>Green, green, green…the sequel

>Here’s the latest in my quest for eco-friendly wrapping this holiday season. These are picture frames for my grad school friends. Don’t worry; they’re all with me today on a major shopping and social outing. They won’t read this until they get home, if they read Compost Happens at all.

I didn’t want to give the frames empty or with the usual tacky fake filler fotograf. I mean, photograph. To fill the frames, I went to Wordle. At the wordle site, I copied and pasted a blog post about the five of us and our friendship, turned it into a word cloud, and then printed. I had a hard time getting the size right, making sure it had all the names, and looking for key words, so there were a few extra copies printed. Those extras became the wrapping.

The result: a unique and personalized gift and recyclable wrapping to (almost) match.

I hope they like them. Aw, heck, they’ll love ’em.

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>How Green can I be?

>I don’t like wrapping paper. It gets used once and then thrown away. It’s not recyclable, we can’t burn it in the fireplace, and re-using it is difficult if not nearly impossible. So what’s an environmentally friendly mama to do? I re-use paper when I can, I keep gift bags until they fall apart, and set up a box for the cut-up cards that become our tags every year.
It still seems wasteful.

I’ve set myself a goal. Goals need to be realistic, so I set this one high enough to make a difference, but not so high I’ll be sure to fail.

I’m determined to use no new wrapping paper this holiday season.

I can use scraps that are already on our wrapping shelves. I can re-use bags and tissue, bows and curling ribbon. But I won’t buy new wrapping paper, no matter how cute or special.

I’ve salvaged packing materials, especially the large pieces of butcher paper that cushion the smaller boxes within the big ones. Flattened, that paper makes a great base for wrapping. I can decorate it with cards or ribbons or other small pieces of wrapping material, and it’ll look reasonably festive.

My family won’t buy into my project. I know that already. They fuss when I take care to open presents so I can reuse the paper. But I set this goal for me alone, and I don’t plan to force it on the rest of the crew.

Here’s the first. We have a couple of birthdays to celebrate over Thanksgiving holiday. This one is wrapped in off-white packaging, decorated with pieces from one of last year’s holiday newsletters and a bow, and then one of my own specialized gift tags.

Off we go; for a Christmas that’ll be at least greener, if not green.

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>Random thoughts on a long Thanksgiving weekend

>The makers of stuffing mix recommended twice as much stuffing as needed. Twice as much! Next year I’ll know better. But I like stuffing, so it’s not really a problem to have leftovers.

I wish I could have composted the coffee filters and coffee grounds yesterday. I made three pots total. Oh, the guilty feeling of throwing these in the garbage!

The turkey carcass made a great soup stock. There was just enough leftover turkey for two containers: One for sandwiches, one scraps for soup.

Cloth napkins are definitely the way to go. Gather them up after the meal, throw them in the laundry basket, and wash them with the dish towels. If we’d used paper, each person would have used at least two, and the pile would have filled half a garbage bag. The decision to use cloth might help ease my guilt about the coffee grounds and filters (see above).

We have a tiny kitchen in our Victorian home. I call it a “one person kitchen,” but Husband and I managed to work in it together. I stuffed the turkey and settled it in the oven, then Iron Chef Husband took over and made the sides. We worked side by side as I made the gravy while he carved the turkey. After all was said and done, the meal was delicious. We were both tired enough that if we hadn’t had guests, I think both of us would have napped after the leftovers landed in the fridge.

A crockpot is great for stuffing. I put as much in the turkey as I could and then cooked the rest in the crockpot. My poor worn out crockpot, that is, with the falling-off handle and the rust stains on the sides from steam and condensation. The crock, the actual cooking pot, is in great shape. the outer piece is not.

My family loves my crockpot soups and other creations enough that they arranged a new crockpot for my birthday! Daughter stopped at an outlet mall on the way home from her college campus and bought me a brand new crockpot AND Little Dipper! I’ve never had a Little Dipper, so I predict all kinds of fun ahead.

La Petite has been 21 for almost a full year now. I’m still adjusting to the fact that she can drink wine or beer at dinner and not need our permission to do so. So far she’s shown a knack for drinking only in moderation, thank goodness.

Amigo thinks he wants to go shopping on Black Friday. He says he doesn’t want to shop, but wants to “see the chaos.” Not a chance, kiddo. Not if it’s up to me. Now if La Petite wants to take him…that’s another story.

