Thanksgiving 2011

.Thanksgiving 2011.


Last Thanksgiving Seth and I were enjoying a whopping three months of marital bliss, experiencing the beginning of our first Utah winter with -15 degree weather, and celebrating our first married Thanksgiving away from Family and Friends.  Luckily we had met some Wonderful friends and were able to create an amazing cozy Southern Thanksgiving feast.

Feast from Thanksgiving '10


Thanksgiving '11 Seth and I are celebrating fifteen months of marital bliss (I continue to consider us in the newly wed phase!), a calmer second Utah winter, and our second Thanksgiving without family-but with some of our Amazing friends-and with a TurDuckEn.


I didn't get a picture of the HUGE feast, but I did catch the making of the TurDucKEn.  Ironically enough a few months ago Zach (Seth's brother) spoke of a TurDuckEn for some reason or another.  At the time Seth and I had never heard of such a thing, so we just assumed it was a made up/wild/crazy/luny idea and pushed it aside.  Next thing we know we were invited to a Thanksgiving meal where a TurDuckEn was on the menu.  Sorry Zach-you knew what you were talking about-Seth and I were the ignorant folks :).  Anywho-upon hearing of this-Seth immediately wanted to be on the 'in' of creating the TurDuckEn.


Below is the Fun process of a TurDuckEn.

The chicken de-boned and stuffed.

With a beautiful winter/snowy view.

The duck de-boned and ready to be stuffed.

Seth working on de-boning the turkey.

Our friend Jonathan de-boned the chicken and duck with quick skill, while Seth worked on de-boning the Turkey with meticulous hands.  He took quite a while trying to make it 'pretty'.  He needs a little more experience and skill before he will be able to de-bone chicken, duck, and turkey as quickly and efficient as Jonathan :).

I enjoy this picture-His tongue was sticking out slightly in concentration.  He is such an attractive man.

Now Seth just needs a boning knife to be able to do this next year :).

The fellas working on the Turkey.

Examining the Turkey's carcass 

Using a hammer to break the bones of the Turkey's legs.

The stuffing of everything inside of everything else.

Turkey's surgery completed by Jonathan.

Beautiful golden brown delicious TurDuckEn. 

Yummmmmm. :).

Again, the Thanksgiving was a FEAST.  So much food and everything was sooo delicious!  

Seth and I spent the rest of the Thanksgiving evening watching movies on our cozy couch.  Seth ate a tad of leftover Thanksgiving feast that evening, but I wasn't able to eat anything again until lunch on Friday-I literally had stuffed myself way to much!

We went out Friday for a little shopping (not for Black Friday deals).  We wanted to get the Settlers of Catan game-which we soooo enjoy playing!  If anyone wants to play we would love to bring our game and play ya :)!

Today we are decorating our apartment for Christmas, finally listening to Christmas music, and hopefully cheering the Tigers to a Win this evening!  Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving 2011!

Before I complete my little blog I have to first state that Mrs. Cynthia (Seth's mom) is one of the most thoughtful folks I know.  She always gives the most 'delightful' :) and thoughtful gifts to us and I sooooo enjoy everything that she does for Seth and I.

My fun Christmas Apron.

Evergreens-Look and Smell So good!

Thank you Mr. Jimmy & Mrs. Cynthia.

Have a good week everyone.

The Cook's :).

Winter Wonderland 2

Year Two of Utah Winter

Seth and I expected nothing short of several inches of snow before Thanksgiving and that is exactly what we have gotten.  In the month of November we have had a total of three snowfalls in our Valley.  The first two would be classified as minor in our books, but the third snowfall (we believe) will be a sticking around.  Ahhhh, The joys of winter in Utah :).  I will have to admit the mountains are beautiful with snow.

Our Logan Mountains w/ Snow.

The view from outside our apt.

Last week, after playing fifteen games of Yahtzee and two hundred games of Paper-Rock-Scissors Seth and I finally decided to face the cold and get out of our apt.  We took a stroll onto campus and to our 'usual' place of interest

A view of Old Main on Campus

Seth

I think after our first winter we are finally prepared to tackle a second one.  We have sand bags tucked away in the trunks of our cars, a new window scrapper/brush thingy for both cars, a USU housing approved space heater, a new beautiful red tea kettle that is silent, new Eddie Bauer jacket for my hunka hunka, and new boots for his bride :).

Due to the snow and cold weather surrounding us-Seth is having to contain me from listening to Christmas music in our home and putting up our Christmas decorations.  Luckily, my boss at work is in the same mood I am and I get to listen to Christmas music while working :).  Seth is putting his foot down and not allowing me to put up decorations until this weekend (after Thanksgiving).


So, what's been going on lately our way?  Man-it's been so long since I've blogged I don't even know.  Seth continues to be swamped with school-working 10-12 hour days.  Don't worry folks I don't let him forget about me :).  His survey is going out the first of December and hopefully then he can focus on his proposal and whatever else he has to do.


A few weeks ago we mosied our way into church and sat next to a couple. Unbeknownst to us (at the time) they are from the South.  South Carolina that is. :).  Whoop!  Somehow Seth and I seem to discover the Southerners, befriend them, and stick by them.  These folks are from the Columbia area and such a sight for sore Southern eyes.  Unfortunately-they happen to be Gamecock fans, so our relationship is slightly tattered-kidding of course about the tattered part.  We enjoy hanging out with them (and our NC, AK, LA friends as well) but the fate of our friendship will be determined next weekend when the Tigers play the gamecocks.


