HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Here's hoping everyone is happy and healthy this Thanksgiving morning.  I have lots to be thankful for .... things like I haven't burned my house down with my cooking adventures ... and I haven't cut any fingers off while cutting up matchstick carrots with a dull knife.   I am VERY thankful for my puppies since they keep me sane.

 The first order of business yesterday, besides making sure there were no black and white creatures slinking around my back yard, was to insulate this water pipe.  They did it right when they built this house as all the plumbing is inside the walls except this one.  That means I have no problem with freezing weather which is now upon us.  

I'm the culprit here since I wanted water to the horse corrals, which of course I don't have a need for now.  Anyway, my last tape job lasted about five years.  This one should be good for awhile too.

When I got back in the house, I heard that little chortle.  It's exactly like a little kid giggling in the bedroom loud enough that you KNOW something is up.  I went straight to the cage, only to find Jonathan GONE!!  Uh oh ... he's in the same house as two dogs better known as gopher killers.  I began the search, giving him the disco disco kitty kitty sweet talk until he finally talked back.

AHA ... there you are!!  These guys are master escape artists.  You cannot leave a regular snap lock on a cage because they will work at it until it's free.  I use alligator clips on the outside, not that it matters, because I actually found it laying on the floor.  Padlocks are a much better solution!!

Why does it matter?  Because parrots are notoriously destructive.  They like to chew big holes in everything they can get their little beaks near, including walls and furniture.  Ask me how I know that!!

When the doorbell rang, I knew it was my latest internet order.  On-line shopping can be dangerous when you can't see or feel what you are buying.  Jonathan was out of raw sunflower seeds, which are not available at my local grocery store.  Weird, right?

I found them online, but there were two sizes.  The bigger bag was such a great bargain ... I should have paid a little more attention.  I couldn't understand the huge box it came in until I removed the bag.  Good grief!!  There's enough nuts here to feed him for three years!!  FIVE POUNDS!!

I divided it up into 5 ziplok bags and stuck it in the freezer.  Anyone have any tasty raw sunflower seed recipes??

I still have some of those Every Plate meals to share with you, but instead I decided to try this one given to me by a friend who has a sister-in-law straight from Thailand.  Why yes, I would love to try these rice noodles with sauce.  Just add in any vegetables you want she said.

 

 

Can anyone read those directions?  There aren't even any English subtitles!  I went online to find a suitable recipe.  Here's the thing .... all rice noodles are not alike.  Who knew?  I soaked them for 30 minutes like the recipe said while I chopped and hacked carrots, broccoli, brussell sprouts and peanuts.  

Then I boiled the noodles for two minutes.  That was probably twice as long as needed.  I ended up with a pretty gummy mess.  Undaunted, I stirred in HALF the sauce, only because my friend mentioned they like their food rather hot.  The gummy mess soon turned into a blob of glue in the pan while I tried to stir in the veggies.  

It came out in one big blob on my plate, so unappetizing, I didn't even take a picture.  I grabbed a fork.  That first bite .... well it nearly burned the skin off my tongue.  Mama Mia that's HOT!!!  Like Thai chili hot and I didn't even use the entire package of sauce!! 

It was rather tasty, reminding me of pad thai which I love, so I kept eating.  The burning did subside slightly, but two hours later my lips were still on fire!!  I love my friend but I think next time I'll pass when she offers up some Thai goodness.

 

 

I'm off to cook my turkey this morning.  No fancy side dishes.  I'm hoping if I add a little turkey to the remainder of the blobby noodles that it will not be quite so hot. 

I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!