Meagan posted this photo on FB with the caption: Andrew lived his best life today! He says happy Thanksgiving and please pass more pie.
The trials and tribulations of 2020 have absolutely no meaning to a child bathed in blueberries.
Here he is with the whole family–before the blueberry bath.
And speaking of the Florida Smiths, I promised a photo of their new home.
Ta-da!
And here it is with an added sunset, courtesy of Photoshop.
They have been in it a couple of weeks now and are loving it.
Unfortunately, Gage’s visit here and the opportunity to meet his parents for lunch last Saturday did not work out because of illness. We are going to possibly shoot for this weekend if all goes well.
In the meantime, Sarah and Gage are in touch by text or video call just about every day–and often for two or three hours at a time.
Speaking of Gage, he has been changing my mind concerning animated movies. My family knows my movie mantra, “I want to see real people doing real things.” In other words, I’m not a huge fan of science fiction, or fantasy, or most animation–although I do make the occasional exception.
Over the past several weeks, Gage recommended two animated movies to Sarah who then recommended them to Steve and me. We watched the first film, The Wind Rises, with Gage during his last visit.
Although I am not an artist, I am a graphic designer, photographer, and lover of all things lovely so I greatly appreciated the beauty of the film. The storyline was fabulous and the artistry and creativity were brilliant.
We watched Fantastic Mr. Fox last night with Sarah who had watched it earlier with Gage. I didn’t go into it with many expectations because it was animated and also it was a story about a fox and his family. How interesting could that be?
Well, suffice it to say that Steve and I were absolutely charmed. It was inventive, hilarious, quirky, and perfect for both kids and adults. It is also stop motion which is amazing in its own right.
So. In addition to Gage making my daughter happy, he has also started to make me not hate animation. Let’s hear it for Gage!
I know Thanksgiving looked different for a lot of people this year.
Since we normally have the guys from Dare Challenge over, it was really different for us. We offered to have the church people cook food and drop it off but the family of one of their students’ famly said they would do something for all the guys. I was glad to know they were well taken care of. (I did take a bunch of Thanksgiving food to a single mom because I just couldn’t stand the thought of not sharing with someone on Thanksgiving.)
Our quiet Thanksgiving meal together was preceded by the great Dinner Roll Massacre. (Not to be confused with the Garlic Clove Massacre of September.)
First, a little history.
When I was growing up, my mom made the most wonderful homemade bread several times a week. Slathered with real dairy butter, it was happiness on a plate.
My school lunches consisted of homemade bread with some sort of filling (mostly peanut butter) wrapped in wax paper. When I got to school, most of the other kids had Wonder Bread sandwiches wrapped in Saran Wrap. Just to demonstrate the foolishness of youth, I actually wanted to be a Wonder Bread kid!
But no. I was stuck with DELICIOUS, DELECTABLE, NUTRITIOUS, MADE-WITH-LOVE homemade bread. Poor, poor me.
At any rate, I have not done a lot of bread baking in my life. But for Thanksgiving, I thought I would actually attempt some dinner rolls. (Which my mom also made, in addition to her multitudinous loaves of bread.)
I pulled a recipe from the Internet and, channeling my inner Great British Baking Show self, started cheerily measuring and mixing and thinking happy, homemade-y thoughts.
It did not go well.
This was touted as no-knead bread, which meant I was supposed to blend it with a mixer. The directions said, “Mix for two minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl several times.”
Well. Within 14 seconds of turning on the mixer, all of the dough had clambered up the mixers and lodged itself there, leaving the bowl completely empty.
I was nonplussed. How does one scrape one’s bowl if there is no dough to scrape? And why was my dough behaving as though it had been chased up a tree by a pack of hyenas?
Feeling disheartened, I spent the better part of the next 100 hours delicately freeing the dough from its mixer prison. It was about that time that I looked at the recipe again and discovered that I was supposed to have added milk and water. I had only added the milk which made the texture really weird.
And also made the dough climb the mixers.
Hoping against hope, I went ahead and added the water after the fact and then threw the dough on the counter for some old fashioned kneading, the way I’d seen mom do a million times. It did not look anything like the results on the baking show but I was trying to stay optimistic.
The site of the Dinner Roll Massacre.
The dough didn’t rise very well but hopeful to the end, I continued to the baking step which was to be preceded by brushing the dough with an egg wash and then topping with garlic powder and parmesan cheese.
After 15 minutes in the oven, I was greeted with horrible little globs of nastiness with a fried egg presence on the bottom where the egg had leaked down to the pan. (How in the world do you do an egg wash without it leaking down? Please do tell.)
Sarah and I each had a bite of a roll and after a few long moments of thoughtful chewing, we together made an Executive Mother-Daughter Decision that they should be put out of their misery and carried gently to their final resting place. (Clue: the final resting place was not on the dinner table.)
