Natural November

[Lavande]

Good Tuesday morning friends!
The sun hasn't arrived here yet but I am hopeful

Star, the interrupted sleep is so annoying & harmful to us in the long run. I swear it's the insomnia that drove my B/P up 10+ years ago. Getting decent sleep is so basic, all of our body systems depend on it too. Learning to stay calm during those middle of the night awakenings helps a lot.
Aging & the development of allergies/intolerances has been an interesting topic for me. I've watched family & friends go thru the same thing. The sooner we accept what's going on & make appropriate changes the better we fare. Odds are good that your turkey will stay in the roasting pan this year, ha ha!!

Dill, sorry to hear about your ex-DIL's status. Addiction is a b*tch!!
I will say a prayer that she gets thru this & accepts some help.
I picked up my small free frozen turkey from the supermarket yesterday & put it in the fridge to defrost. Today I have to pick up the small fresh turkey from the Amish farmer. Either way we will have plenty of turkey here & I dare either one of them to jump out of the roasting pans!
I am baking rolls using one of King Arthur's Flour recipes - probably this one (using non-dairy subs): Golden Pull-Apart Butter Buns Recipe | King Arthur Flour
I always worry about the kids leaving here in the dark - so many deer roaming around. I'm glad your daughter was assisted by some friendly rednecks. We have them around here too, LOL

Pauly, hope you had a better night!

Hello to Cyn!

I need to get to Curves then get busy with stuff around here.
Have a great AF day everyone!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, feel like I slept a tad better but still woke up at weird times and too early as always, I had googled perimenopause and Ihave nearly every symptom!what do women do?just deal wwith it or what? I'm in denial about aging,it all went too fast and drinking my 30's away certainly didn't help Dill,I hope ex-dil is ok,prayers sent,I tried Valerian before and it knocked me out for an hour and I woke up panicky and took a midnite,its an OTC with melatonin,lemon balm,chamomile and lavender,it gets me to sleep but I don't stay asleep, all this talk of deer meat makes me wanna gag! My gramma was full blooded Shoshone Indian so we ate a ton of it while growing up,that and jackrabbit, not sure which is worse,we need a puking emoji on mwo haha,I'm thinking of soaking the turkey in salt water for a couple of days,I've tried every recipe over the years,soy sauce,slow cooked,injections, mayonnaise ,butter under the skin,bacon on the skin,brining, etc,its always dry,good,but dry we shall see,a couple of years ago Kells boyfriend make the turkey for his family and they brought me some,it was better than mine!! I was so mad that this 25 year old male cooked a better turkey than me!haha,said he used a whole tub of country crock,it worked,anyways got to get my work face and hair on,hello Lav,Cyn,Star,I'm happy to be here sober too let's all have a great Tuesday

[treegirl]

Morning all -

Well, I did it, and had a darn good time yesterday afternoon and evening. I am changing the way I prepare for these things; I'm assuming it will all be fine, that I'll have a great time and that I'll feel great the next day. And guess what? I do! What a difference from running through all the 'what-ifs' and 'how will I cope with' and 'how will the dogs cope with', etc. I'm sure stuff will come up and be hard to deal with, but I guess there will be plenty of time to deal with it when it comes up. I can't believe I'm finally seeing things calmly now that I'm approaching 60, sheesh, no rush, right? I think the worst part of drinking was the inner chaos that it created, the worry, the unbalanced state - it left us no time to actually work on being unburdened. Good job everybody!

Pauly - I also entered perimenopause early. There's a great book by Dr John Lee (I think that's right), called 'what your doctor won't tell you about perimenopause' (or something like that.) Really interesting. Like Lav says, sleep is key - good luck with that!

Lav - thanks for the info. I know I'm gluten sensitive, though the tests didn't show it. And dairy makes me stuffed up and gives me a sore throat immediately - so I don't know why that didn't show up. Nightshade makes me achey. But what shows up on the fancy test? Eggs, malt and mustard! Not eating gluten, I don't buy most baked goods anyway, so anything I want I'll make with the flax seed 'eggs'. Love that 'minimalist baker' site! Thanks!

Dill - what a heartbreak all the way around for your ex-DIL. So sorry, especially for her kids and parents. You've been so good to be there, waiting to help. But as we know, no one can do it for you. I will send prayers her way, and for you too. Try to breathe out the worry...

Star - yep, I'm doing all the cooking. I used to be cranky about it, but nowadays since I eat only whole foods, and a big part of every day is cooking, so this really won't be any different than most days! We'll keep it simple; turkey, stuffing (picking up from a the turkey people - I won't eat it, so I don't think i should have to make it!) roasted vegies, Pioneer Woman mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (Dill - did you see the recipe on mbg, with ginger? - looks good, I'm going to try it...). Mr T is bring home pecan pie. I don't do wheat or sugar now, so (sob) that's out. But I'm making no-egg pumpkin custard, and hopefully sweet-potato brownies - they actually look incredible, we'll see.

