The Challenges of Blogging

I am often asked how long it takes me to write a blog post. For me, this is the often the easiest part of blogging. Today I'm offering a glimpse of some other ways large chunks of time can be spent blogging.

Have you ever gotten confident with a skill, only to be immediately humbled by it?

This weekend I was playing around again with the design of my blog. I added a new title heading to the search bar to make it easier to spot, and I updated my Recipe and Fiction indexes. Things were going well, but just when I was starting to feel confident in my blog designing skills I made a huge mistake. I wasn’t

Saturday Suggestion: On the next warm day, put holiday lights up!

Thinking about what to write today, I came up with a possible idea for a new blog series.

This series may not happen every week, but at least from time-to-time, I plan to offer a "Saturday Suggestion" for a helpful way to "make the most - - of a moment." Today's suggestion comes from my own concern that I may have missed an opportunity to do just that ...

Don't wait till it's miserably cold outside to string your holiday lights

I'm looking out at my snow-covered trees and property, and hoping the white stuff will melt.  When and if it does, I plan to scurry out there, and string my holiday lights, before it snows again.

I am still seeing a lot of snow outside my kitchen window!

I won't turn my holiday lights on until after Thanksgiving, but they are much easier to put up when tree branches are bare of snow; temperatures are above freezing; and the wind is not howling! I have ignored the voice in my head telling me to take advantage of perfect weather to work outside too many times. We

A Menu for Thanksgiving: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 21)

Where did Fall go?

Whooosh - time is just flying by! It is hard for me to believe that our high school soccer season is over, Halloween decorations have been replaced by Thanksgiving ones, and the view out our windows is now a wintery scene.  Some thoughts about fall today ... and every recipe you'll need to prepare a complete Thanksgiving meal!

Not quite what they hoped for - but still a great result!

Many thanks, by the way, to everyone who expressed good luck wishes for my son's soccer team at the State Championship, and inquired how it went. They made it all the way into the finals and ended up in second place in Montana, with only one goal against them in the final game. 

It's not too early to be thinking about Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving less than three weeks away, it is not too early to start planning a Thanksgiving meal. I have many favorite recipes that I make each year, but I have come across a lot of new ones that I would like to try. 

Today, for my list of Fabulous Finds, I am sharing the links to some of these.  I haven't yet made any of them (except the soup) - but they look amazing to me. All together, I suspect they would make quite a delicious feast!

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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ Appetizer: a Whimsical Cheese-Tray Turkey

This appetizer from the blog "Also, That's It" looks very easy to make and is such a cute turkey shape that it would almost be a shame to eat it!

• Cheese Tray Turkey Appetizer

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~ ~ Roasted Butternut-Apple Soup

Looking through my "Thanksgiving" Pinterest board, I came across my own recipe for this soup. I had forgotten all about it - but once my memory was jogged, I remembered how good it was, and how it would be the perfect soup course for a fancy Thanksgiving meal!

• Roasted Butternut-Apple Soup

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~ ~ Dinner rolls: Almost Mandatory on Thanksgiving

The directions in this recipe for homemade dinner rolls from Cooking Classy looks easy to follow - and I love the cresent shapes! 

• Amazing Dinner Rolls

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~ ~ No one likes dried out turkey meat!

I have tried all sorts of ways to cook a turkey.  My favorite way is to sear it briefly at a high heat, and then cook it slowly at a lower temperature, basting frequently. I have never injected one, but this method explained on the blog Confessions of an Over-Worked Mom sounds interesting to try.

• How to Inject a Turkey

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~ ~ Do you make your own cranberry sauce?

When I was growing up, we always had a dish of cranberry jelly from a can, and another with my mother's homemade cranberry sauce on the table.  I always assumed everyone always ate both!  Although I have perfected my own homemade sauce recipe over the years, I think this one from Kitchen Treaty using maple syrup could be even better!

• Orange-Maple Cranberry Sauce

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~ ~ A traditional Green Bean Casserole - but better

I was on the treadmill this week watching the Today Show, when they made this recipe.  Fresh green beans replace canned, and everything is from scratch, even the crispy onion (shallot) topping. Sounds like a winner to me!

• Siri Pinter's Green Bean Casserole with crispy shallots

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~ ~ A Very Pretty Side Dish

This recipe from the blog Peas and Crayons caught my eye because it is so colorful, and I love the idea of combining squash, cranberries, and feta. I might not wait to Thanksgiving to try it ... especially since it would be so easy to make using the pre-cubed butternut squash that is available in stores right now.

