?



 

Camping in the kitchen worked well for Yuuki

 

Nolan enjoys a bit of Thanksgiving reading

For the first time EVER we planned our signatures for the Thanksgiving Tablecloth

Adding this year's names 

We had a great time checking out signatures from year's past. Those photos may become a different post.  We played games, visited, Skyped with BreZaak, Josiah and Jared....we simply enjoyed those who were with us....and the fact that we have no clue where we will be next year came home a bit more. LOL

We love having Lindsey with us. It was a blessing to get to know her a bit better this weekend. It turns out she is lactose intolerant and a vegan home is a great place to be for big meals if you're lactose intolerant. LOL

We ended the night by watching the new Tim Hawkins DVD - "That's the Worst".....though it was actually one of the best of days!

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Highlights of the Week

Stacia finished reading, The Hobbit, and she'll be able to watch the movie when it's released!

 

The weather's been great and the kids have enjoyed it fully! We used the first 3 days of the week as catch up school days - they had more time for fun.

 

Nolan and Arielle enjoyed another Japanese lesson  Ryu and Kim

 

We had a staff event today.....we did a bit of shopping...Michael and the boys went to the chapel to work on the Chapel's Christmas Card...the girls and I came home and began to cook as much as we could for tomorrow. The gravy is ready to boil, the garlic potatoes are mashed, the cranberry sauce is done, the sweet potatoes are cooked, the pies are baked, the brownies are in the oven and the rolls are rising....We're waiting for Krista and her friend, Lindsay to arrive.

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Processing on Plumas Blvd

 After Michael's appointment with the surgeon today, we walked and processed. We visited a restaurant called, "Squeeze Inn"....I thought  it would be like Jamba Juice. ::snort:: Turns out it has been voted "Best Dive" by a Sacramento newspaper. It's a  dive....great burgers and shakes....no juice in sight. Though after seeing the orders come out, I DO understand the photo and the name. ::snort::

Across from Squeeze Inn is Gaiser Pets.

It is unusual to find a pet store in America with real animals. I KNOW - please don't explain WHY to me - I get it.   It's just that one of our favorite outings when the older Gherkins were young was to visit a pet store and see all the animals.  When we lived in Misawa we visited a local store in the mall which had puppies and kittens. I'd heard of this store before, but hadn't visited.

This pet store SMELLS when you enter. A sure sign there are ANIMALS inside the store. ::snort::

There are no dogs (I get it), but there are fish (lots of them), birds, cats, reptiles, amphibians.....We turned a corner and found this guy hanging out.

We KNEW I needed to bring Stacia here. She has been asking to visit a pet store all year..and we KNOW she is not going to find the cute animals she is expecting from our visits to the pet store in Japan.

We turned a corner and ran into this guy - I'm not so sure about HIM....but he seemed friendly enough.

They have lots of pet supplies and give away free Bibles.....we'll be back.

During our walk I noted a diner with a poster in the window that says, "Voted Best Breakfast and Lunch." I think a Saturday morning girls date is shaping up - maybe when Krista and Lindsey are here.

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

When Good News is....Inconclusive

I wouldn't say it's bad news.

It is surprising, unsettling and frustrating news.

The first MRI showed a tumor. It's location worried the surgeon that Michael could lose other parts. They ordered another MRI.

This one, at a different facility, showed NOTHING. Nothing.

We've been praying for  healing. But the pain is increasing.

The surgeon has scheduled Michael to go in and have a look in January.  The surgeon feels the best way to know what is going on  is to get a real look.

The surgeon said MRI's are "often" unreliable. He said he's had pregnant women with appendicitis where an MRI showed nothing wrong. He's determined to help discover the source of the pain. Please pray with us that he does.

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Banana Oat Bars

This recipe is from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live Cookbook. It is nutrient dense. It has no added sugar, oil or dairy. Therefore, it is Daniel Fast Friendly - as well as vegan. The subs I made due to what I had in hand are in ().

Ingredients:
2 C quick cooking rolled oats - not instant
1/2 C shredded coconut
1/2 C raisins or chopped dates (craisins)
1/4 C chopped walnuts (pecans)
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 C finely chopped apple (1/4 C chopped apple and 1/2 C applesauce)
2 T ground flax seeds

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*.