Off to get some work done today!

Have a good one, all -

[treegirl]

PS - Pauly - have you tried turning the turkey breast-side-down to cook? Looks a little funny in the roaster, but the breast gets basted by all the fatty dark meat that way - easy and much more moist. And also Star's recommendation to cover with foil until the last hour...good luck!

[paulywogg]

Done it Cyn,I'm telling you guys,I've done all the tricks,I think I overcook it cuz I'm poultry paranoid haha

[Lavande]

Pauly, have you tried one of those cooking bags?
I don't usually use them but I'm going to this year since I am roasting a fresh (not frozen) turkey.

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Pauly, good luck with the turkey. Again, I and my daughter make perfect turkey every year, with the foil till the last 45 minutes. It is so easy. I hope things work out for you this turkey day, it is so much work. I am starting to freak out a little, even though I said I wouldn't. Ha.

Lav, two turkeys, good for you.

Dill, sending your DIL hope and strength, addiction is a difficult disease. You have been so strong and helpful, let's hope she can do it this time.

Cyn, glad you set boundaries, have others help. I am doing that this year too.

Have a good one.

[dill]

Hello AF friends, and thank you all for your prayers for ex DIL. I think they worked bc she called her mother yesterday and asked her to take her to the hospital to have her incisions checked and have the medical tests. Believe me, that was a big step! Even better, the healing process is on track and there are no blood clots, which was a major concern. Doc says she is on track but needs to move about more to get the swelling to go down in her legs and feet. Our worry about the addiction is not aleviated, but at least she is trying to take care of herself. Your prayers were a big part of getting her there, I am sure.

Pauly, that is so interesting that your gma was a full shoshone. So you ate a lot of game. I feel sorry for you on that score. I don't like the taste of venison either. Never had rabbit but doubt I would like it. The Alteril has valerian to help you fall asleep and melatonin to help you stay asleep and one other thing which I can't remember right now. Maybe Lav can tell us. Anyway, it at a three prong attack and that's why I think it worked well for me. I'm not going to suggest anything for your turkey dilemma bc you've had all the suggestions from everyone else and bc you've tried everthing over the years, or so it sounds. Maybe you should just not fret over it this year. Have extra gravy on hand! I use those store bought McCormick gravy packets. Always have them on hand! Ooops! Looks like I just gave a suggestion! LOL!

Cyn, I didn't understand what you were talking about? What is a "recipe on mbg. with ginger"? What is mbg? Also, I happened to be watching Dr. Oz yesterday and they were talking about more "healthy" sugars. Maybe you could try them. One was coconut sugar and it was good because it contained nutrients and calcium (I think), the second was Stevia which is a plant based sweetener but not actually sugar, and the third was date sugar which is actual granulated dates, thus it is a whole fruit with fiber in it. The body doesn absorb the fructose in it as fast bc of the fiber. At least that is how I understood it, but I could have my facts mixed up. I'll google around and see if I can find a link to the info.

Coconut sugar:
The Health Benefits of Coconut Sugar - The Sugar Wars: What Dr. Sanjay Gupta Wants You to Know | The Dr. Oz Show

Stevia and date sugar:

Why You Should Eat Date Sugar - The Sugar Wars: What Dr. Sanjay Gupta Wants You to Know | The Dr. Oz Show

Star, I'm starting to freak out a little bit myself! LOL! It will all work out though. The important thing is you'll be in it together, with your family. If your turkey fails (for the first time), you can share the defeat with your daughter. :happy2: Nice. As for me, I am going to try something different this year. I'm going to use my roaster. I've roasted a whole chicken in it before and it came out moist and tender. The only issue is browning, but that was overcome by basting with butter and kitchen bouquet before roasting.

We had the most wonderful evening yesterday. Just before dark Mr. D and the children went out to the pasture and got a bonfire started from some dead branches we had been collecting. The moon was beautiful and the bonfire was bright and warm. We invited our neighbors over on the spur of the moment, and they loved it too. They are the Romanian neighbors and they had never seen anyone toast marshmallows. It was a new experience for them and they loved it. Who wouldn't?!

[paulywogg]

Morning friends,yup,done the bag many times Lav,I'm telling you guys seriously, actually I haven't tried frying it?I hear it's amazing but I'm not gonna buy a big 'ole fryer that I'm onlygonna use twice a year,plus iI remember people burning down their houses with those things,I seen on the news last night that most house fires are on thanksgiving, I believe it cuz there were 3 different fires on just my street last year,small but still,Dill,what happened to your ex-dil?Itthought it was just her using but I read incisions and stuff? I still love Dr.Oz,people say he's crap but all he's doing is offering alternative suggestions, he'snot saying some herb is gonna make you tall,slender,smart,etc he merely suggests thatthings MAY help some people, I think the missing ingredient in Alteril is tryptophan, I dunno I get scared to try stuff cuz I don't like waking up groggy,we'll see,could just be the full moon hello Star and Cyn,let's all get through today so we can kick back(kinda) tomorrow, hope we all have a wonderful Wednesday

