Before I fully switch over to Christmas mode...

I know I completely passed up on posting over the Thanksgiving weekend, and now it is catch up time. I've been busy getting ready to switch the blog layout, switching our home decorations, working on making a 2009 calendar for my family, and getting Christmas cards (done!) and family letter (almost done!) out of the way. I'll tell you, with my family coming out for Christmas I feel a bit overwhelmed with the to-do list but I've been taking things one at a time and will hopefully be prepared when the time comes! Hey, what am I doing talking about Christmas, let's finish off November first...

Neal is making the toffee, and his dad is making his classic peanut brittle. Oh people we are just getting started on the holiday sweets!

Neal and his dad, cooking side by side. These pictures are worth a lot to me!

Neal will occasionally come home after reading La Fuji Mama's blog and drop hints that we should make some of her recipes and while that is great because all the ones we've tried are keepers, I will say that it is tough keeping up with her! Neal latched onto her Chocolate Almond Toffee recipe immediately and even volunteered to make it himself. I don't think you all realize how very little Neal cooks. It was a Thanksgiving miracle! Neal has really been wanting me to blog about this momentous occasion - he even arranged the toffee and had me take a picture for posting. So here it is, the last 4 pieces of a batch that didn't last more than a couple days because it was pure bliss so long as you didn't look at what went in it! Thank you, La Fuji Mama! Neal is even committing to making it for our ward party next week so beware guys, he is set on winning the dessert competition!


Oh, ahem, yes, Thanksgiving was great! Best turkey ever thanks to Neal's sister A who has had the past few years to really perfect the method and now I'm begging her to write me up a tutorial. And I made some stuffing from scratch that ended up really good apparently (my cold was barely clearing up enough for me to taste a few things). I made a very yummy sour cream apple pie with streusel topping with what is now my favorite flaky crispy crust pate brisee recipe. We ate and we ached.

Neal brings his iphone to the table

Little D is in a new cast! She is so smiley!

Thank you, Thanksgiving!