Mix all in a large bowl until well combined.

PRESS into a 9x9 in pan.

Bake 30 min

Cool on rack.

Cut into bars or squares when cooled.

*NOTES
I added 3 T of cocoa as I was trying to entice my family. I should leave out the dried fruit for THAT.

I find these FILLING.

For Banana Oat Spice Bars, mix in:
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp pepper

Per Serving (8): Calories 247; Protein 8g; carbs 41g; total fat 6.9g; saturated fat 2.2g; sodium 3 mg; fiber 5.9g, calcium 31 mg; iron 2.3 mg.......

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Fellowship Sunday!

Fellowship Sundays are always enjoyable. THIS Sunday we combined a Thanksgiving Dinner Potluck with decorating the chapel and painting the Chapel's Christmas Card. It was a full day - but a fun day.

I made a turkey!  I brought a bit home and that will be the Turkey for our meat eaters on Thanksgiving. We'll have all the go-withs. The vegans requested Veggie Pot Pie, so I'll make that as well. I would be full and happy just eating the sides - certainly filled me up at the Potluck. LOL

I forgot my camera - but did have my phone. Someone else took photos and so I'll have some good photos to post on the chapel's pages.

Jerry is our turkey mesiter! 

 

Chaplain T cut this out - we'll get it painted

 

Juliette glows with Christmas Cheer

 

Protestant Shoe boxes (PWOC, MTOC, Service)

 

Stringing lights

After the wreaths were up and the tree lit....Michael let us all go eat our Thanksgiving meal.  Afterwards quite a few stayed to help decorate the tree. Kelsey and her girls helped me begin the library's winter face lift. 

Quamara smiled at him - made his whole day! 

 

Zay and Daniel start the painting

We really had a fun day. It was a blessing to see so many pitch in with the decorating, the painting, the cooking and the clean up of the meal after we'd finished eating.  There have been months when this has not been the case. ::grin::

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Frozen - Breakfast Burritos

We got a late start  for our Saturday morning treat. By the time we reached Awful Annie's the line was out the door. Stacia thought the wait would be ridiculous  even for Awesome Annie's....so we explored. Kim's Country Kitchen had a line out the door as well. We found a few cute little hole in the wall spots. We opted for Whistle Stop Café. To be fair, I think the B team was working as she had to keep calling "someone" to ask questions.


The first thing I noticed was the SMALL breakfast menu. Not a lot of vegan options. I thought I could make due with a chai latte (a cheat) and a fruit cup. Stacia ordered the breakfast burrito and a hot chocolate. I was told the salads and fruit were no longer menu options. In desperation I went for a muffin I was sure was loaded with cholesterol and my chai latte (also full of cholesterol).  Our drinks were warm - and cold by the time we finished them. My muffin was obviously "day old." 

Our little Texan was not happy with her breakfast burrito. She told me the sausage and potatoes were cold, the cheese wasn't melted, but the eggs were nice and hot.  She thought a bit of salsa would help. She suggested I show them how to make real breakfast burritos. ::snort::

Always magnanimous Stacia thought this spot was really o.k. "At least they didn't take our food away when we went to the bathroom." (THAT'S a story I've not yet shared on the blog, but I think I will. The owner had shot at making things right.)

We decided it would be a great spot for Mom and friends to sit and chat with a cup of a hot drink and a snack or two.....and that it probably had good ice cream in the summer.

Our next stop was Target. We bought a couple of ornaments for the chapel's tree.... some supplies we need for Thanksgiving and tomorrow's Fellowship Sunday at the chapel. Stacia was happy to pose with Elsa....and I've not blogged about the very un-Elsa like character at Walmart's Frozen event.

Back at home I baked a double batch of brownies, a big batch of rolls, made a giant salad, arranged a fruit tray and pulled a walnut pie out of the freezer. Oh - and started the Turkey roasting. Tomorrow is November's Fellowship Sunday in the Protestant Community.

Michael made a trip to the Far West Campus to take tools and such over and to check on the heating situation.

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...