But happily, all was not lost.
A few minutes later, our doorbell rang and standing there was our wonderful church board member and drummer, David. Guess what he was carrying?
He had told Steve he was bringing rolls but Steve had forgotten to tell me.
Oh, happy day.
I did my turkey breast in my Instant Pot which turned out well. Steve cooked ham and prepared a broccoli salad. Sarah made two desserts, one of which was pumpkin pie which neither she nor I had ever made before. I did everything that was left, including preparing mashed potatoes. I made them up earlier in the day and put them in the crockpot for several hours to keep warm.
It was so nice to not be mashing potatoes at the last minute.
As usual, Sarah followed along behind me and cleaned up in my stead. It is amazing to me that we could create all these dishes for just three people!
Finally, at 2 pm on Thanksgiving Day, the three of us sat down to share a meal and much gratefulness.
It’s not been an easy year for anyone but for ALL of us, there are still so many reasons for gratitude. (I just read something that said, “Gravy is like gratitude. It goes on everything.)
As always, one of my big thanksgiving of every year is this blog and the amazing people I have met through it. Thank you so much for staying with us through the years and being a special part of the Smithellaneous family.
What about you?
How was your Thanksgiving?
Have you ever completely messed up a recipe?
When you were a kid, what was usually in your school lunch? Did you envy the other kids’ food?
For my thanksgiving alone I ate a very large crab salad and homemade yeast rolls. A real treat for me. Last week I decided to make yeast breads and tried out a new mixing paddle that didn’t fit in the bowl properly. I had flour fly all over the kitchen, but the clean up gave me something else to do. I gave up the bread making until the following day, using the right paddle it went off without a hitch. I have to be busy these days, so I have been doing a lot of baking and cooking.
Cindy,
Crab salad and yeast rolls for Thanksgiving? Sign me UP!
Flour flying all over the kitchen is not such a fun thing–but glad it gave you a project. 🙂 Wish I was next door so I could sample all your delicious dishes!
My Thanksgiving was good. No one stayed too long and we tried to stay socially distanced as much as possible.
Your mashed potatoes in the crock pot reminded me of a cooking fail for me. I had made mashed potatoes and put them in the crock pot for lunch. Well, I left them in there and they turned to a consistency of wallpaper paste. Fortunately I realized that before we started getting leftovers out for dinner.
I always had to eat the lunch the school cafeteria served. And some of them weren’t that great. When I was in high school, they did have a place that was a little different than the cafeteria food but still not great.
Nathan and Meagan’s house looks very nice!
Phyllis,
So glad you and your family had a pleasant Thanksgiving. I think we appreciate our families more than ever during these times.
Glad I’m not the only one who has had a cooking fail. Paste-y potatoes are NOT a fun thing! 🙂
What a wonderful blog article, Becky. I enjoyed the blog and all of the readers’ comments! It is amazing how your stories bring out so many common experiences from your readers. Your “Wonder Bread Kid” story brought back a wonderful memory for me. When our older son was a little tyke, Lucy made all of our bread, and it was delicious! One day our son discovered the delights of Wonder Bread at Grandmama’s house. After that revelation, he began to ask for “Grandmama’s Bread”, and our family soon adopted that name for any “store bought” white bread with the consistency of cake. The name stuck and lasted for years. Regrettably, Lucy’s bread eventually became a precious family memory. (A similar story entitled “Grandmama’s Cheese” followed our son’s discovery of pre-cut, individually sliced processed cheese in Grandmama’s refrigerator. That name stuck and is still in use today after 40 years!)
Fred,
LOVED your Wonder Bread story and especially that the name stuck for years. As well as Grandmama’s Cheese.
Isn’t it funny how kids see the world? I’m sure at first they thought that ONLY grandmama had that special cheese and that special bread.
I love the stories all my readers share about these kinds of things; so special to get to take a peek into all the interesting experiences gathered here in the comments area. 🙂
My bread making secret – find a bread machine at a yard-sale or thrift shop! You add all the ingredients in order, push the button to start, then when it beeps, move the dough to your pan and allow to rise. We had a few family members over for our Thanksgiving meal and enjoyed way too much food! Our leftover ham made some delicious white beans in the crockpot today. And our leftover turkey morphed into mushy, but delicious turkey & rice soup.
I usually ate the school lunches. Funny, I don’t really remember the “good stuff”, just the brown beans and kale. 🙁 . My husband’s school used to make absolutely delicious cinnamon rolls. (I know this because they school system still had their annual chili & cinnamon roll fundraiser dinner when we lived there so I got to taste the goodness.)
I loved the phrase “bathed in blueberries” and the photo was as cute as I expected. Their new home looks very nice! I hope y’all are able to meet up with Gage and meet his family soon.
Have a wonderful week!
