08 December 2014

Of Thanksgiving Turkey + Other Fowl

Thanksgiving Week
 
 
saw us in the Coast Range
 
 
admiring some newly fallen snow!
And it found us in one of our many Pacific NW National Wildlife Refuges
 
 
loving the dramatic morning light
(MUCH more dramatic in person)! 
 
It also saw us on the beach
(no surprise, I know. LOL)
 
 
enjoying a walk along the bay, watching the big waves and taking in the city's Christmas decorations!
 
But, on Thanksgiving Day it saw us here--
at my Chef's son home
 
 
devouring and thoroughly LOVING the meal he prepared for us!
 
On the menu was:
a truly DELICIOUS apple juice brined, herb infused roast turkey with gravy,
mashed potatoes
 (a FABULOUS combination of sweet potatoes and russet potatoes plus garlic and other ingredients),
totally YUMMY kale with bacon, hazelnuts and more
(I am NOT ashamed to say I have a new love in my life now---kale!)
and,
last but not least,
cranberry chutney SO GOOD I could eat it at least once a week
(needless to say I am stocking up on fresh cranberries while they're still available)!
 
Everything was great and we enjoyed each other's company,
chatting,
cooking,
learning about Netflix (something we had never seen)
and
getting some quick cooking lessons
:)
 
 
Sadly the lighting was dim and
 I didn't have my camera settings correct so pix are few,
but I had to include this refrigerator decoration in this post.
 I thought it (and the ones for fowl, pork and more) quite fitting...
 
Now about those other birds...
On the weekend, I got the brilliant idea to take the Small One to a NWR
 
 
and I knew just the one I wanted her to see--Baskett Slough near the town of Dallas, Oregon.
 
 
I love this one because you can hike
(although that is limited to the butte during the winter season to protect the visiting waterfowl)
 and drive through the refuge using your vehicle as a blind...
We were blessed to see a heron, duck, geese, hawks and more!
We also walked part way up the butte but didn't make it to where the deer usually are.
If you ever go to a NWR make sure you bring binoculars, a good camera with a zoom lens and SNACKS (for you, not the wildlife).
 
 
At home our remodeling project is getting closer to being done
(YEA!).
My hubby has just about finished painting and he's installed the new ceiling light and mini blinds.
Next to go:
the finishing touches to the ceiling then the laminate flooring and closet doors!
That means it's almost time to get a futon:)
 
 
Advent Blessings,
Aimee
 
Photos:
Oregon Central Coast Range
Baskett Slough NWR
Lincoln City area
and elsewhere!

13 comments:

Betsy said...

Goodness you had a busy week. YourThanksgiving dinner looks amazing. I've never heard of anyone mixing russet and sweet potatoes but I love both so it sounds delicious to me. :-). Your pictures are beautiful.
Blessings,
Betsy

Lorrie said...

That plate of Thanksgiving dinner looks especially appetizing now as I wait for our own dinner to cook. Beautiful scenery photos, Aimee.

- abigail - said...

oh such beautiful scenes!!! it's been tooo long since i last saw the mountains and these pictures make me ache for them.
your thanksgiving dinner and the hilly road into the distance are also great shots!

Linda W. said...

Your Thanksgiving meal sounded wonderful! How lucky to have a son who's a chef.

Teresa Kasner said...

Your meal looked delish.. how lucky to have a son who's a chef! I like the idea of adding some sweet potatoes to your mashed taters!
((hugs)), Teresa :-)

❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉
*M*E*R*R*Y* *C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S*!*
❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉

aimee said...

@Betsy~
It was -- but most of it was spent in remodeling. We squeezed all the other stuff into two days. It was good! If you want to try the potato mash let me know and I'll transcribe the basic recipe for you. Thanks for your comment:)
Advent Blessings,
Aimee

@Lorrie~
Thank you! It was really tasty and I am already looking forward to our Christmas feast:)
Advent Blessings,
Aimee

@Abigail~
Thank you so very much for your kind comments! I sincerely hope your path leads you to the mountains soon:)
Advent BLessings,
Aimee

@Linda~
Thank you! It was very good! I was pretty impressed with your kids cookie making ability :) Mmm!
Advent Blessings,
Aimee

@Teresa~
Thanks! It truly was yummy:) The mashed potato combo is really good and colorful too--you just have to get the proportions right. Yep, I feel very blessed and now that he's back from the South I am dreaming of more yummy meals and visits with him:)
Blessings,
Aimee
PS: Love the snowflakes on your comment!

Bethany Carson said...

Love the last two photos--and the first shots of the mountains! Glad you had a great Thanksgiving celebration--those cranberries do look good!

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

What a fun thanksgiving. I've been to the baskett slough a few times. Nice place. We stop there once in awhile on our way to the coast. Thanks for sharing!

My Dog Sam - Ruptured Disk said...

Wow, those are some amazing shots. Very nice. Love backroads. Your Thanksgiving dinner looked great too. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Gracie Saylor said...

Beautiful photos, Aimee!!! The food looks so yummy :) Cheers for the remodeling progress, too! Wishing you and yours blessings. xx

aimee said...

@Bethany~
Thank you! The cranberry chutney was wonderful! I will be trying to recreate it soon:)
Advent Blessings,
Aimee

@Becky~
You're most welcome! I am thrilled that you've been to Baskett Slough before--I LOVE seeing all the waterfowl there and our granddaughter really liked it too!
Advent Blessings,
Aimee

@Sam~
Thanks Sam! I LOVE backroads too--and yummy food:)
Advent Blessings,
Aimee

@Gracie~
Thank you! I am glad you liked them! I am SO hoping we can finish the bedroom by the end of this year as I want to decorate it for Christmas:)
Advent Blessings,
Aimee

To all my PNW friends~
Wishing you safety during tomorrow's windstorm. Aimee

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Oh that dinner sounds -- and looks -- so darn good, I almost can't stand it! (drooling into the keyboard here!)

What a fine day with your family! And what a bonus to have a pro to cook with you!

I didn't know about that slough and have made a note of it. Sounds like a great place for a summer walk.

aimee said...

@Sallie~
Thank you! It was scrumptious! I surely hope your keyboard survived your drooling episode:) Our oldest indeed does have a way with food--I always enjoy it when he cooks for us!
There are several National Wildlife Refuges in the valley. Another one I really enjoy is the Wm. L Finley one south of Corvallis. You can also drive through it and there are many different historical buildings located on it as well as varied topography. Here's a link to a post I did on it: http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2011/03/sometimes-you-just-need-refuge.html
I LOVE NWR's during the winter here--them and SNOW!
Advent Blessings,
AImee

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