celticnurse

if i had to pick just one i'd have to say stuffing. if i could choose more, i'd add sauerkraut w/polish sausage. cut the sausage in 1-2 inch chunks (skin on), mix w/the sauerkraut, cook overnight in the crockpot. yum.

my opinion is that the manners (or lack thereof) in our society today is from the sense of entitlement that is pervasive in our society. it begins in the crib/playpen where little mary or johnny is given a choice or is spoken to like they are an adult and it continues through school where "my child would NEVER do that" and into the work place where we have a disgruntled group who feel like the world (and their boss) owes them way more than the compensation they get for what they produce in a day. this is just my opinion so don't flame me. and i'm sorry to sound like such a downer. now in my experience, i do get some who are courteous and others who expect you to bow to their discourteous ways (blocking they aisle, not saying excuse me, etc). then others who are just as nice that they couldn't be kinder. the other day a kid (looked to be 7 or 8) was running around in the aisle i was in at the market. she saw me, we made eye contact but she didn't get out of the way even though i'm behind the cart pushing it. i was not adoring her little routine. the mother was oblivious until i said "excuse me" in a firm tone. then she turned around and grabbed the kid by the arm and moved her out of my way. the mom never acknowledge my presence, only moved the kid. people are in their own little world and God forbid they should put any restrictions on their kids fearing it may stifle their creativity. i'm not a hard a$$, just a mom who taught her kids manners and to respect their elders and others in society. the world does not revolve around me or my kids. i'm getting to the point where if i don't expect courtesy, i'm not disappointed if i don't find it. sorry for my long rant. i'll behave now and get off my soapbox.

this is the recipe i use also but instead of bread or day-old bread, i use stale hamburger and hot dog rolls. it makes the stuffing so tasty for some reason (maybe all that crust?). i also chop the leaves of the celery and saute all that w/the onion and celery choppings. i use a stick of butter to saute. once the onions are clear from sauteing, i transfer this to the bowl where the stale cubes are and pour them on top. to moisten, i start w/a can of chicken broth....but usually takes a little more. i like my stuffing really moist (not runny or anything like that, just so that it sticks to itself when you spoon it). the seasonings i use are sage, ground rosemary, thyme, parsley....OR i just add poultry seasoning. love it ......yum. i should add that i use about 9 or 10 cups of the stale rolls cubed up, so these portions of butter and broth are based on that much bread.

can you believe rotating trees have been around for over 30 yrs? DH and started dating in 1975. that Christmas was our first and when i saw his parent's tree spinning, i was just captivated. i couldn't believe there was such a thing! we always had a real tree in our house and everyone we knew had a real tree, so i had never seen anything like this. at the time i was 17 and you would have thought i was 5, seeing something for the first time. sorry for hijacking the thread. just had to throw that in.

K-Mart: Hamilton Beach 4-qt slow cooker $9.99 Target: 7" digital photo frame $29.99 Scene-it Movie Edition 2 $10 Easy-Bake Oven $18.99 Bissel Steam Mop $49.99 Sears: Fuji Digital Camera $89.99 Keurig coffee maker $99.00 Walmart: Cricut Expression $188 Girls 2-pc track suit $3 total $499.94

we got our first artificial tree about 4 or 5 yrs ago. the following year in the JCP Christmas catalog i found a stand for it that rotates the tree. it was only about $39.99 at that time. check JCP. don't know if they still carry anything like that or not.