Sue Ellen,
I actually do have a bread machine but just haven’t used it in several years. I guess I need to drag that bag out and leave the baking to the professionals! 🙂
You had brown beans and kale for lunch? As a child? Brave soul. Even as an adult, I am not a fan of kale. I can’t imagine a kid eating it. But at least it was very, very healthy!
I think your husband got a little spoiled at his school. I mean, cinnamon rolls? Wow! Good times! 🙂 I’ve never had chili and cinnamon rolls but have heard about it from time to time. Need to give it a try.
I applaud your efforts! I dont even try, I am the worst in the kitchen. I did not inherit my mother’s amazing ability to throw anything together (she never measured a thing) and have it turn out delicious.
Sorry to hear about the cancelled visit, I’m sure Sarah was disappointed. Hopefully this coming weekend.
The new house is lovely down there in Florida. The kids are growing so fast. Noah looks like Steve in that picture. The Smith genes are strong.
My school lunch, I remember it involved a square plastic lunch box and a thermos of milk. I believe there was often a tuna fish sandwich on white bread wrapped in tin foil and scooter pies. I rarely bought lunch(for 35 cents) when I was young, too intimidated by the line process and unfamiliar faces serving the food. Occasionally when I was walking down the hall, in a line to the cafeteria, my lunchbox clasp would suddenly come undone and my lunch items would scatter all over the floor. I hated that.
Lesley,
Oh my. The visual of your lunchbox clasp letting go and scattering your lunch made me wince. The worst part about that experience is that you have no idea what day or what minute of the day it would happen which would be even more traumatic! I worked in the kitchen in junior high school and one day I was pushing a cart through crowded halls; it contained n industrial-sized pot of peas. I had to swerve around someone and ended up dumping the whole pot. Peas. Everywhere. Humiliations galore. So yes, I can relate. 🙂
I had never heard of a scooter pie so had to look it up. I am assuming they are a forerunner to the Moon Pie? I LOVE any food that contains graham crackers, so they have my vote!
Had our daughter and family over for Thanksgiving. Their oldest daughter and her husband couldn’t come because she was not feeling good. Had a covid test and as of today still hasn’t heard the results, but is feeling better. So sorry you couldn’t meet Gage’s parents yet, but that is an anticipated trip I’m sure. Yes, Gage does have a wonderful radio voice – nice that he could interview Sarah – great job. Cooking disasters – yes, a few through the years, but my biggest one was when I was about 11 years old – parents and sisters went to church (I wasn’t feeling too swift), but decided I wanted to make some cookies. They looked really good, but unfortunately I used 1/4 c. SALT and not sugar. Even the dog wouldn’t touch one. Mom had a good laugh though.
Sharyn,
I can only imagine the look on your face when you bit into that first, delectable-looking cookie. I am imagining you immediately spit it out and then went and rinsed your mouth to get rid of all that salt! I loved hearing that your mom laughed about it instead of getting upset. Some things just call for laughter.
I hope your daughter continues to feel better and you’ll be able to see her soon.
We had a pretty quiet Thanksgiving weekend here. Our kids and families were both with in-laws so we had dinner with a couple friends. It was very nice and no cooking disasters. We did do a big Thanksgiving dinner with our daughter and her family the weekend before Thanksgiving.
For school lunches I mostly remember having bologna on Wonder Bread. Probably why I don’t care much for bologna anymore. I don’t even remember what the other kids had, other than one friend that used to bring baby food desserts to school in her lunch…in the actual baby food jars. We thought that was strange, but she enjoyed it.
I hope your weekend plans with Gage’s family work out soon!
Gayle,
Baby food desserts? I didn’t even know babies HAD desserts! 🙂 I guess everybody likes different stuff but I would definitely take a pass on anything in a baby food jar.
Funny that you had Wonder Bread, too. I guess that was really the going thing back in the day. I just read that it originated in 1921. That is a LOT of lunch sandwiches!
I saw you and Ruth wondered if I made bread. Well, I used to make it quite often when Caleb was little. Along with homemade strawberry freezer jam. It was yummy! But here in my quasi-golden years, there is no homemade bread on my counter.
Caleb, however, can whip up delicious homemade bread, pizza crust and bread sticks that are to die for, so we shall just assume that he got it from me. 😉
We were able to spend Thanksgiving with some of Randy’s family, so that was nice. It was a different kind of a day with Randy’s sister, Deb, passing away so recently, but it was comforting to be together.
I enjoyed your roll making story–so funny! Your church drummer sure had impeccable timing showing up with his pan of rolls.
I know the Dare guys missed being with you but it’s great to know another family stepped up. Your dinner looked delicious!
Sure hope you can meet Gage’s family soon.
Love, Deb
Deb,
I remember your jam; it was delicious! I need to get the recipe.
