Thanksgiving Week

 

It’s back to normal and on to Christmas mode here, but we had a very fun and busy Thanksgiving week.  My daughter Melissa and her boyfriend were able to schedule a last minute trip from Michigan and worked remotely for a couple days before the holiday.  It was fun to see them place their lap tops on the edge of the pool and happily soak up the sun, while working.

Wednesday afternoon, we rented the boat and captain we have used a few times before and did a little tiki bar hopping.  Melissa and I prepped and cooked when we returned home and in spite of all the cocktails, we got everything done on the list, including baking a pumpkin pie that was perfection.

Thanksgiving was a beautiful, sunny day and like everyone else we ate too much, but how can you not when it’s so delicious.  After serving dessert and finishing the clean up, I was so exhausted, I left everyone else to watch a Christmas movie and happily went to bed, thankful for a good day.  

Friday, after they flew home, a day of rest was much needed after all the shopping and cooking and Saturday was all about Michigan State Football (we upset Northwestern) and Basketball (we beat Notre Dame), so a good day for the Spartans.  

It was lovely week and it wasn’t even that hard to say goodbye knowing that a Christmas visit is right around the corner.

Happy Monday!

Thanksgiving Thoughts and 3 Recipes

 

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  The dinner is one of the easiest to host and cook, with the menu pretty much set. You can do a lot in advance, so that makes my organized mind happy.  It’s an adaptable meal for a small group or a big crowd and I tend to cook large amounts anyway, because we love leftovers.

I do get a little annoyed when a holiday that is all about the simple pleasure of being at home with your family and that has very little commercialization involved, gets skipped over in the rush to get to Christmas.  If I had a wish in this unsettling time that we are in, I would hope that this scaled down holiday for some will give families a chance to make some new memories. I always say to my girls that different does not have to be bad.  Relax and enjoy a quiet holiday before the hustle and bustle that is Christmas begins.

I made this tray to take to a dinner party and I wanted to share the three recipes I included.  Not quite a charcuterie board, but a pretty presentation with a variety of easy delicious finger food.

1. Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus 

2.  Mini Italian Skewers 

3.  Bruschetta with Garlic Herb Spread

 

Windy Visit

 

My daughter and son in law flew in for a weekend visit on the heels of Eta swirling around our stretch  of the Florida gulf coast. We managed a couple of days of pool time, before the wind gusts arrived, but still made the best of it with a windy walk on the beach one morning and dinner at one of our favorite spots Sunday night.  We took them to St. Armands Circle where it is possible to dodge the raindrops if necessary and watched football at an outdoor bar (they are Steelers fans) with Oyster Shooters and Pineapple Upside Down Cake shots.  Then a bit of shopping and dinner at a Cuban/Spanish restaurant with the most delicious pitcher of Sangria.  Monday was a washout with swirling wind and rain, but it was airport day, so that’s ok too.  

I always feel bad when the weather doesn’t cooperate when company comes to visit, but it’s really about being together and luckily, we can be outside here at home on the covered part of our lanai or at the many outdoor dining spaces in the area, so it’s not so bad.  And yes, after they left Eta circled back and while not too bad, we had a crazy windy, rainy day on Thursday, but all is now fine after a bit of cleanup and sunny again.

Have a great weekend!

Life Lately

 Round two of family will be here today when my daughter (Megan) and son in law arrive.  They have not visited since last November, so it will be so fun to have them here.  It will also be their first time actually swimming in our pool, because it was not ready to use the last time they were here.  I am hoping for good weather and so far, it looks like the tropical depression south of Cuba will not really amount to much, besides some wind later in the weekend.  

I went to Aldi first thing in the morning on Wednesday and had no problem getting the 2020 Wine Advent Calendar.  If you don’t know what that is, follow along on my Instagram (lifeinmyemptynest) and starting December 1st, I will be posting a story of the single serving bottle of wine for each day leading up to Christmas.  It was really fun last year and most of the wine was surprisingly good too.

Last night was my book club and the first one I have been back to since Covid cut things short in the spring.  We discussed The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See.  As with all her novels, you learn a lot about Asian life, this time Korea.  There is much hardship in her novels, but also focus on women’s relationships.  It was not my favorite of this author, but still an interesting read, with a plot twist at the end.

Happy Friday!