Menu Plan Monday

WOO HOO!!! Another one of my favorite holidays this week!! THANKSGIVING!!!!  Trying to make some meals that are easy and/or nothing like turkey. Looking forward to leftovers on Friday!! What are your Thanksgiving plans this year?

Monday: Tacos
Tuesday: Ribs & Rice
Wednesday: Pizza
Thursday: Cocktails & Pies at noon with Mame & Papa
               Turkey Dinner at 5pm with the Wescott Family
Friday: Leftovers!!!

Boston - Part 1

While Pete headed up to camp for hunting, the boys and I decided to go visit Laura for the long weekend! I left early afternoon on Thursday so that we arrived in time for dinner! We had such a great weekend and took so many photos that we'll have to break the trip up into a few posts. As soon as we got there, Peter was very excited to play with Dylan and his friend Will!

Auntie feeding Jack before he goes to sleep. 

In their jammie's :)

Lola, Jack, Dylan, & Peter

The next morning, while Laura headed off to work, I went to my bestie Cristina's house for a visit!! We had such a nice morning. It was her daughter Liliana's 2nd birthday, so we made cupcakes!

Happy Birthday Lily!!!

Can't believe I let Emilia use my camera, but I really wanted a photo of Cristina and I!!

Lily and Jack playing together :)

We managed to get all 4 kids together in one shot!

After we left Cristina's, we headed back to meet up with Laura, and Lola and headed over to The Christmas Place.... that's part two :)

Turkey Brine

4 years ago, right before Thanksgiving, I was shopping at Whole Foods and I found a Thanksgiving booklet. Inside it had a recipe for a Turkey Brine. I had never heard of it but went home and told Pete about it. We tried it and loved it! For the last 4 years, I have used a brine on my turkey. I lost the booklet before the next Thanksgiving so I had to find another but I remembered some of the ingredients from the first one and decided to make my own brine recipe. Brining a turkey helps produce a moist, flavorful, turkey. The brine works to infuse the meat with flavor, and helps the bird retain moisture. You can brine for a few hours or overnight, we have always done it overnight. We buy a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot to use and put it outside on our deck so it doesn't take up so much room in the fridge.  We then take the turkey out of the brine and onto the roasting pan an hour before we put it in the oven. Make sure to remove the giblets out of the bird before you brine.
One of my loyal followers remembered the picture above from last year's Thanksgiving post and asked me to post the recipe. Here it is :)

Turkey Brine Recipe

2 gallons water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
6 -8 peppercorns
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme

Pete's Deer

WARNING: If you don't like hunting or dead animals...stop here.

It's that time of year again! On Friday, while the boys and I were down in Boston, Pete was up to camp and got a deer. A 3 point buck. He was pretty happy considering that he's been hunting since September and hadn't even seen a deer! In true tradition we take many photos before the deer cutting, here are a few.

Daddy and his boys. Peter was really excited to see "Daddy's buck" and Jack kept touching the antlers!

Momma's turn to get in the photo!

Peter trying to lift the deer.. he kept saying "heavy buck!"

 Jack standing all by himself!!!


family photo :)

Peter wanting to help Grampie cut!

Menu Plan Monday

Tis the season, where I say hello to hunting season and goodbye to my husband. He always has taken the 3rd week in November off to go hunting for the week. My father-in-law started doing it over 20 years ago and when Pete got older, he joined him. My mother-in-law starting taking the kids out to dinner every night that week and she still does it..I love it and think it's time to start the tradition with my own boys. I'm making it so that we might not go out to dinner every night, but we'll never eat at home that week! Pete got a deer on Friday, Venison might be on the menu next week!

Monday: Out to dinner with Bethany & Mackenna
Tuesday: Dinner at Nonni & Poppi's with Little Lo
Wednesday: Angelone's pizza with Mame & Papa!
Thurday:  Might meet up with Pete for dinner?
Friday: Olive Garden with Grammie!

Steak & Cheese Sandwiches

Looking for a good quick dinner? Here it is! Sunday night we decided for the Pat's game that we'd make these sandwiches. We've made our own for a few years now.  It is a quick, easy dinner!

 Cut up one green pepper and an onion. Saute in pan.

Grab some sandwich rolls at the store. We like to get Italian sandwich rolls at Corsetti's.

I bought shaved steak at the meat counter at Hannaford.  Add to pan when pepper and onions are tender. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper and seasoned salt to taste. Since I'm picky, I don't like cheese in my sandwich so I take some meat, pepper & onion before adding the cheese.  I then add shredded mozzarella cheese to the pan, so it's melts nicely with the steak.

 I forgot to take a photo of Pete's! My steak & cheese sandwich without the chese :)

November Photo Shoot

Sunday was the perfect fall day!! We went out to breakfast then headed home to enjoy the beautiful weather! We had wanted to plan tulips the Sunday before, but it snowed! Fast forward a week, and it was close to 60 degrees! Gotta love Maine! We Pete got the tulips while the boys and I played in the leaves! Halfway through, I ran in to get my camera! So glad I did... some of these might show up on our Christmas card!

He is getting old to fast :(

Love that you can see his two bottom only teeth :)

my boys :)

Peter loved playing in the leaves, we kept raking, then jumping!

Jack is always on the move!

warms my heart :)