Using your words, Happy Xmas but...

This post is basically what I thought about on my bus ride to work this morning...hopefully it makes sense because it was really early this morning!

From a young age I have grown up being told to use my words, or basically I have learned/been taught that words are important. The way we speak to each other is important and can have a huge affect on another human being. So use your words...

I have been thinking about the word Christmas, more so Xmas. Why do people think Xmas is taking the Savior out of Christmas? Look up the History of the X in Christmas on Google. Do it and be amazed at what comes up. Seriously, the X is not taking Christ out of Christmas. The X actually means Christ. So Have a Merry Xmas!

I think out of the whole English language I despise this word: But. Why do I despise the word But, you may ask. Well, I despise it because I feel that for some reason it gives people a way to express what they are really thinking and usually it is not very nice. Example: You look so pretty BUT you should have worn your red dress. Or the cousin of the word BUT is IF ONLY. Example: You are so pretty if only you could lose a few pounds.

It's like people feel free to drop their crappy thoughts onto other people. I am going to give you a compliment/lie BUT then tell you how I really feel. BUT negates everything you have said before it. So think about that the next time you as have something to say.

Turkey Adventures and a little to much G

This past week has been a nice break from the normal, it was Thanksgiving week. Chris' mom and Grandma came down from Idaho. It is always great to see Darlene and Grandma Ruby. The thing is sometimes we get a little to much of Grandma. She is going to be 89 this year and has dementia. She is so sweet but she passes gas and burps like a teenage boy, and if you have/had a teen age brother or boy in your house, you KNOW what I am talking about. She "doesn't have control" but the body noises seemed to almost completely disappear when we went to my parents for Thanksgiving dinner. So nobody really knows but she did pass gas at my parents house and we all just couldn't stop laughing. Ah, something to look forward to, getting old! Joking aside it was really great to see them both!

Also, I made the turkey this year, and it was awesome. I put my turkey in a brine the day before Thanksgiving. A brine causes the turkey to absorb the juices and thus stays moist while you cook. A basic Brine is Kosher salt, sugar and water (or any other liquid like OJ or Apple Juice) and then you add your desired herbs. You have to make your bird is completely thawed and can be chilled. You usually cook the brine so that all the flavors mesh together and get dissolved and then you chill the brine. I did not do that this year, I basically forgot about that step. Oops! oh, well. Anyway, I put my brine in this:

I sanitized this before and of course after. It is so much easier. To keep it cold, I use ice instead of water, which becomes water. Also, if you have a way to keep animals out of it, I put it outside, it is winter after all. Also, all of my liquids are chilled as well. You have to make sure that the brine is at 40 degrees at all times, so if you are not brining a 23 lb bird and can stick it in your fridge, than do that. You brine 1 hour for every 1 pound. So you have a 23 lb turkey, you brine for 23 hours. I like doing it this way because I don't have to worry if the whole turkey is getting brined, it is fully immersed in the brine.

Not pretty, but it made the bird taste good. For my liquids I used Apple Cider and Vegetable Broth.

I also ended up cooking the turkey in my tiny oven, and since the oven is tiny it cooked faster then a normal oven. I also don't trust the thermomators that come in the bird, so I always check the temperature to make sure that it is 165 degrees.

Here is the finished product. Yummy!

After we finished the bird, we went to my parents house. It was great to just hang with the family and enjoy each others company. It was probably the most unstressful holiday I have experienced in a while, here is to more of those.

The Spread

May We All Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mike's Choir Concert

I have been meaning to post about this but have not had time. So here it is. On the 14th of Nov. my brother Mike and the BYU - Idaho choir came and sang at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. It was a great privilege for Mike and they sang beautifully. It was a great experience and it was a great time with the family! We missed Noelle and Elder Dan.

Can you find Mike in the Picture above? (I couldn't zoom any more!)

Gobble Gobble

This year I am making the turkey for Thanksgiving. I have cooked a turkey in high school in my home economics class, and in 2007 when Chris and I couldn't go back east for Thanksgiving. I had so much fun in 2007 that I volunteered to do it again this year. I am totally going to toot my own horn when I say, I make a good turkey. The thing is in High School I had my teacher standing watch and I was really the only one willing to pull the neck out, the other girls were to wussy (sp?). So really I have only made a turkey once on my own and though it turned out great, doesn't guarantee that it will be good again.

My mom found turkeys for sale in Lehi for $.39 per lb! Go MOM! So she called and requested that they hold one of the larger turkeys for me. I went to pick it up last night. The bird is 23 lbs! When the meat guy handed it over to me, I didn't realize how heavy this bird was going to be. I almost dropped it. It is currently in my fridge, hopefully thawing. I need it to be completely thawed by Wednesday because I put my turkey in a brine and because this bird is 23 lbs I have to have it in the brine for 23 hrs before I cook it. I also have to cook it at my parents home. My lovely apt. stove is too small. The range top looks normal sized but the oven is actually really small. I am kind of nervous about how it will go. Like this will determine if I am a good home-maker or something! I put to much pressure on myself. Anyway, I am excited to see how it turns out.

Blogger annoyance

So if you look through my posts you will notice that there are not many with spaces in between paragraphs. This is not for a lack of trying, Blogger just will not let me have a space between my paragraphs. I am a little annoyed. I have tried going into the HTML and to no avail have not been able to have any spaces. Any suggestions? I like things to be orderly and easy to read and I am very frustrated. Does anyone ever have this problem? What am I doing wrong?

Count your blessings...

1. Chris and his love. I have the best husband in the world! 2. My family, immediate and extended. 3. The knowledge of Heavenly Father and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, without Him I am nothing. 4. My job, sometimes I don’t like getting up at the crack of dawn but I am so thankful to have a job to go to everyday. 5. My home, shelter, sanctuary. 6. Education. I am really enjoying school and the opportunity to attend. I feel so much smarter ;-) 7. Books, life would be so boring without a good read. 8. Laughter and good humor, one of the reasons I married Chris and laughing always makes the day better. 9. Humbling situations/experiences – keeps you real and grounded. 10. The Temple – the calmest place I can go and have peace. 11. An empty sink and clean dishes. Seriously I would rather clean the bathroom then clean dishes. 12. My bed, so thankful that I have one and that it is comfy. 13. Fall weather, nice break from summer and it is so pretty. It also eases me into winter. 14. Chinese food, my favorite! 15. In door plumbing. Always be thankful for that. 16. A light at the end of the tunnel, what a relief it does exists. 17. Our car, please don’t break down, please don’t break down…. 18. The ability to walk and run. 19. My iPod. A life saver and an escape for when I am on the bus and have to hear people on their cell phones, I did not want to know that about you. 20. Candles. 21. Hugs and Kisses. 22. My Height. I rarely have to ask someone to get something down off a shelf or use a step ladder. 23. Good Friends. 24. My sisters! I miss them all the time and they know me so well. 25. Homemade food. I am so tired of eating out and I am always happy when I eat in. What are you thankful for?