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>Tools of the Trade

>

Blogging, besides being fun and therapeutic, has its occasional perks. I was the random lucky winner of a gift card from Parent Bloggers Network, and the card came yesterday. But the box was rather large for just a gift card.
Thanks to Butterball Turkeys and Parent Bloggers Network, I’ll be cooking up Thanksgiving in a brand new roasting pan and carving it with a new knife on an amazing new cutting board.

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>Turkey Noodle Soup Daisy’s Way

>There are so many different turkey soup recipes out in the blogosphere that it didn’t occur to me to post another one. However, a plurk friend (also butcher and chef) suggested that would be a good post for Thanksgiving week, so I decided to try it.
The hardest thing about posting a soup recipe is that I rarely make a soup the same way twice. Soups usually start with a good stock or broth, add veggies, add meat (maybe), simmer all day, and later add noodles or rice or dumplings. But here goes: the Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Noodle Soup at Daisy’s house.

4-6 cups turkey stock (you did make some with the turkey carcass, didn’t you?!)
1/4 cup peas
1/4 corn
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green or red pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, and basil if available
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/4 cup spinach (optional: I have some in my freezer from the summer garden)
–any other available leftover vegetables
Oh, and turkey! I almost forgot. 2 cups diced turkey, or more if you like a really meaty soup.

Let all ingredients simmer in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. About an hour before serving, add a generous handful of egg noodles (or other type, but wide egg noodles are my family’s favorite). Turn crockpot to high.

Serve warm with fresh bread and cranberry jello on the side to recreate a bit of the peaceful feeling of Thanksgiving Day.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone.

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>It’s coming…the holiday is looming…must plan.

>Since the fabled fairies of Thanksgiving won’t be here, we started preparing for Thanksgiving ourselves. Here’s the menu.

Thanksgiving Dinner
Thursday November 27, 2008
Tables will be ready at 1:00

Appetizers: Various pickles & olives
Cut veggies & dip.
Deviled eggs
Breads from Daisy’s parental units the Maternal side of the family) and brother & his wife

Entree: Turkey
Sides: Stuffing
Traditional Mashed Potatoes
Yukon Gold Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Packer Veggies
Brown Sugared Baby Carrots
1-2-3 Cranberry Sauce by Amigo
Jello from Maternal side of family
Rolls from Maternals and Brother & SIL

Desserts: Pies from maternals and SIL (Brother, I know you won’t do the baking, it’s okay)
Whipped topping and Vanilla ice cream from Husband’s parental units

Beverages: Milk
Various sodas
Coffees, flavored and traditional
Water
Wine & Lambic

Parental Units on the Paternal Side have already assisted us with Tablecloths and a table
La Petite is letting us use a dorm fridge to help with beverages

Husband shopped for the majority of the goodies today. I picked up the coffees, since Tinkerbell won’t be here to do it. We started cleaning today, too. The turkey rests in the refrigerator, the tablecloths and napkins have been through the laundry, and the sides and appetizers will be on my list over the next few days so we’re not too overwhelmed to socialize on Thursday.

I think we’ll make it. Gobble gobble!!

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>Eco-gifts: what are the limits?

>Is it acceptable to give something secondhand as a gift? Homemade? Recycled or reusable? Something won as a prize, not purchased?

Second hand and thrift stores have decorative items and seasonal knick-knacks. I’m willing to buy these for my own use and for my family. But as a gift? I don’t know. Those cloth napkins: wash and press, and they’ll look new. But would the gift be tacky? I’ve given and received used CDs by favorite performers. These CDs play as well as new and provide hours of enjoyment. Sometimes they’re out of print, too, unavailable in regular stores. Now that the MP3 generation is here, my old CD craze might be irrelevant, but it’s a good starting place to consider the idea of second hand gifts.

Homemade? I’m not a very good artist or crafter, and I’m all thumbs with a sewing machine, so traditional personal gifts aren’t viable options. But let me in the kitchen and….cookies. Bars. Gifts in a Jar. I can wrap the gift jars in a re-used gift bag with a few lovely sheets of re-used tissue, and I have a nice gift for someone. Cookies are good for someone who might not bake for themselves or someone who is really busy. Is it okay, though, to give something consumable like this? Something that won’t last?

Now comes the other tough call: cheap or inexpensive items. Dollar store. Drugstore clearance aisle. Lip glosses, chapsticks, notepads, pens and pencils, and more — for less. Is it culturally acceptable to create a gift package with goodies like this? Or what about gifts won in blog blasts? They’re new, and even if they cost me nothing but time and effort, they will have value to those who receive them. Is that enough?

Well, blogging friends, what do you think? Times are tough all over. Would you be offended by a secondhand or homemade or inexpensive gift? Would you give one yourself?