[treegirl]

Morning all -

Dill - loved the story of the bonfire! How great that your friends came over; when you think about it, toasting marshmallows is pretty magical - we forget sometimes to really look at the magic of things cooking! So glad to hear about your ex-DIL - baby steps, right? mbg = MindBodyGreen. I couldn't remember if you get their emails or not. I do use coconut sugar, sparingly. I mostly use whole dates, apple sauce, or smooshed banana for sweetness, also Brown Rice Syrup or maple syrup sometimes, but if the recipe has to have granulated, I use coconut sugar. The cranberry dish I was referencing uses dates and candied ginger as the only sweetener - I'm going to try it! I'll also make a traditional kind, in case this one is too tart. I'm kind of making 2 Thanksgivings; one I can eat and one for HB and SD!

Pauly - sounds like you are going to have a great turkey, one way or other!

Star - I hope that you feel like you have the spirit to make this holiday a good one for you as well as everyone else. Take care of yourself.

Lav - hope that your day is going to be great.

Let's all remember to breathe - the holiday is about love, after all, not food! Happy to be AF --

[dill]

One more check in here bc I see I missed commenting to Lav. I really thought I had! Thanks for the link to the butter buns recipe. YUM. I have changed my plans about making rolls from scratch tho. We ended up with the kids all day today and overnight again tonight so I am definitely simplifying. I had to go out today to take gdaughter for a haircut so I stopped at the store for some last minute items and bought Aunt Millie's Hawaiian Rolls. Pizza for dinner tonight. I didn't expect to have the kids here tonight but my son is feeling under the weather so it made sense for us to hang on to them another night.

Pauly, ex DIL got an infection from injecting herself and got sepsis. The infection spread to the bone in her left leg causing osteomyelitis which is very painful. She had the surgery to drain off the infection. The primary problem is unresolved: addiction. But at least the infection is not a threat any more, for now. It's really so sad.

Have a lovely evening all.

[Lavande]

Good evening friends,

Had a good but overly busy day right from the start. I don't usually miss my morning check in.

Changed my mind about doing two turkeys when I saw the size of the fresh turkey. Much bigger than expected. I tossed the frozen turkey back in the freezer, it hadn't begun to thaw.

Dill, osteomyelitis is serious. I really hope she is prepared to get herself straight after all that. What a shame!

Cyn, i made a fresh cranberry relish today with dates & oranges. Just tossed it all into the food processor, no cooking

Pauly, I am going to bag this fresh turkey & roast it at 350 degrees just until it's safe to eat, if you know what I mean. Good luck with your turkey!!!

Star, enjoy the day with your family! Glad we all seem to have decent weather for Thanksgiving!

Peace to all tonight!

[SnoopyC]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Up early and ready to go. My energy has to last till late afternoon. So glad I got paperplates. The people in my family go through cups and glasses like crazy, I am busy washing them so we can continue to drink.

Dill, your DIL is so sick, I will continue to send prayers for her. As far as a little anxiety on Thanksgiving, it is funny. Others are telling me how to cook my turkey when I have done it for 30 years and it has always turned out great. I then started to second guess myself! No more. I think the other thing that causes me stress is that everyone in my family is messy, and with a baby, my house looks and feels like a tornado hit it, so I am constantly picking up, putting away, so no one falls, trips, nothing breaks. That is why I was so thin when I was younger. Constant on the go movement. Your bonfire sounded lovely. It was pretty warm out yesterday and today is supposed to be even nicer. We are so lucky.

Lav, good call, one turkey is probably enough with all the sides and things.

Cyn, have a great day, be careful not to overdo and ask for help. I already asked my husband to help me, my daughter asked me to help her yesterday, and then we won't get so tired. Plus, it can be fun to work together.

Pauly, won't say another work about your turkey, after having others tell me what to do, I questioned myself and felt nervous, like am I doing the right thing. I know am, so doing what I know how to do. We are having 10 people total, so that is not big. Someone at work told me then were having three turkeys, two hams, chicken, and lots and lots of people. Whew, not for me. It kind of sounded like an open house with that many.

Have a good one friends and take care.

[treegirl]

Happy Thanksgiving! One of the main things I am thankful for is your presence here on this thread.

I wish everybody a loving, embracing day today. I did a lot of prep last night, and all will be well today - Star - I'm asking for help doing the dishes and cleanup today - it's a miracle!

Take care of yourselves, all!

[Lavande]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING friends

Spend the day with your family & friends, don't worry about the turkey ~ it will be just fine!
I plan to sit down after dinner & let the cleanup crew take over. I'll enjoy a cup of coffee & a slice of the dairy free pumpkin pie I baked last night, yum.

Have a wonderful AF holiday Star, Dill, Cyn & Pauly!

Lav