WW--Because it got a little chilly in Texas

Tuesday Tune--Are You Havin' Any Fun?

I am going to try to post a tune each Tuesday to hopefully bring a spring to your step and get you flying over hump day Wednesday.

Click play and I will tell you about my first choice.

Sarah loves this song. She loves to answer the questions--especially if mommy or daddy ask her.
It goes like this:

Mommy: Are you having any fun?

Sarah: No, I never have fun. (giggle)

Mommy: Are you having any laughs?

Sarah: No, everything is sad. (giggle)

Mommy: Are you gettin' any lovin' ?

Sarah: No, I never get love. (giggle)

Mommy: What ya getting for your living?

Sarah: Chili! (full blown laughter)

Oh and she usually looks like this:


The girl could live off chili ;)

That Fine Line Between Sanity and Insanity

Looking at the blogs with pictures of snow is making me homesick.  I grew up with the perfect White Christmas living in a wooded area of Northeast Ohio. I loved the snow, the cold and the whole fairy tale feel of driving under tunnels of snow covered branches.

But I hated the black snow that seemed to plague the Cleveland area from January to April so I moved to Texas. And I enjoy my warm weather except at Christmas.

All four kids see the snow on TV, the pics on the blogs and beg to see snow, to go to Ohio for Christmas. I have to admit it would be fun. I'd love to go to Ohio; however, 6 plane tickets from Dallas to Cleveland plus a rental van is not in the cards for us (please don't feel bad here--we chose to spend money on groceries ;) ). So the only real option is driving.

Driving 18 hours (at least) with four children 10 and under. 18 hours. I'm betting this prospect would send a shiver down Super Nanny's spine.

The kids have promised they would be good; they would not fight. I know they will make a great attempt but I also know them. We are lucky to get out of the driveway without a fight.

But I want to go to Ohio to see my family too. So I want to believe it would be fun. An easy trip. We could stop by Graceland for a day and night to see the lights and pay tribute to the king. We could visit the Corvette museum in Kentucky. Dino loves cars. We could hang out at Ohio State in Columbus and run around German Village (1 pound cream puffs from Schmidt's anyone?).

And my kids would get to see Grandma and Grandpa, along with their cousins and their aunt and uncle. We don't have much family near us. Family is important, right?

But so is my sanity. 18 hours is a very long time.

All That Matters--THE GAME

So what if my school, Ohio State,  lost twice this year--one in horrific unhappy valley?

Today we face the enemy, Michigan. I hate the University of Michigan. I. hate. Michigan. I remember seeing them come down to Columbus in my college days. I hated them.

If we beat Michigan today, we had an awesome season. Period. No other game is an important. 

This is all that matters.

GO BUCKS!

(All my Michigan bloggie friends--I don't need to tell you this only a  rivalry and I do not hate the state. I still love y'all :) )

And What Face is Yours?

This is how I feel when I get the mail (bills), look at my 401 K or watch the news:



This is how I feel when I realize there is no coffee:



This is how I feel at 3 pm every day:



This is how I feel when I can fit in my jeans (without having to lie on my bed to zip):



This is how I feel when I hear a mom gush about how her two year can read and is fluent in 3 languages (and how her 5 year has cured cancer):



And this is how I feel right now:



How are YOU?

The Mother of All Turkeys

Tattooed Minivan Mom is having a Thanksgiving Day recipe link.

I will gladly admit I love to cook and I will also admit I am pretty good in the kitchen. Thanksgiving is truly one of my favorite holidays simply because I get to spend hours (days really) in the kitchen planning my menu. Starting in October I try new stuffings, cranberry sauces, squash ideas, pies (!!) and my family tells me the favorites.

The one thing I don't mess is the bird. I tend to stick to this recipe adopted from Tyler Florence. I do not include the stuffing in my turkey because I have never had much luck baking stuffing in the bird (something is always off) and I also brine the turkey before.

I love this mainly because the bacon--what doesn't bacon improve?! I also think this is an easy way to prepare the 'guest of honor' for Thanksgiving but I strongly suggest you do a practice run with this recipe if you have never done a bird before. Enjoy!

Maple Roasted Turkey Covered in Bacon

Brine Mix:
-water
- 1 c salt
-peppercorns
-3/4 c sugar
-citrus peels
-dried woody herbs like rosemary

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (12 to 14-pound) fresh turkey, giblets, neck, and liver discarded
10 strips smoked bacon
1/2 cup real maple syrup
2 tablespoons hot water

To brine the turkey, one day before Thanksgiving, take a large gallon container and fill with water and other ingredients and stir. Add turkey and cover. Place in a cool area until the Big Day.

Carefully remove turkey and dispose of the brine mix. Wash off turkey to make sure it is clean. Dry off with paper towels and liberally sprinkle and rub entire bird including cavity with salt and fresh black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven.

Put the butter and sage in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go. Truss the bird legs and tie with kitchen twine (butchers will give this to you for free). "Shingle" (think a rooftop) the bacon strips over the breast so it's totally covered. Press down on the bacon so it sticks. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and cover the turkey with foil. Bake.

In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin. Roast the turkey for 2-3 hours, basting with the maple glaze approximately every 30 minutes. You will want to baste different areas at different times so all gets the glaze. Cook until until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. About 1/2 hour before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil so that it can brown. The thigh juices should run clear too (this means it is done). Let rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

Since he's so messy, I'll try making some money off it ;)

I am going to enter a photo contest :)

It's on Five Minutes for Mom for $500 in groceries (and yes, with 4 kids that is very important, esp. with the way Spanky eats).

This is typical Spanky with spaghetti sauce--note the forever stained white bench thanks to past meals:

Note:Please please click on the pic to see the entire image--for some reason Spanky is cut in half!