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>Easiest Cranberry Sauce Ever

>1-2-3 Cranberry Sauce

1 cup water
2 cups sugar
3 cups cranberries

Bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes or until all the berries have burst. Add cinnamon to taste. Serve warm.

Now, the backstory. I brought this recipe home from kindergarten on a sheet of construction paper. We made it at home since it was so easy. It became a standard at Thanksgiving dinner, the tradition lasting long after the original paper faded.
A generation later, my kids started helping me make it every year. If we have leftover cranberry sauce, I use it in jello or add it to muffins. This little piece of my “saucy” childhood continues, along with Thanksgiving memories that will never fade.

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>Bake it yourself; I’ll Can it and Wrap it

>”I’m going to Fleet Farm. I need canning jars.”
“Mom, you have a case of canning jars in the basement!”
“No, I used them up!”
“Can’t you wait?”
“No, they’ll be on sale now. And the real canners will buy them out if I don’t hurry.”

The truth comes out: My name is Daisy, and I don’t can.
I grow the vegetables.
I cook the vegetables.
I freeze the sauces and soups.
But I don’t can.

So why on Earth do I need canning jars?

For Gifts in a Jar, of course!!

I received a gift like this several years ago and I just loved the concept. I invested in two Jar books, one for cookies and one for bars, and I’ve given some of these every Christmas. It’s just the dry ingredients, layered nicely to look artistic, with the recipe attached. People always enjoy them. I enjoy picking out the recipes, making sure I have the right ingredients, and then putting the jars together. Wrapping is simple, too. I use a fair amount of (reusable) tissue to cushion the jar, then put it in a (reusable or reused) gift bag. It takes time, and time is precious. But time is also a gift, and this is one way I can show my coworkers I appreciate all they time they spend on the students we share.

So back to the beginning. Did I make it to Fleet Farm in time to get a case of quart-sized canning jars? Yes and no. I got the jars, but they were all out of wide-mouth. I had to buy the standard size. Wide-mouth is easier for packing in flour and sugar and chocolate chips and raisins. Next year I’ll get there earlier to beat the rush.

This post was not sponsored by Gifts in a Jar, but here’s the link if you’d like the books. I see they’ve expanded beyond the cookies and bars that I usually give. The blog blast is, however, based on a topic suggested by Klutz, publishers of activity and craft books, and the omnipresent Parent Bloggers Network.

I think I’ll browse the other blog blasts and sigh in envy at those bloggers with actual crafty talents.

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>The Fabled Fairies of Thanksgiving

>Thanksgiving Dinner? No problem! I’ll call in the fairies. They’ll do everything.

The laundry fairy washes, dries, and presses the table linens, including the cloth napkins. If she’s feeling generous, the sheets and towels might get folded, too.
The turkey fairy will practice her specialty and make sure the bird is cooked and carved just in time for dinner. White meat and dark, it’ll all be moist and savory and leave just enough leftovers for sandwiches and a turkey noodle soup.
The baker fairy will take care of pies, pumpkin and otherwise. He’s an expert on flaky crust, selected spices, and the perfect portion of whipped cream. Don’t let that Simple Simon guy get in the way; the kitchen’s too small for anyone who begs to taste the wares.
The brownie — the cunning little house elf — will clean the home thoroughly, put the leaf in the big table, and get the extra chairs out of the basement.
I wouldn’t dream of neglecting the wine fairy: the sommelier so tiny she only recommends, never lifts, a bottle. Her taste is impeccable. Now if we could stop her before she over-imbibes and falls asleep on top of the piano…
Did I mention the decorator fairy? She’ll fix the fireplace mantel with something tasteful and seasonal before she makes sure the couch and rocker are properly arranged for the annual holiday gladiator contests known as NFL football.
The ambiance fairy keeps the wood fire crackling in the fireplace, the aromas wafting deliciously through the home, and the family discussions neutral.
The kitchen fairies: really, there must be a whole crew of these talented sprites. One to do the shopping early and avoid the crowds, another to make sure the cranberries are perfect (and local, of course), and a magical maestro with the potato masher. Then we’ll need a feisty fairy, one with attitude — yes, you, Tinkerbell, you can make the coffees.

Mom, you can send the fairies over to my house now that we’re hosting the annual family Thanksgiving dinner. Let them know that I’ll have their room ready and their favorite cookies baked. If they arrive on Sunday there should be enough time to get everything done.

Wait. What do you mean…they’re…not….real?

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by Butterball.
On the holiday theme as well is Scribbit’s November Write-Away Contest, brought to you by the letter F.

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