I didn’t realize Caleb was a bread baker! We will DEFINITELY say he got the talent from you. (Because it flows from mom through you to him!) 🙂
I know Deb was on everyone’s mind as you got together for Thanksgiving, remembering her and being thankful for her life. Still hard to believe she is gone. Many, many hugs.
Our Thanksgiving was just the two of us, but very nice complete with all the fixings and of course pumpkin pie. I have had many baking flops. One is pie crust. Never have mastered it and just stick with the premade rolls of pie dough. I took all kinds of food in my school lunches and usually liked what I took. My dad always told how, as a poor farm boy, he took homemade bread and lard sandwiches. A rich boy brought roast beef sandwiches and would always trade with my dad. He thought those lard sandwiches were the best. I’d go with my dad and take the roast beef any day.
Patti,
A lard sandwich? You mean like a Crisco sandwich? I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it.
I don’t make pie crusts either. I tried them a couple of times back in the day but the premade ones taste fine.
Glad you had a nice two-of-you Thanksgiving. I was reading on FB about Amanda and Aaron giving away all those meals. Really touched my heart.
Geat Florida Family photo…everyone looking super super.
Mrs. Pam,
There’s nothing better than being super, super! 🙂
Hugs.
You’re right….your start was absolutely smile-worthy! Andrew is precious! The new house looks nice too. How fun to move into a brand new home!
Your account of the dinner roll massacre make me laugh!! I’m absolutely sure that I have messed up something but cannot really remember the particulars….hmmm. I must have really wanted to forget those instances!
Our Thanksgiving was quiet…just the two of us. It was our last day in quarantine so we told the kids and grand kids to stay at home. I made a very simple meal and it was wonderful.
My school lunches were always purchased. I do not recall ever taking my lunch from home. We had lunch tickets that had to be punched by the lunch lady in order to eat, so we were told very, very adamantly by mom and dad “Do not…I repeat…do NOT….lose your lunch ticket!’ And I never did!! I’m not sure about my brother but am betting he didn’t either.
I hope that you will be able to get together with Gage’s family as planned and that no more obstacles jump in your way.
Blessings to you!
Lee Anne,
I can just imagine you and your brother clutching your lunch tickets in your hands as if they were pure gold. So funny the memories we have from our childhoods of such random things. And congrats to you for never losing the ticket. Not an easy task!
I know you and your husband are happy to be out of quarantine and back to regular life–or as regular as life can be right now. Enjoy!
Love the blueberry bathed tot! Your dinner looked delicious and no shame on the rolls! I can use the same recipe and sometimes it works…sometimes not. Don’t give up!
Our Thanksgiving was calm, quiet with just four of us here. I did a charcuterie board for everyone to munch on until the dinner was ready in mid-afternoon. Cheese, crackers, pepperoni, homemade scones, veggies and dip. I enjoyed far too much and am just now getting my stomach back to normal!
Impatience is what usually destroys a recipe for me…like the from scratch chocolate creme pie we made for Thanksgiving. Didn’t cook to thicken long enough…was still very rich and chocolate-y though lol
Brown bag lunches with a sandwich (PB&J or bologna) wrapped in wax paper and a piece of fruit. Had whole white milk provided by the school. Did that elementary through part of high school.
Guerrina,
I’ve never heard of a charcuterie board but it sounds like a great (and delicious) idea! I’m impressed. (And hope your stomach is a little happier.)
Wow, that’s a lot of years to have basically the same lunch! It must have been something you liked okay to have eaten it that long. I wouldn’t be surprised if you no longer liked peanut butter sandwiches. 🙂
Glad you had a quiet and calm Thanksgiving.
Bread is never predictable…
I have had many rolls emerge from the oven that were not nice and light and not nicely browned–at all!!
(with or without egg wash!)
I have been steering clear of the “bread issue” these days, myself.
Though mom managed it for years, her three girls are still wallowing in the flour trying to figure out the magic touch…
See if Deb has any luck with it.
Ruth,
Wallowing in the flour is right. I did a lot of wallowing on Thanksgiving. I figured you were the Bread Queen; good to know you struggle too. Don’t know where Deb is with bread making. Don’t know if I’ve ever heard her mention it.
That smile just melts my heart. He is so pleased with himself! And his new home is beautiful!
I love to cook, but I don’t bake. So, I imagine that my rolls would turn out the same. Thank goodness for church drummers!
Your meal looks delicious and I know it was enjoyed by all 3 of you.
Ours was quiet, too. But it normally is. Our extended family is further away and we just keep it quiet. But it was nice to enjoy a yummy meal with my son, Dad and sister.
Hoping to hear about your weekend with Gage’s family!
Have a blessed week!
Krista,
Nice to have a few family members nearby, even though most of them are far away. A quiet meal together is a lovely thing!
Yes, cooking and baking really are different things. I think I’m with you; love cooking more than baking.