Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries and Pecans

Since we had our Thanksgiving on Friday (due to the fireman doing fireman duties on Thursday) I wasn't all that stressed about cooking the meal.
We have all day, I thought. The fireman's doing the ham, I thought. No biggy.

Cut to around 2:30pm, the fireman and I got home from doing a tiny bit of Black Friday shopping and starting bread for a 3:30pm meal.

We ate around 5pm. Oh, well.

We decided on a ham, because we knew that we'd have had turkey already at the station and the boys would have it at their mom's. But they had steak instead and somehow? All I want is turkey.

A Tale of Four Pies

On Thanksgiving, the fireman had to work. So, while we planned our own Thanksgiving with all the kiddos on Friday, the girl and I also planned on going to the fire station on Thursday for Thanksgiving with our fireman and his crew. He happens to work at a 6 man house. Normally, there is just the captain, the engineer and the backend guy. But since his fire station has both an engine (water) and a truck (ladder and axes), his house is larger.

More guys = more trouble. Whenever you get a bunch of guys in one place with time on their hands, you have trouble. Now, they have reports and chores and are fairly busy with calls (depending on the district of the station), but in a 24 hour shift, they still have time for mayhem.

So, Thanksgiving at the fire station can be lots of fun. Besides, being cooked for, served and cleaned up by a bunch of guys. Total win.

Christmas Baking Giveaway!

It's here! It's Cyber Monday. I thought it would be fun to have a small giveaway for some fun Christmas baking.

I love Christmas. It's almost my favorite holiday of the year. Heck, I love all holidays. Any reason to do extra baking and get together with the family. Just another reason to have extra fun!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

I don't know if you've ever had Gooey Butter Cake. Paula Deen has a recipe for it, and it's good, but the recipe I use came from a friend of mine. It was written by her husband's very German Grandma. It's delicious. It's practically sinful. You eat a small portion and feel like you need to run to church and confess.

This recipe is a version of that, plus pumpkin. It is the end-all of pumpkin desserts. You can quote me on that.

Chili Cook-off and Best Banana Bread

I have been baking up a storm!

I am sharing two foods today because I have so many to share!

At work, our building maintenance guy, Tom, came to me and said that they want to have a chili cook-off. Awesome, right? He wanted to know if we could have a prize for the winner. So, I talked to the boss and was allowed to purchase a giftcard for the winner.

We planned it for Monday, the 21st, so everyone could cook over the weekend.

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes and a Parade

*Hot Cocoa Cupcakes*

Saturday, our town had their annual Christmas parade. The youngest boy was in it with the high school band and the girl was in it with her girl scouts troup.

After that, the girl and I had signed up to do a She & Me event at a local church. It was a girl scout event, and a cupcake exchange! They were also having a cocoa tasting and some crafts.

Championship Chocolate Chip Bars

As a kid, my mom made us Magic Cookie Bars. They are the reason for my existence. I dream about them.

When I make them, I tend to eat half of the pan, then snack on it the next day until it's gone.

Obviously, I try not to make them often.

Magic cookie bars are like the layer bars with sweetened condensed milk and corn flakes. But I bastardize it by removing the pesky coconut and pecans, cause I never liked them as a kid.

Ham & Pineapple

I know you guys know how to cook basic meals. Probably you've been doing it since you moved outa the house.

The thing is, sometimes we don't think about pairing food items up. Just like the Pork Chops with Apples & Onions. And half the time I struggle finding supper ideas.

So today's food posting isn't anything tough. It isn't anything difficult.

I kinda think that's great.

Don't we all need a few fast, easy meals that are super tasty?

Painting Leaves

First of all, I want to apologize for the quality of these photos. They are dark. It's already dark when I get home from work and it's hard to get a good photo of a dark wall. The wall doesn't show up this dark when you're there, but with lighting and all.... Difficult.

I have been working on the shading of the leaves on my mural. They needed to be fleshed out and shaded to give them depth.

It's hard to know when to stop working on them. When to say, this leaf? She is done!

Date Night Dessert

So, Friday night, the fireman and I decided we needed a date night.

