Thanksgivings

We had a little Charlie Brown Thanksgiving this year to celebrate Charles Schulz' Birthday on November 26 like we did a couple years ago. Besides toast, popcorn, pretzel sticks, and jelly beans, we had peppermint patties and lemonade.

The day after, November 27, was Thanksgiving. Wednesday and Thursday we had several helpers helping Jeremy and me make food for our big Thanksgiving dinner. A while before, Jeremy and I had a discussion about how you can buy butter shaped like turkeys for your Thanksgiving table. We talked about how you could do it cheaper with your own mold. We don't have a turkey mold but you know what kind of molds we do have? Frogs. That's right. We have frog molds to make chocolate frogs. Man, now I want to make chocolate frogs. We decided because we're awesome that we would make butter frogs to go on our Thanksgiving table. We did. Jet and Nichole helped fill the molds and I was happy with how they turned out.

Kids also helped with rolls and deviled eggs and setting the table and it was just a nice dinner.

Jeremy and I did the turkey. Jet decided to name it "Gobbler." I love this family.

We had pumpkin pie and apple pie. 

We have so much to be thankful for and I'm glad I've tried to focus on that this month.

Happy Birthday, Charles Schulz

The birthday of Charles Schulz was November 26. We thought about getting Red Baron pizza but ended up making homemade pizza instead. We also had "peanuts," and "Peppermint Patties," and lemonade.

Jet was once again a big kitchen helper, from stirring lemonade to poking holes in the pizza crust. I appreciate him.

We also danced around while doo doo dooing Charlie Brown music.

 

That evening I was able to participate in the Ultimate Book Club of Book Clubs online with Sarah M. Eden for her book, Snapdragons, which I was able to finish in time for the book club. I enjoyed it, both the book and the book club. I love to hear little behind the scenes things about her writing, books, and the future Seeking Persephone movie.

Jet joined me for a little while until he got too wiggly and the kids had to come get him. He does like to snuggle with his Mommy, though.

November 27 was Electric Guitar Day. We talked about Jr. playing his guitar but I can't remember if he actually did or not. I know he did one day recently. Sigh. He doesn't have an electric guitar, though.

Let's Talk About More November Celebrations

Speaking of nachos- like for New Year's...

 

November 6 was National Nacho Day. This was what happened with my 13-year old.

Mom: Today is Nacho Day.

Jr. Jr.: I know. I've had a really hard day.

Mom (looks sympathetic)

Jr. Jr.: Today is not yo' day.

Mom: Groan. 

We also ate nachos.

 

November 11 was Veteran's Day. I got my selfie with the flag. It was sunny.

It was also Corduroy Day, you know, because 11/11 looks like corduroy. We were having breadsticks so had some fun with them.

It was also National Sundae Day. I made hot fudge sauce to go with ice cream and whatever else. Yumm.

 

November 12 was Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day. We had individual pizzas so everyone could choose their toppings. Some of the kids even had dessert pizzas after their main pizzas. They got the idea for s'mores pizza from the Fablehaven Cookbook.

Speaking of the Fablehaven Cookbook, for Spicy Guacamole Day on November 14, we made "Bubda's Sloppy Guac" and "Lost Mesa Corn Avocado Salsa, both from that book. They were perfect to go with taco salad for dinner and family members had fun making faces in the food (the instructions for the sloppy guac even say to make a hermit troll face). We love that cookbook! 

 

November 16 was National Fast Food Day so we pulled out chicken nuggets and fries from the freezer and soda pop from the pantry and called it good.

 

November 17 was Homemade Bread Day and National Butter Day and GWR Day. GWR stands for Guinness World Records. We had homemade bread with butter but we also had hot dogs on homemade buns as a nod to the world record Jeremy broke back in July of 2015. He built a giant balloon dog. So we had hot dogs.

For William Tell Day on November 18, I made apple crisp. Yumm.

 

November 21 was Gingerbread Cookie Day. I made gingerbread cookie people while telling Jet the story of the Gingerbread Man. There have been a few times since then that Jet will run into a room I'm in and call out, "You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man." I love him so much.

That day was also National Stuffing Day so we had a bruschetta bake with chicken, stuffing, tomatoes, and seasonings. Yumm.

November 23 was Thanksgiving. That morning I took a moment for myself. I got up early to help Jeremy get ready for work- made him breakfast, made him a lunch (a snack really because he got out of work early for which I was grateful). I had Bing Crosby in my head. "I've got plenty to be thankful for." After Jeremy left for work, I decided to take a bit of time for myself before getting to work on laundry, doing dishes, hard boiling eggs for deviled eggs... so I wrapped myself up in a blanket, drank some hot chocolate, watched some TV, and felt thankful.

When Jeremy got home we celebrated with food, lots and lots of food.

He brought home a pumpkin pie from work which we put whipped topping on. I also made a vanilla pudding pie and we put pumpkin pie ice cream on top of it. Mmmmm.

 

November 24 was National Leftovers Day or Turkey Leftover Day. Yes, we ate leftovers of course.

 

November 26 was Charles Schulz' Birthday. We decided to have a Charlie Brown/Peanuts Thanksgiving to celebrate with foods the characters made in "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." Toast, popcorn, jelly beans, pretzel sticks. We also threw in some "peanuts" and "Peppermint Patties." And to drink we had lemonade because Lucy sometimes sets up a lemonade stand.

I also wore my bow earrings to celebrate his birthday. When some women in choir saw me and I explained why I was wearing those earrings, they suggested we go around the table giving psychiatric advice for 5 cents. So cute. I love my choir friends.

November 30 was Mason Jar Day. You know I love excuses to use my Fablehaven Cookbook. This time it was "Fairy in a Jar Layered Gelatin Treats." 

I couldn't find any gummy butterflies or gummy fairies but I could find gummy worms. Jeremy joked that it as more like "imps in a jar."

Happy Thanksgiving, Charles Schultz

How did we celebrate Charles Schultz's birthday on November 26 this year?
Well, after eating our Thanksgiving dinner,

we sat down to watch "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving."

Earlier in the day we did our traditional kids and mom hiding in the parents' room watching movies while Daddy smokes out and freezes the apartment with the oily turkey in the oven and the windows open.
In order for all the kids to see the portable DVD screen, we needed to hang it on something. 

Daddy, sweetly offered to throw together a quick PVC frame for it.  Isn't he nice?

How did you celebrate... either Charles Schultz's birthday or Thanksgiving?