I know what many of you are thinking.  Did we see the NC State vs. Tiger game?  Unfortunately we did.  We had to turn it off because it was soooo disturbing, but we are still Tiger fans through and through. 

Go Tigers!


The Tiger's have even been making it into Seth's prayers, so hopefully we are doing all we can on this side of the State's to help them out this coming weekend :).


This is our second year that we are not with our families for Thanksgiving, and are able to celebrate with family like Friends.  Although we will greatly miss our families we are so thankful to be able to share with our friends.  Last year we went to Joe & Gina's and this year we are all going to Jonathan & Marilyn's :).  


Not much of an update but should get me through until at least after Thanksgiving.  Seth is taking me on a coffee date to Starbucks-they are having buy one get one free deal.  Yummmm!


Happy Thanksgiving Week!


30


For Those of you who know me or anything about me you will know/understand/realize what the number means. :).

The Cook's :)


-For some reason I always have huge eyes in pictures.  I don't think it is anything I can help so just get over it-that's what I have to do :).

An Ode to Wonderful Things.

This blog is simply an ode to Wonderful Wonderful things :)!

Christmas

Firstly (which is basically the entire reason why I am giddy and why I am wanting to have a blog dedicated to wonderful things)-Seth and I have purchased our tickets to South Carolina for Christmas!  Eight full days in the South with our families!  Eight full days of celebrating the birth of our Savior- southern delicacies-Southern drawls-our precious precious families-My overweight Troupster-friends-Cozy Homes that we were raised in-Fireplaces-Coffee around the clock--Stockings with Names :).  Oh, how wOnDeRfUl and exciting! 

An older picture of me and my Bro-Can't wait to see him.

Cookies

I believe that a good cookie maker is a necessity in each and every household.  The Cook household is a work in progress with this skill-I am a very poor cookie maker.  I don't think I've produced a good batch in my life. I opt to make cookie dough and eat that as my cookie.  Lucky for us/Seth we have found a Delicious cookie maker friend.  The ode to wonderful cookies goes to our friend Miranda.  I've never had better chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin, or oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  These are the kind of cookies that you have to eat 3 or 4 in one sitting as well as ask for a take home baggy.  Seth absolutely ADORES Miranda's cookies.  How I wish I could bake cookies like Miranda's for my man.  For now we will just have to rely on our yummy cookie making friend :).

Pear Honey

I know that I've had to mention before about Pear Honey.  Pear Honey is this top notch jam/jelly deal that Seth's mom makes.  I love it.  Seth loves it.  When we run low we are not scared to call Mrs. Cynthia and request a shipment-it is one of those things we have to have at all times-an open jar in the fridge and a few in the cupboard as stock.  Mrs. Cynthia will at times offer my pear honey to others as gifts and I don't particularly like it :).  I am very selfish with this pear honey because I believe it is the next best thing to Lemon Desserts.

Coffee


Seth and I both are avid Maxwell House supporters.  Coffee is WoNdErFuL.  Seth and I have a routine that we strictly follow with our coffee.  He makes the coffee during the week-We usually make 12 cups-so 5 Tbsp of maxwell house and 1 Tbsp of flavored coffee.  It just hits the nail on the head for those 4:30 mornings.  On the weekends I'll make the coffee and switch it up a tad with only 4 Tbsp maxwell house and 2 Tbsp flavored coffee :).  I support creamer like no other.  Seth use to just support just Maxwell House-but now he is changing it up supporting a little milk and sugar.  


Fun story-When he started using milk and sugar in his coffee he poured a 'pinch' of milk in and used the opposite end of a stirring spoon for two little pinches of sugar.


Another fun story-Before we entered our marital bliss I drank Folgers and only Folgers and Seth drank Maxwell House and only Maxwell House.  We had a small little scuffle about what brand of coffee we would buy upon marriage.  I was dead set on Seth surrendering Maxwell and taking up Folgers.  :).  You see how that turned out-in reality we just buy whatever is on sale/cheaper and Maxwell wins out.


Seth


What a wonderful man.  I can't have an ode to wonderful things and not have my man on here!  


The fun window scrapping weather is here and Seth is starting to go out into the cold to warm my car up and scrap the ice/snow off my car.


Our washing machine wanted to give us a little trouble the other day and Seth fiddled with it until his smart and oh so cute self figured out the problem and fixed it.  I thought he was the cutest thing since Lemon Desserts so I had to get a picture of him in action :).

He is WonDerFul!


Concerts


Any and all concerts that I have attended have been with one of my Best buds Laurie.  The concerts that I have been to have been a blast with this kid.  There is no one else on this earth that would yell Whoop Whoop Whoop Whooop Whooooooop Whoooop with me throughout the entire concert :).



Front row seats at Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.




Laurie and I at the CMA's :).


Wrapping up my Ode to Wonderful Things here.  Hope you all don't mind my Christmas background.  I was just in the Christmas mood after purchasing tickets so went a little crazy with it-Christmas music will soon start and I am so much looking forward to it :).


Hope everyone has a great remainder of the week!

The Cook's :)


-Sorry just had to put a Christmas Pic up!