•  Honey roasted butternut squash with cranberries and feta

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 ~ ~ Avoid the last minute stress of mashing the potatoes!
When preparing the Thanksgiving meal, I can stay pretty organized until it comes time to mash the potatoes. Unfortunately, that ususally needs to happen just as guests are arriving and there are other last minute details to attend to. This recipe from The Kitchn sounds delicious and can be prepared ahead!

• Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

For the most amazing mashed potato consistency, some cooks suggest using a food mill or ricer.

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~ ~ Sweet potatoes must be on the menu
For me, turkey dinner is not complete without sweet potatoes or yams.  My kids (and I) love the traditional sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows casserole - but this recipe from Simply Stacie looks like a yummy one to try.

• Twice-baked sweet potatoes

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~ ~ Save room for dessert!

Last year I wrote about the pumpkin pie I baked in my college kitchen, to take to my grandmothers for Thanksgiving... and I have made it nearly every year since. Pecan pie, apple pie and pumpkin pies are always favorites of ours during the holidays, but I also love to try new dessert recipes.  

This pumpkin cheesecake from Something Swanky looks good enough to eat right off the computer screen - and the turkeys on Your Cup of Cake's Turkey cupcake creations would delight people of all ages.

• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Turkey cupcakes

Of course, instead of baking dessert, you could do like we did one year while visiting Columbus, Ohio.  Some of our family members ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. We won not one - but FIVE pumpkin pies! Good thing there were a lot of mouths to feed that year.

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So - there you have it. A full menu of ideas for a complete Thanksgiving menu!

• If you need a little advice on how to roast your turkey, there is lots of advice on-line or you could check out the Butterball website. 

• Does making gravy intimidate you? Martha Stewart has published some easy Thanksgiving gravy recipes that might help.

• Wondering what wine to serve with the Thanksgiving meal? Bon Appetit suggests a Pinot Noir.

Whether you are hosting a small or large group, or eating away from home, I hope you have a wonderful meal, and you are able to count many blessings this year. 

Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving - I think these recipes look scrumptious enough for any day.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving or Fall recipe?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

Wordless Wednesday: Winter is Here

And just like that ... we have winter in Montana.

 

What is the weather like right now where you live?

Some Words of Gratitude

Today, I am simply going to write some words of gratitude.

When I began this blog, I really had no understanding that it was even possible to gain an audience. It began mostly just as a writing exercise and a creative outlet for me. It is so nice (though sometimes still a little intimidating) to know that there are people who read the posts I publish! Whether you have read just one post, you are a sporadic visitor, or one of my loyal readers - I appreciate you taking the time to visit The Most -- of Every Moment.

I am very grateful for the readers who loyally comment on nearly every post, especially those who are busy writing blogs themselves. Even in the past months, when I have been commenting on and sharing your posts less and less, you have faithfully continued to support mine.  I am looking forward to getting back to a better blog visiting schedule soon - and catch up with all that I have missed.

November is National Blog Posting Month, "NaBloPoMo."  While I do not plan to increase my posting schedule to daily this month, I did take a peek at the daily prompts posted on the Blogher website.  Some of them look really fun to answer, and may be my inspiration for a few posts.

Today, the prompt on Blogher was "What was the one toy that a friend had that you wished you had when you were little?"  

My answer is definitely an Easy Bake Oven. I remember desperately envying my friends for having one. My mom's response to my request was always, "Why do you need one of those, when I can teach you how to use my oven?" 

I couldn't resist buying my daughter her very own easy bake oven when she was young and it was practically being given away during a Black Friday sale.  It was a lot of fun for her at first, but then it did not get a lot of use, and eventually we gave it away.

In retrospect - I think my mom's decision was a smart one. Her patience while teaching me to cook and bake, and learn to use her oven led to my lifelong love of baking! 

Thanks Mom!

How would you answer the November 2nd Blogher NaBloPoMom prompt question above?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

In the spirit of full disclosure, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of them, the price you pay will not be affected but I may receive some small compensation. All opinions expressed, however, are entirely honest and my own.

It is Magic When a Group of Players Become a Team

As any parent knows, there is nothing better than knowing that your kids are happy.

We have just experienced two amazing days of soccer. Both our high school teams (boys and girls) won their first two games in the State Championship Soccer Games. Teammates and families have draw even closer together than we have been all season.

It has been fun, and we all are going into the final Championship games today with high aspirations and hopeful feelings.

