Happy Thanksgiving! . . .

From our table to yours! have a great Turkey day!

So now where do we go? . . .

Hubby has been playing host to some guys that are here from Germany. They work for a company called INDEX that Leupold has purchased some machines for the shop. They are staying until all are hooked up and producing parts like they are suppose to, but in the mean time during their free time Dale and a couple of others from work are playing host to entertaining them. It's weird when you are showing out of town people places to visit as well as recommending different places to eat how you run out of ideas. Restaurants are easy, they aren't real particular about what type of food they eat (as long as it's not German they say. ha!), but we are running out of ideas for places to visit. Here are places they have been to in the last 6 weeks.

Coast - from Seaside to Newport
Saturday Market
Elk Refuge and Camp 18
Woodburn Outlet Mall
Blazer Game
Multnomah Falls and Bonneville Dam fish hatchery
Spirit Mountain Casino
Nike Employee Store
Washington Park (hiking)
Sturgeon Fishing on the Columbia
McMenamins - 4 different sites
Widmer Brewery
Helvetia Tavern
Shopping downtown Portland

Anyway, we are running out of ideas, isn't that bad and we even live here! So if you were entertaining out of town guests where would you take them?

The biggest food fest of the year . . .

Yes, this week brings people together to be thankful for good health, happiness, jobs, friends, family and of course fabulous food! My sights are looking beyond the Thursday feast though and to the Saturday menu, but not necessarily by choice. I log onto my computer at work today and in less than a few hours, it begins from our tailgate buddy Dennis "Attn: Beaver Nation (that's our nickname) below is the start of our menu for the Civil War game on Saturday, feel free to add your name and contribution to the list." Oh my gosh, I don't even have Thanksgiving day figured out yet and we are working on our Civil War menu! . . . That's ok, because whatever we have it will be GREAT like always. So it looks like the featured item on the menu this week will be "BBQ'd pulled pork sandwiches" . . . mmmm . . with sides of cole slaw, blue cheese deviled eggs, chipotle deviled eggs, chips/dips, baked beans, macaroni salad, peanut butter fudge. . . oh my . . I feel my muffin top waistline expanding to souffle size. I was asked to bring my sweet and sour meatballs as our other meat maindish (since you know we can never have too much food), I have made them before and they usually get devoured. I'm sharing my recipe so you too can be the meatball supplier for an upcoming party! Of course I do have to double or triple the recipe depending on the crowd size. Here is the basic recipe:

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2lbs. hamburger

3/4 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. parsley

1/3 c. catsup

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 t. garlic powder

2T minced onion

2T soy sauce

2 eggs

Form into small meatballs and place in pan. (Don't cheat and get the Costco precooked meatballs it just won't taste the same)

Sauce: In a saucepan over mediumheat, blend until smooth

1 jar chili sauce

1c jellied cranberry sauce

2T brown sugar

1t. lemon juice

Pour sauce over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

GO BEAVS . . BEAT THE DUCKS!!

Sharing the family . . .

A little get together last night since Chad's family is headed to Arizona for the holidays! Nice that they can spend Thanksgiving with Nicole's family, we are very lucky (and thankful . . since it is Thanksgiving) to have them close all the time.



No fair though!!! Chad will be attending the OSU Beavers game Saturday vs. the Arizona Wildcats ... So listen Chad yell LOUD for the BEAVS!!!! and PLEASE don't be filmed on TV with that very "inappropriate" shirt that you plan on wearing to the game, you will embarrass your mother. He is really getting spoiled by also attending the NY Giants vs. Cardinals game the next day. I think that his Christmas has been taken care of. Even with them heading out of town I have counted about 20 relatives to the house for Turkey Day on Thursday. Yikes!!! so I am headed to WINCO in the morning since I've got lots of shopping to do . . . maybe I will even do some frozen turkey bowling in the store like Diane did one year!! oh I forgot you didn't mean to throw that huge frozen turkey down the aisle did you?haha!! First stop . . wine display . . .

Time to hunt down a bird . . .

Stop it with the coupons already! . .

What is with this time of year and coupons? it's crazy. Macy's, Chicos, Eddie Bauer, Lowes, JoAnns Fabrics, Fred Meyer, Kohls, JC Penneys and Coldwater Creek. Now that I have grandkids Carters, OshKosh and Gymboree send me coupons since I bought something there maybe once or twice. Here is my big problem though, I CAN'T throw them away!! So I keep sticking them in my purse in a little side pocket until it is bulging because "I might go to that store and I might use that coupon". These retailers are giving me the coupon guilt trip. I just can't throw them away, isn't that like throwing money away?? I don't know how it happened but they have me hooked and I don't like it, not one bit. Now every Sunday evening I plop my purse on my lap and pull out ALL of the coupons in my little side pocket that is overflowing and review expiration dates, put new ones in that have arrived during the week, sort them by store, value and AAARRGGHHHH!!! I never wanted to be one of those obsessed coupon people but look what's happened to me. I can honestly say that probably out of all the coupons I have put away the past few months I have only actually used ooohhhh maybe 6 of them!! What's a coupon saver to do?? Hey, anybody need a coupon????

Great Great Game! . . .