A Productive Thursday!!

I have a list a mile long!! THREE in fact!

But I took a break from all my chores and did a little bit of arts and crafts today!

The designs didn't photograph well, partly because I dropped some silver glitter into most of the balls. Still, I made simple tree shapes or Merry Christmas 2015 using craft Tulip Slick deminsional paint. Easy peasy! Now I have a dozen ornaments to share with friends and family at Thanksgiving Dinner in Fort Worth.

I have a LOT to do in the next 2 days! Who DOESN'T??? It IS the week before Thanksgiving!

Still, I take breaks here and there! I do love Facebook!

I do NOT follow anything or anyone controversial and have purposely made Facebook a safe and friendly place to spend a few minutes catching up with family and friends. I love the recipes and craft ideas and finding our what 'my people' are doing!

I will adapt the recipe given by making Kettle Korn and adding green food coloring and then tossing in the M&M's and leaving out the mini marshmallows.

Louis Dean LOVES 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and reads it to the quads every year - even when they were preemie little babies!! He and his second grade class put on a Grinch Christmas play long years ago and he can STILL quote the entire book verbatim!!

Then there was this recipe!!!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries – this easy Thanksgiving side dish is not only delicious and bursting with Fall and Holiday flavors (cinnamon, maple syrup), it’s also healthy, gluten free, vegetarian, and packed with fiber!

Ingredients

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
3 cups Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste

Roasted Butternut Squash:
1 and ½ pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes (Yields about 4 cups of uncooked cubed butternut squash)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Other Ingredients:
2 cups pecan halves
1 cup dried cranberries
2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

Roasted Brussels sprouts:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Make sure Brussels sprouts have trimmed ends and yellow leaves are removed. Then, slice all Brussels sprouts in half. In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine. Place onto a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened.
Roasted butternut squash:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.
Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.
_Note:_You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven – that’s what I did.
Assembly:
In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pecans, and cranberries, and mix to combine. (OPTIONAL): For more sweetness, add 2 or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, if desired – do not add all maple syrup at once, start with 2 tablespoons, then add more, if desired, and toss with the salad ingredients to combine.

I am hoping THIS is what Summer was talking about when we spoke this afternoon as to what we are taking to an early Family Thanksgiving Dinner at Amber's on Saturday!

A priority on my To Do List is the denim quilt for Lummi. She is Jutta's granddaughter.

I am all but finished! I lack SIX of the ribbon roses and I shall buy them tomorrow!

I tied the quilt using pink ribbon and green embroidery thread.

The silk ribbon looked like it woul UNTIE despite the fact I knotted it three times!

That's when I decided to sew pink ribbon roses in the middle of the ties!

I am thinking and praying for Jutta tonight.

She made plans to come to Texas way back in June. 

Since then her son in law, Peter, was diagnosed with cancer.

She has been with him through the first three chemo treatments but his fourth was yesterday and it did not go as planned. Naturally she is beside herself with concern! It is hard to be on 'vacation' when your heart is heavy for a loved one going through so much and is over 6,000 miles away.

We accomplished a lot today!!

The side decks are being cleaned slowly but surely - a little more each day.

I'm buying several gallons of bleach tomorrow to clean up the stone patio and part of the wooden deck. At least the whole area is usable once again!

Since I am going to be walking on the beach in Galveston with my friend, Jutta, soon I thought a pedicure was in order! I also got a massage as I felt as if I was winding up tighter and tighter each day! So it WAS a productive Thursday and I feel confident that I can accomplish everything on my lists in good time. That leaves this evening to kick back and enjoy some down time!!

Remember!!! We must all pace ourselves!

 We want to ENJOY this Thanksgiving week!!!