Sometimes I hate sports, because someone always has to lose. But, win or lose, nothing can take away the good that happens along the way.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend - and that our teams do too!

It's Almost November: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 20)

How on earth can it be the end of October already?? 

There have been some signs... the days are definitely a lot shorter and the stores are stocked with not just Halloween and Thanksgiving things - but Christmas items have made their appearance as well. Mother Nature has not helped me to keep track of the calendar though - and I am not complaining a bit! 

We have had an incredibly beautiful fall, with many warm and sunny days and most of the leaves are still on the trees.

Halloween can be a frightfully cold time of year here. I can remember any number of years when it has been below freezing or subzero. This year though, kids might actually get to trick-or-treat without heavy coats over their costumes!

I am been taking a bit of a leave of absence from Facebook, the blogging world, and even reading anything online, as I have been trying to get caught up with life tasks. I did find some fun links, however, to share with you this week. I hope you enjoy them!

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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ Cranberry Jam

You might remember that in one of my posts back in January, I shared a link for a wonderful recipe for Banana Jam.  Well, just in time for the holidays, I came across this recipe for Cranberry Jam. I bet it is wonderful on toasted English muffins!

• Cranberry Jam Recipe

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~ ~ Antioxidants

Just when we think we have a healthy diet figured out, research suggests something different. This study seems to make a lot of sense, but it just doesn't seem fair that something that is so good for us could also cause harm.

• The latest study about antioxidants is terrifying.

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~ ~ Halloween Costumes

Halloween this year falls on a Saturday.  I suspect there will be even more parties and festivities this year, than in a year when Halloween is on a weekday.  Do you have a costume yet? If not, this link might be helpful - 22 costume ideas you can quickly create!

• Last minute Halloween costumes

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~ ~ Gum Wrappers

When I was in elementary school, we would save our gum wrappers and make long chains out of them. The guy in this commercial used them in a different way. Very creative (not to mention romantic), don't you think?

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~ ~ Spring Forward / Fall Back

Just as I am finding it hard to believe that October is almost over, if seems as though we just moved the clocks ahead an hour - - and now it is already time to move them back.  Daylight Saving time changes occur on different dates all over the world - but for most of Canada and the US, we will be setting the hands of our clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 1st, 2015 at 2am. (Actually, I will be setting mine back before I go to bed on Saturday night!)

• Daylight Saving Time around the World

Don't forget, when you change your clocks, it is a good idea to also change the batteries in all of your smoke detectors!

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Which of these links did you like the best?

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This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

A Spaghetti Sauce Recipe and The Skills We Take for Granted

I was tired yesterday. Maybe it was from getting up early to exercise, or going to bed too late, or perhaps even just some mental exhaustion from thinking about my list of chores that need to get done.

In any event, I worked hard all day, and by 5:30 pm I was dragging. I wanted to make pasta for dinner, but I didn't feel like preparing a homemade spaghetti sauce from scratch. Rather than just heat up store-bought sauce out of a jar, (which I personally don't really like) I made my shortcut version of "sort-of-homemade" spaghetti sauce.

This version involves browning ground beef and garlic, adding some veggies, and a jar of whatever brand of spaghetti sauce that I have on hand (usually a roasted garlic or basil and roasted tomato flavored one). Yesterday though, the jar of spaghetti sauce presented quite an obstacle. So much for minimal effort in preparing the sauce.

When I tried to open the lid on the spaghetti jar, it wouldn't budge. I have pretty strong hands, and usually jars don't present any problem. The diameter of this one was large enough that I had some trouble getting a good grip, and it was STUCK.  I tried all the tricks that I knew - using a rubber mat for more traction on the lid, tapping the jar lid on a hard surface, and running it under hot water - all to no avail.  

I suddenly knew just how frustrating and limiting a physical challenge like this can be. Fatigue was definitely interfering with my coping skills; I began to feel very overwhelmed and started wondering what on earth I was going to make for dinner! Fortunately, right about then, after a lengthy time of being held under hot water, I was able to use a damp washcloth to help twist the lid and open the jar.

In those few frustrating moments before the jar opened, I gained a true appreciation of how much I take for granted the skills I have to perform simple everyday activities. 

I did get the sauce made, and it was good.  I'm sharing the recipe here, you might find it helpful the next time you are pressed for time and lacking energy when it is time to get dinner ready. This sauce over pasta and served with a salad is a satisfying dinner - very quick and easy to prepare.  Unless, of course, the lid to the spaghetti sauce jar is stuck!

