Thanksgiving at Home

It was just Phillip and I and the kids at home this year for Thanksgiving. Consequently, I didn't go crazy with food prep. And I paid more attention to food prep than to taking pictures, so there's slim pick-in's in that regard. 

I wanted to make a recipe from the Cook's Illustrated magazine that I receive, and brussel sprouts won out. I've learned to like this tiny cabbage-like veggie. I was just telling my mom on the phone yesterday that I used to surrepticiously rid my plate of the brussel sprout when I was a kid. There weren't many foods I didn't like, but brussel sprouts and grapefruit juice were two of those that I distinctly remember sneaking to the garbage. But this year, this dish was just for me. No one else wanted to be near them.

Burnt dessert. 

It's a cherry bar dessert. And it actually didn't taste burnt at all. Just a little toasted. I'd definitely make this again, minus the "toasted" part.

We each had our own little Cornish hen this year! I used to enjoy making these for Phillip and I when we were first married. But then we decided it was a little more work than it was worth and a little messy too. But I wanted the kids to have memories of having their own Cornish hen, so I decided to do it this year. Hard to think about, but Elizabeth may be leaving home in a couple years, so if I want to make memories with all my children under one roof, I have this time now to do that.

Phoebe helped me prep the hens. She enjoyed reminding everyone as they were served that she'd "had her hands all over those things!" I'm sure her siblings loved the thought.

Harrison hasn't watched Shane since he was a baby, so we had a Shane viewing in the afternoon. Good movie. Highly recommended.

We talked Phillip into a game of Monopoly (there are few games we can talk him into). Jonathan and I were out first. Phoebe and Phillip battled it out, and Phoebe was at last the victor. 

Elizabeth worked on two cookie orders she has to fill this weekend. The avocado sugar cookies are for Avocado Cafe where she works. They're pretty cute!

Austin Weekend

This is not Austin. 

This is the kids adventuring down the dry Cibolo Creek-bed at Evans Street so Liz could get some photography practice. There was a colorful newly-vandalized train bridge foot that she used as a background. Also, it's just kind of fun to explore a dry river bed. I'm not sure why, but Texas seems to have a lot of distinct layers in its river rock. Lots of sea creature shells and fossils imbedded there. Lots of dinosaur bones discovered. History and science and exploration.

Some friends from New Braunfels had the Gore's and the Casey's over for lunch. Lots of kids and lots of fun. Their home had metal/country decor that I quite liked. 

Harrison for Halloween.

Phoebe for Halloween. 

They used their costumes from last year, which delights me to no end, because #thriftiness. 

Phillip's parents were passing through on their way down to winter in south Texas, and they indulged us with a weekend away to Austin while they watched the kids. We stayed in a tiny house from AirBnB. I don't think I'd want to live in a tiny house, but it was fun to try one out for a weekend.

The capital of Texas. 

I just had to try out a food truck since Austin has a lot of them. But I wasn't hungry when we were nearby a street of food trucks and the food costs a little more than I wanted to pay when I'm not hungry. So I settled on a cherry slushie so that I could at least say I bought something from a food truck. Was it worth it? .....sigh.... I'm just not sure.

This picture is to commemorate by husband's awesome patience and persistence in getting me to Bat Bridge on Congress St. We drove around probably for a good hour looking for parking. We were going to take a boat tour, but there was absolutely no parking available around the area. We drove in circles and finally found some parking a little ways away. We walked down to the bridge. And someone walking in front of us was saying that the bats don't always come out..... And the bats may have migrated already.... And, you guessed it, there was not one bat that showed its cute little mosquito-eating face. But, just so I wouldn't feel so foolish, I took a picture of all the other people standing on the bridge waiting with us.

Here's what it should have looked like: 

Photo from Austin City Guide.

Detail from our tiny house in Austin.