::chichi::

Hello everyone.
A little bit of a somber day...as I took my kittons to the vet last night and it appears that his kidneys are slowly beginning to fail and his health is deteriorating. 

It's funny how one week they are totally fine and the next week you need to make an emergency trip to the vet. 

Thankfully - I have a good vet...so he got some medicine. If the medicine doesn't work though then I will have to begin giving him {basically} an IV twice a week to get some fluids into him. 

Going through something like this isn't fun. Obviously. 

This is my first pet of life...my kitty...I have had him for like 14 years. 

You half expect them to live forever. I wish he could.
I guess they have to leave you at one point or another. I just hope that he isn't in pain and that I get to keep him a little bit longer. 

Just wanted to let you guys know what was going on. That's why I haven't really posted. 

That and the weekend was a bit crazy. 

Anyways...of course I will keep you up to date on how kitty {his name is Sky} is doing. 

Please send glittery get well wishes and think of him. I know I will forever shower him with as much love as I can possibly give him.  

Sky G - 14 year old *gorgeous* Turkish Angora Chichi.

-S.*

::essential:guide::

A little guide that I found on the Kraft Canada website that'll help you all with your turkeyness this weekend. :)

Essential Guide to Roasting Turkey

1. Buying

Buy one pound per person. You may want to buy a fresh turkey, as opposed to frozen, to avoid days of thawing. 

2. Thawing

Thaw turkey in unopened wrapper, breast-side up, on a tray in the refrigerator. For every four pounds of turkey, allow one day of thawing. 

3. Preparing 

Remove neck and excess fat and giblets from chest cavity. Rinse cavities and outside of turkey with cold water. Blot with paper towels. 

Season cavity and area under the skin with salt, pepper and herbs. Try poultry seasoning, thyme, sage or marjoram. 

Stuff the bird with prepared Stove Top Stuffing Mix. Help turkey cook evenly by making it as compact as possible. Tuck legs into ring of skin that they were originally in when you unwrapped the bird. Fold first joint of wings underneath bird's back. 

4. Cooking

Place in foil roasting pan and roast at 325 degrees F about 20 minutes per pound or 0.5 kg. There's no need to baste - the natural juices will seal in tenderness. 

Check bird after indicated cooking time. The internal temperature should register at 170 degrees F on a meat thermometer. Thigh juices should run clear, not pink, when pierced with a fork, and leg joint should move freely when cooked. 

5. Resting

Remove turkey from oven. Place on cutting board resting in a large cafeteria-style tray with a lip or on a flat aluminum foil tray. 

Tent the cooked turkey with foil. Let stand for 30-45 minutes. This resting time allows the juices to saturate the meat evenly for the most tender turkey. 

6. Stuffing

If you don't stuff your turkey Stove Top Stuffing Mix is great prepared on the side and you can make as much as you need - you're not limited by the size of your turkey. 

Prepare Stove Top Stuffing Mix according to package directions. 

Add in a few handfuls add-ins once the water has boiled. Some add-ins to try: chopped dried fruit, Kraft Shredded Cheese, chopped toasted nuts, orange segments, chopped cranberries, grated apples, pears, carrots or zucchini, cooked sausage or cooked ground beef. 

7. Carving

Carve turkey in the kitchen, not at the dinner table.

A cutting board and tray will allow you to carve without juices leaking all over. 

Step 1

Start by removing the wings.

Step 2

To remove legs, pull back leg to expose the joint while you cut. Then cut through the join. 

Step 3

Cut each breast off the turkey in a whole piece. Make an incision on either side of breast bone and cut along ribs until the breast is free. 

Remove any other large portions of meat still attached to the bones. 

The remaining carcass can be picked apart the next day for use in sandwiches or soups. Simply wrap up in aluminum foil and refrigerate. 

Hopefully this helps some of you out!

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving long weekend and that your turkey turns out fantastically! :D

-S.*

::covet::

Balmain Wool Military Jacket $4,710 CAD

Giuseppe Zanotti Ruffle-Front Suede Ankle Boots $1,095 CAD

-S.*

{Source: Net-A-Porter}

::side:dish:noms::

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. A lot of people have a lot of prepping to do! Because there are only 2 more days-isk {depending what day your holding your festivities on} until that huge feast of a dinner. 

