November is almost over?

…it sure is!
I’ve celebrated 5 months of employment at my job! Ha, very monumentous… I am happy to still have a job with the way things seem to be now. Although, the price of gas yesterday, I saw as low as $1.79!!! I had school on Monday & Tuesday, but am off the rest of the time for a little break! 

I started seeing the Christmas tree tents being filled with trees the other day, too! It is always a tradition for us to get our tree the day after Thanksgiving… which is today. So, HAPPY THANKSGIVING, ya’ll!!! I am blogging to you straight from my couch, as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is starting. Oh, Miley C. and David A. are headliners. What youth this country has!

Last night we had 2 of my aunts and an uncle over for dinner. And some little boy hung out with us… who?! Let me show you:

Jassi’per!

Afterward we went out by the pool and had a fire in our fire pit and made s’mores! Let me tell you: it was cooooollldddd! My mom made the best soup in a large pot- plenty for seconds and leftovers! We call it “Garlicky Spicy Tortellini Soup.” It’s super easy, warming, filling, a little spicy, and GOOD! Basic ingredients: (We don’t even use a recipe anymore because it’s this easy. Just stock the ingredients and add as much or as little as you like!) 

• Package or 2 of Tortellini (we used dry Barilla tortellini, probably the Cheese & Garlic kind, but any would be great! (spinach, 3-cheese, etc.)
• Large can of stewed tomatoes, cut up
• 2 cans of tomatoes with green chilies
• Bag of fresh spinach, rinsed and drained
• GARLIC!!!!! Few cloves… or bulbs. Ha, no, but this is essential to making the soup that much better (doesn’t garlic just do that to everything?!)

Cook everything and let simmer and add spinach last, just before serving until it shrinks like it does and mixes well. You can add red pepper flakes or S&P, but it’s not really needed.

And, VIOLA! Serve with crusty bread and lots to drink!

Today, of course, is the main event of Thanksgiving! The family is going to be eating real bird, and I’ve seen the whole Tofurkey roast with stuffing, that’s like $27.99, but it’s just me and I’m weary of the Tofurkey brand (although I DO like the lunch “meat” that’s “cranberry-stuffing” flavor. So, that’s holiday-ish!). Anyway, I LOVE Quorn chik’n, so I saw a Turk’y roast (I love how ebonic vegetarianism becomes…) with 5 servings, so I got that to try! 

I’m not a pie fan. I think I used to like it, and I want to like it, but I don’t. We’re having apple & pumpkin pies and Ginger-Macadamia Nut-Coconut Carrot Cake from Vegan with a Vengeance.  Oh-la-la, I’m excited! I’ve got that to cook up today!

We used to have lunch at my mom’s parent’s house, then dinner at my dad’s parent’s. *Phew!* That’s a lot of eating. My mom’s parent’s aren’t alive anymore and everyone’s sort of adopting their own traditions with family, so we’ve decided to give my dad’s parent’s a break since they host Christmas and invite both sides of the family and whoever can make it, comes! We might take the ol’ rascal, Jasper to the park to tire him out, since we’re having a lot of people over today and he’s not a (total) crazy man!

Have a wonderful, giving, loving Thanksgiving!

*Questions for ya:

WHAT ARE YOUR HOLIDAY TRADITIONS?!

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE PARADE (if you watched!)… and/or THE HOLIDAY?!

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?!

I hope you really think about these and really tell the people you love how you feel and take note, not just today, but everyday, for all you have and are able to do! Truly, I’m thankful for so many things I want to cry in appreciation… XOXO~ “Miss OP”

*And yes, I do plan on waking up early to shop. I have to work (changed to later, though!), and even though I rarely buy much, I love the spirit of it and the “kick-off” to the holiday season!

A gassy experience…

Ha… okay, not THAT gas, but the over-priced, stinky, liquid kind (STOP- get your mind out of the gutter!). I dropped my oldest sister off at the airport and my plan was to go to the mall, which is over there, and then pick up some things at the store. But first of all, I needed some gas, so I stopped off, pre-paid, put the nozzle in the gas tank, and it came out! Squirting all over me! EW! So I filled up what I had paid for and went home to scrub myself off and change. So I probably wasted some more gas driving home, AND drive back, but I felt like this was a good day for errands and I should get to it before I was stormed on!

I ex-nayed the mall went to the grocery store. Of course, I had my coupons, which is good because I saved $4.05 on a total of 20 items! Go, me! It adds up, I’ll tell ya. I feel a bit better about this, because I probably wasted some money on the gas that spewed all over me…grrr! Anyway, I found some new things I’ve never bought or seen before, so I feel good that I’m expanding my tastes, too.

Here they are:

Ta-da! I’ve been drinking Emergen-C powder as a supplement into water, which also makes me feel spiffy and I’m trying to find a go-to flavor, so I picked up 4 new ones: Pink Lemonade, Tangerine, Mixed Berry and Black Cherry. I got some Cranberry Stuffing Tofurkey slices I’m excited to try. In the plastic bags I got some bulk items to try: dark chocolate coffee beans (Wow! Those babies are tasty and I’m sure will get ya zippy!), dried dates, and dried apricots. I got 2 So Delicious Cinnamon Bun-flavored soy yogurts because I’ve heard they’re stellar. They were all out of these on the shelf, but I asked and it was my lucky day! The guy who helped me said they were the only flavor that flew off the shelf! (Imagine! Yogurt, flying!) Organic Valley Soymilk enters the mix, as do 2 Wallaby yogurts: Pineapple Coconut and Strawberry Guava. I got some Spinach Dal, an Amy’s Burrito, an Amy’s Tamale Verde meal, my beloved tempeh, Chocolate Pecan Pie Luna, PB&J Dipped Mojo bar, and lastly, some Apricot & Nut (and Coconut!) Nature’s Path granola bars. *Phew!* What an accomplished feeling! Now I have some tasty snacks and food-stuff to take to work, or eat anytime, that I’m enthusiastic to eat!

I’m not vegan, but since starting at work, I’m contemplating this idea. I’ve tried it before, but wasn’t doing it very health-fully, so I added dairy, eggs, etc, so I wasn’t so rigid and restrictive, which is what happened. So, gradually, I suppose. I prefer the taste of soymilk, though, so I’ve stuck with those, but lately I’ve been eating a lot of cottage cheese and yogurt, so those may be the last to go!

Anyway, another night of dog-sitting and then work tomorrow, mid-day! I’ve gotta refund my gas money and grocery bill! Have a super Monday (not the case of the Mondays! <- what movie, anyone?!) and the rest of your week 🙂