I ATE TOO MUCH!!!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  Mr. Cooper got the days mixed up.  He thought he was getting lots of turkey and a toy or three.  

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  I hope your day was filled with lots of amazing food and good times.  

It was not the usual for me.  I hate to say it, but I love nothing more than to sit home with my critters in my jammies and watch football while the turkey roasts in the oven.  Instead, I accepted an invitation to a Bingo Thanksgiving.  Five of us workers were invited to Kathy's house for dinner.  

My plan was to take a new-to-me corn casserole, for which I had purchased all the ingredients.  When I related my plan, I was shot down like a turkey.  Someone else was bringing that.  I got fruit salad.  WHO wants fruit salad at Thanksgiving, not to mention I had NONE of those ingredients.  I scrounged through my cabinets to find pineapple, mandarin oranges, a banana and some pecans.  They of course wanted maraschino cherries, so I actually had to hit up the store.

I arrived to find jalapeño cranberry cream cheese, from three different venues.  They forgot the crackers, so we used bread.  We all agreed it's delicious, but buy it at TARGET of all places.  Costco and Walmart lost the bet.  That was followed up by deviled eggs and French Quarter Cheese Spread.  WOW ... if you like garlic, look up this recipe.  It's one of the best things I've ever had!!!  Cream cheese, garlic, brown sugar and roasted pecans.  It disappeared in a flash.

Here's the turkey.  Just kidding.  I didn't get a single picture, mostly because I was in the den watching the football game.  I didn't miss anything because two of the others smoke, and were outside freezing on the patio.  This is MY turkey, soon to be turned into a tender delicious bird.  I see a lot of turkey soup in my future.  

We had turkey, dressing (with chicken livers I found out after the fact), green beans, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy and fruit salad.  It was WAY too much.  I took very small portions so as not to be bloated and miserable an hour later.  Sadly, they were not small enough.  I think it was all the appetizers we ate.

I had a very nice time talking illnesses over dinner.  Why do old people do that??  Luckily this hostess will not allow anyone to help clean up the table or the kitchen.  Believe me, I tried.  Not a problem though, I was soon out the door between football games.  It had been a long six hours and I knew Mr. Cooper was waiting.

This was almost the best part of the day.  It was absolutely quiet ... like a neighborhood should be.  Not even a light from the noisy rude neighbors next door.  They are GONE ... hopefully for a few weeks, but I imagine my hopes will be dashed.  By the way, I'm not the only one who is complaining.  There have been multiple posts on Facebook about their rudeness and noise.

After his dinner of Old Man dog food, recently purchased because the Vet wasn't happy with MY choice, and some pasta (which he loves), he crashed on the couch.  Thanksgiving dinner overload, puppy style!

And so this morning I will be hard at it preparing my stuffing, stuffing the turkey and whipping up a delicious Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us.  Make that three since Jonathan loves cornbread.  I'm even making my caramel pecan pie.  Most ALL of this will go in the freezer for my trip South.

And so I wish you and your family a multitude of blessings at Thanksgiving.  I'm so thankful to have all of you wonderful friends to talk to every morning.  It makes my day, my week and my year!!  I'm truly blessed!!!