Shortcut "Sort-of-Homemade" Spaghetti Sauce

Printable Recipe: Click here.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced (or, if feeling really lazy, 1/2 tsp. garlic salt)

1 can sliced mushrooms, 8 oz.

1 can diced tomatoes, 15 oz.

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp dried basil (or 1 Tbsp. chopped)

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 jar  storebought spaghetti sauce, 28 oz.

Method:

1. Lightly spray a deep frying pan with cooking spray. Brown ground beef with minced garlic until no pink remains, stirring to crumble the meat.

2. Add mushrooms tomatoes, salt and herbs, and full jar of spaghetti sauce.

3. Simmer for at 30 minutes. If too acidic tasting, add  a little brown sugar while cooking.

4. Serve over cooked pasta.

Note: If you are feeling ambitious, you can also add chopped onion and/or chopped pepper when sauteing the meat, use fresh mushrooms instead of canned, and sometimes I add a splash of red wine.

What is your favorite shortcut for preparing a quick meal?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

Win or Lose: It's Always a Life Lesson

This time last year I shared an essay I wrote about the abrupt end to my son's high school soccer season. Going into the playoff game, his team was in second place in their Division, but then they lost to the last place team. This knocked them out of the competition, and suddenly all of our plans to watch them try to win the State Championship evaporated. Hotel reservations had to be cancelled, and players, coaches, parents and fans all felt quite bereft.

This year, the Montana State High School Association changed the rules. The top two teams from the season get an automatic berth at the Montana State Championship meet - so we were able to avoid the trauma of a play-off game.

Everyone is excited, and despite a few injuries, our entire Varsity squad is hoping to be in good enough shape to play. My own son (a senior this year) broke a bone in his hand during practice last week. He has to

Wishing You a Beautiful Weekend!

My post of Fabulous Finds yesterday was quite long, so today I am simply sharing a few photos of the beautiful fall days we have been enjoying this week.

While taking a walk, I noticed these deer, each in their own little space underneath the decks of this house. I laughed when I saw them, because it was as though they had each claimed their own little piece of property! (I added orange arrows pointing to each deer, as a few are a bit hard to see.) 

Our weather has been truly spectacular. I would love another month of days like this!

Wishing you beautiful days and a very happy weekend!

See you here again next Tuesday.

What is your weekend forecast?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

Moles and More: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 19)

Did you know that today is National Mole Day?

What is a "mole" and why celebrate it?

In addition to being a furry animal that lives underground, a "mole" is a basic unit of measurement in chemistry: Avogadro's Number (6.02 x 1023)  I know that I learned about Avogadro's Number when I was in high school; in fact I remember using it quite a bit.  I do not, however, remember ever celebrating it!


In the more recent past, "Mole Day" began as a way make chemistry more exciting, and it is celebrated every year between 6:02 am and 6:02 pm on October 23rd. My son's chemistry teacher has invited all her students to arrive at school at 6:02 tomorrow morning, with "mole" related foods.

My first "fabulous find" of this week has to do with Mole Day - and then there are some pretty fabulous other things as well.

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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ National Mole Day

Just to be clear - this National day of recognition is in honor of moles - not voles. We have far too many of those on our property right now - watch the top quarter of this short video

France and a Friendship

I didn't participate in Words for Wednesday last week, but today I am adding to the fiction story I have been writing, using the word prompts from last week. 

To catch up with "The Mindy Story" so far, here are links to all the previous segments: 

• Part 1, Cleaning Products Don't Work Unless You Use Them
• Part 2, A Perfect Match
• Part 3, Fiction, Sangria, Roasted Red Pepper Spread and a Picnic
• Part 4, Stitches and an Uncomfortable Surprise
• Part 5, A Banana Relapse will Require a Repair
• Part 6, Capturing Fruit Flies & Wine Glasses for Two
• Part 7, A Coffee Date and Cathedral Windows
• Part 8, Chicken Broth and Walnuts - - Oops!
• Part 9, A Mystery and a Secret
• Part 10, Blue Bird - Blue Bell - - Blue Bonnet!
• Part 11, Lemonade and a Pleasant Conversation
• Part 12, A Photo Album, a Lunar Event and a Furry Friend

When you are ready, here is Part 13  ...

Another chapter in the unpredictable life of Mindy ...

France and a Friendship

"Oh, Mindy - cheer up," said Barb. "It's not like Ryan dumped you or anything. He's just away because of his job. This is a good opportunity. Try to be happy for him."

"I am happy for him, Barb" said Mindy, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "He's always regretted not being able to