We decided on Chili's. Seriously, one of my favorite places. I ate chips and salsa till I burst, then tried to eat my Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers. I haven't had any fried food in ages, and just CRAVED something fried. I also ate fries and was in heaven.

I really need to try to replicate that honey chipotle sauce. Amazing. They had a great Blackberry Margarita as well. Yu-um.

I was too full for dessert, although I was dying for the Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie. A big slice of chocolate chip bar with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce. *sigh*

We couldn't decide on a movie to go see. Nothing looked that great. A few good things, but not 'theatre material'.
So, we ran by the video store and rented a few movies instead.

We ended up watching Love, Wedding, Marriage with Mandy Moore and Kellan Lutz. It was sweet and cute. I like Mandy Moore much better now that she is older. She's relateable and believable. And Kellan Lutz? Have you seen the guns on this guy? In a button down shirt, no less. Fuhgetabout it.

We also ran by the grocery store and I picked up some pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough.

Late night grocery store shopping is funny. It's funny when you're with the fireman. The store is mostly empty and he likes to ask questions of the fine folks working there.

Questions like, "does a candy bar count as dessert?" "What about chocolate oranges." Then he had to describe what a chocolate orange is. He meant the orange-shaped chocolate in a box.

Sometimes the grocery store ladies are funny and tease him right back and ask him funny questions.

Other times? They just look confused.

Anyway, I bought cookie dough. I know. I'm a sell out.

It is the only cookie dough that I can't find a good recipe for. I've tried it countless times, but nothing is as good. Must be the preservatives...

I did this thing with it. I know. It was baaad. But if this is bad? I don't wanna be good.

Tiling Madness

The tiling has commenced!

I came home Friday to find this...

The fireman has starting the bathroom tiling! He hadn't pulled out the tile saw yet, but just placed some of the full tile pieces.

High Fiber Pasta Love

I just wanted to share with you a high fiber, lower net carb pasta that discovered, Ronzoni Smart Taste, Spaghetti.

I try to watch my carb intake, but loooooove carbs.

I could eat pasta plain.

Give me a bowl of any pasta with some butter with a little salt and I'm in heaven!

Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

This must be a fall dish.

Because I've seen lots of variations of this recently.

The Pioneer Woman on Monday posted Pork Roast with Apples and Onions .

Her recipe looks delish.

Loaded Potato Soup

This past Sunday, the girl and I had the house to ourselves. We did chores, mopped, laundry. We also, stopped at Einstein's Bagel's for lunch breakfast bagels and coffee.

Can you still call it a breakfast bagel if you are eating it at lunch?

Then we had some light errands to do, library, the mall to walk around and shop.

The mall had the Largest Rocking Horse in the World out. It's out every year. It rocks!

But when you're deep in Christmas shopping weather, this outdoors mall is seriously chilly. We took the opportunity to enjoy the horse early.

I was in a serious mood to stop at Panera's for their loaded potato soup in sourdough bread bowls. I love their soup in bread bowls.

Seriously.

Zingats, otherwise known as KitKat stuffed Zingers

I'll admit it.

I'm a conformist.

I fall for peer pressure!

Almost everyone else is doing it, Mom!

All the popular blogs are blogging about recipes with leftover Halloween candy!

And I wanna!

Ok, so I didn't bake anything, I just stuffed something.

That counts, right?

Zingers, meet knife.... and KitKat's.

Pizza Paradise

Quick note of praise: Hubby made his weight goal. He officially lost like 43 pounds. No kidding. I am soo proud of him and he looks AMAZING. :)

So, for his first celebration meal, he asked for my homemade pizza, which is actually mostly my mom's homemade pizza. Isn't that sweet? Out of all the pizza's out there, he wants mine?

Halloween Wrap Up

My Halloween posting timeline has been a little behind, but I'm getting there.

Monday, my fireman worked and the boys were at their mom's, so it was just me and Da Girl. I left work early so that I could catch this.

Her 3rd grade Halloween party. Fun! They actually had pretty cool games.

Toffee Bars and Caramel Corn

Friday night, the girl and I went to a Halloween function at our community center. It was very cute!

On the way home, we stopped by the grocery store and made treats for our big Halloween party we went to Saturday. You know, the one we got all dressed up for?

I brought these.