Many people stick with the traditional type of side dishes when it comes to serving food with turkey. There is stuffing, cranberry sauce, beans, brussels sprouts, corn & peas...some very hearty and rooty vegetables and sweet fruits...

I have never really tried brussels sprouts before so I definitely have been looking for Thanksgiving recipes that have this vegetable as the star of the show. 

You can roast them, boil them, saute them, pretty much do anything you want with 'em. 

The only down-side to these little green balls of flavor is that a lot of people just don't like 'em. They taste too cabbagey, so it's great to find recipes that have other ingredients added in that pack quite the punch - such as bacon. 

There is a show on the Food Network that I love watching {actually, I love watching them all} and it's with Giada De Laurentiis. 

This is one of her recipes that can be found on the Food Network Canada website.

This recipe calls for pancetta {very similar to bacon} but I am pretty sure you can use whatever kind of bacon you'd like. 

I am definitely going to try this as a side dish to my turkey...or even as a side dish to any other meats during the week. 

A lot of people {when you read the reviews} become completely converted after trying this recipe. 

I will let you know my take on it and maybe you can share some of your opinions on this vegetable as well. :) 

And man oh man...that picture makes my mouth water! Who woulda thunk that veggies could do that!? Lol. 

Bon Appetit!

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Level: Easy

Ingredients

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 ounces paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth

Directions

Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 4 minutes. Drain. 

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until beginning to crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and saute until heated through and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 3 minutes. Serve. 

This side dish sounds like it would be absolutely delicious with turkey and mashed potatoes. Yum!!!

-S.*

::winter:veg::

It's upsetting to me when you go out to eat and you get a meal and it's one of the worst things ever. That just happened to me. 

I work at a University and we are supposed to have one of the best cafs ever and to be honest, it really isn't that great.  

I just had the worst lunch and it was greasy and just gross and I didn't even finish half of it. It was that bad and now I regret what I just ate and it was such a waste of calories and I feel like a freakin' whale! Thanks work/Uni caf! You ruined my Friday!
No you didn't. Lol.

Time for a recipe!

I don't believe that I have ever tried acorn squash before. 

To be quite honest, it isn't something that I randomly crave or even remotely want to try out. But I did see the photo of this recipe and it didn't look half bad and looks like it would go amazingly with a Thanksgiving menu. 

This recipe does call for brown sugar - which I'm not sure how I feel about. I tend to steer clear of recipes that call for any type of sugar on your vegetables.
Who know's what this tastes like, but you might as well try and find out. :)

Bon Appetit!

Glazed Squash

You can start a day or two beforehand on the dishes that will complete your holiday menu: Slice squash up to a day ahead; refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag. Once cooked, squash can sit at room temperature, covered, for up to two hours. 

Everyday Food, November 2006

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for baking sheets

3 acorn squashes {about 1-1/2 pounds each}, halved, seeded, and sliced into 1-inch thick crescents

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil, and brush with oil. 

Lay squash pieces on baking sheets. Season with salt and pepper; sprinkle squashes evenly with half the sugar. 

Roast until sugar has melted, about 5 minutes. 

Remove baking sheets from oven. Using tongs, turn over pieces. Season with salt and pepper; sprinkle evenly with remaining sugar. 

Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. 

-S.*

::turkey:side::

Found this recipe on the Food Network website. It looks soooo yummy! I wonder if it would work with yellow wax beans? I shall try this!

Bon Appetit!

Haricots Verts with Shaved Parmesan

Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee for Food Network magazine

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Level: Easy

Ingredients

3/4 pound ready-to-cook haricots verts

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the haricots verts in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and drain, if necessary. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and lemon juice. Pour over the haricots verts and toss to coat.

Serve immediately with shaved Parmesan and freshly ground pepper. 

Easy peasy! 

Enjoy!

-S.*

{Photo Credit: Yunhee Kim}