AndreaInNC, thanks for the link. i found what i was looking for with regard to convection cooking. for those in need of info, here's a link to the info i found. it turns out based on the 19.5 lb bird i bought, i can save anywhere from 1 hr 15 minutes to 1 hr 45 minutes! wow! i'm trying it (but will use the meat thermometer to make sure it's done). http://www.butterball.com/tips-how-tos/how-tos/cook-in-a-convection-oven

i wouldn't turn down a weekly trip to a spa for a massage, wedding ring upgrade, new kitchen remodel. for DH i'd want him to have lawn service for a season, a new deck to go around the hot tub and time and $$ to restore his '79 El Camino.

i have a question about roasting a turkey in w/convection. has anyone done this before? we call our NEW range "the big screen" since we were all set to get a new tv last year when the old 25 y/o range went up. so i got a great range and didn't compromise on anything. it has convection along w/conventional oven. i did an oven-stuffer chicken last weekend using the convection and it did knock some time off the roasting. just wondering if anyone has ever done this w/a turkey that does not have a pop-up timer. this will be the first thanksgiving turkey for 'the big screen". thanks in advance for any info.

our kids are all adults and only one still lives at home. it is tougher to buy for them b/c they want bigger priced stuff. here goes: DS29...no clue but probably some stuff from Sgt. Grit (he's a former Marine) and some Ravens things. DDIL 29...she's pregnant so no clothes. maybe some of her fave perfumes, yankee candles and i got her a platter from Longaberger when it was on sale, Pandora bracelet w/baby carriage charm, maybe a Vera Bradley purse. DD26...platter from Longaberger on sale so far. want to get her a Vera Bradly purse or tote, Pandora bracelet and 1 charm, not a clue what else. DSIL 27...Ravens things, not sure what else DD24...Vera Bradley purse, Pandora bracelet and 1 charm, some clothes and probably something having to do w/photography since that's what she does. Boyfriend of DD24...Ravens things, not sure what else. DGD6...easy bake oven, books, PJ's and some clothes DGD2...PJ's, clothes, not sure what toys yet. DH....totally not sure since i'm laid off right now. he always says don't get him anything; this year it might just happen. MIL...Pandora Bracelet and some charms FIL...not a clue Mom...charms for her Pandora bracelet Dad...no clue

if i don't get a fresh turkey, i let our turkey thaw in the fridge for about 5 days prior....we usually get a 20-22 lb bird. the day before, i make up the stuffing and keep it in a container in the fridge. early in the morning of Thanksgiving, DH gets up w/me and we stuff the bird, put it in the roasting pan, add about an inch of water, smear butter all over the top of the bird and cover w/foil. let it roast and get the house smelling good. while the Macy's parade is on, i start peeling the potatoes and get them sitting in the water i will be cooking them in later. once boiled, i use real butter and evaporated milk in the potatoes. i mash by hand. the other veggies (corn, peas, sweet potatoes) get fixed closer to serving time. i try to get out my Spode Christmas Tree china out in time for Thanksgiving so we are eating a great meal on "the good stuff". and it gets the Christmas season started in the house. back to the stuffing, my DMIL makes THE BEST stuffing. i asker her what her secret was.....stale hamburger and hot dog rolls! must be something in the crust. also add chopped onion and celery, including the leaves of the celery. yum. i like to make my stuffing moist so it holds together when you spoon it. i always make too much so we have leftover. not all of it fits in the bird so i have a casserole dish ready to bake when the bird comes out. when that stuffing is done, i combine the in-the-bird stuffing w/the casserole stuffing.

when do you skim the grease/fat from the drippings? my MIL makes hers much like yours and it is soooooo good. but she doesn't strain the gravy...what's it it is in it for the meal....and it is so yummy. i also use my roasting pan to make the gravy once the turkey is out of it. so handy and one less pan to clean up later.

i hear ya! now, i'm relatively new to posting on here (usually a lurker), but the other day i found where we could see the actual store ads, not just the list of sale items. i don't remember how i found it but being a "visual" person, i like to see what it is that is on sale. don't get me wrong, i appreciate the time it takes to enter the data in list format, but i would love to see the ad itself. thanks for any/all suggestions. Cindy duh, here it is. right in front of my face in the "sticky" threads. http://forums.gottadeal.com/showthread.php?t=149764

i used to LOVE shopping at Bradlee's when we had one a zillion years ago. i don't miss CC at all. i do kinda miss MW, though.

nice! thanks for sharing...and inspiring the rest of us to get moving.