Hello, hello! Guess what day it is? Not hump day (unfortunately), but Monday, which means I have 31 more minutes to upload a post.

The only problem is, the post I was going to share today isn't finished being written is, uh, experiencing technical difficulties loading words onto the page, and had to be postponed. Thus, I am here to tell you...to tell you...whatever pops into my head to say at 11:31 at night! (2 minutes have apparently flown by since I first began to ramble.)

So what do I care to say at such a late hour? That summer is flying by waaaay too quickly, but - provided we get to keep the fantastic weather - dad has been working hard to convince me that fall is certainly a good thing coming.

Step one in this campaign was that we finally have one of these puppies for our 1800-2700 pounds of apples we get each year:

See how you can crush and press the apples at the same time? Plus, it apparently improves the quantity by quite a bit, and also, you know, we don't have to rent one anymore and lug it back and forth. My mouth is watering for cider and my hands are itching to once again compete with Charae for the best cider-pressing team!

Step two in Father's Fabulous Fall campaign was that, quite unexpectedly, we were confronted with the fact that he can make killer apple pie. I'm talking seriously amazing. And I never knew it in all my born days!

I guess you could say that, here in the Evergreen State, fall is synonymous with apple abundance ~ thus, much as I love the warmth and the sunshine, Father's campaign has been successful, and I am looking forward with great anticipation to the coming months.

14 minutes left.

um...

Oh! I can tell you my Chick Fil A story! Back in July, when I was road tripping home from Branson with my grandparents, we happened to be going through a part of the country where there were several - you guessed it - Chick Fil As! Having never been to one, but supporting what the restaurant has stood for, we stopped there for lunch one day, with fantastic consequences.

Rolling out of the restaurant later....

Papa and I ordered a sandwich; grandma ordered a salad, and papa added a sundae to his meal. I toyed with the idea of ordering fries, too, since...I really like fries, but decided against it. Only to have cashier (who we think was a manager) ask me (upon finding it was my first time at a Chick Fil A), "Do you hate french fries?" "Um, no. I love them," was my confused answer. "Well, then," he informed me, beginning to punch a secret code of buttons on his register, "I'm going to give you a complimentary fry, because you have to try this sauce with them," (handing me a stack of sauces). "Ok - cool! Thanks!" I decided I'd gotten a pretty sweet deal. Little did I know, it was just the beginning.

"You know," he paused before ringing up our total, "you really need to try our chicken sauce, too, so I'm going to give you a complimentary chicken. No - two. One fried and one grilled. You'll love this sauce," (handing me another stack). "Wow...thank you," was all I could manage now, wondering how in the world I was going to eat all of this.

"And," he added, warming to his theme, "two cookies!"

By now, I was chuckling so hard, I could hardly manage a "thank-you."

"You know," his exuberance waning, "Chick Fil A was originally from Georgia, so I'm going to give you," (beginning to go crazy on the buttons again) "a Georgia peach milkshake as well!"

At this point, I think my eyes popped out of my head. How could he give me all this free food? How could I possibly eat it all?

Is this a normal amount of food for 3 people???

I cannot believe all this food

Took me a while to finish everything... :p

And now, my dears, it is 12:10. So I'm late anyway. Would have been on time...or at least closer to on time, except for the internet skipped out on me for a while.

So, since we're here, I might as well wish you a happy Tuesday!!

And ask if you can taste the apple pies yet.

And advise you to tell the cashier if it's your first time at Chick Fil A.

And bid you good night.

Blogger Goes Facebook-Post-Length: Part IV

STARVING. Could have something to do with the 85 kilometers we biked, but who knows?

(don't worry, mom, I got food! :)

Thanksgiving Traditions (Food)

At Bible study Sunday night, Mr. C asked everyone what he/she was most looking forward to about Thanksgiving. A great question but...the answer wasn't allowed to have anything to do with food.

WHAT??

Yes. You read that right.

The best thing about Thanksgiving, minus the food.

*ahem*

I mean, obviously my favorite thing about Thanksgiving isn't the food. Right?

But my favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the traditions we have...and it just so happens that these traditions mostly revolve around...

*ahem*

...food.

You get my drift? Excellent. Moving on.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving! First on the to-do list was the decoration of gingerbread houses!

When we were younger, everyone got his own house. Now we're older - and we split 'em. Each "child" decorates one side - and we have heaps of fun! This is the one Meg and I made (my side, but the decor on the tippy-top is Megan's :) :

After the candy and "glue" is cleared away, it's time for the Middles and Littles to set the table while the food preparations take place. Don't forget Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim (our salt and pepper shakers)!

A few evenings ago, the family conversation was disturbed by some sort of argument taking place between James and Zachary. Due to some stellar interrogation skills (honed and perfected by mama), we discovered the cause: Zach was trying to make "Mr. and Mrs. Pepper" kiss. "But mom," Zach explained with giggles, "They're both too fat - it doesn't work!" (For those of you now concerned for poor Mr. and Mrs. P's relationship, mama discreetly investigated this report after the matter was calmed, and found that it was actually quite possible for the two to kiss, despite their stoutness).

Dinner was delicious, the main course being, of course, Bob the Turkey:

Why is his name Bob? you ask,

Well, it all began many years ago...

..but that's a story for another post. For the past two years, mama has brined the turkey two days before Thanksgiving in an Apple Cider Brine. The result is the most savory, juicy, flavorful turkey you've ever eaten. Practically melts in your mouth. "I am never cooking another turkey ever again!" Grandma exclaimed, as she sampled mama's masterpiece, "Why not?" we all asked, rather dismayed. "Because if I ever want turkey, I'm just going to have you make it for me!"

Other "traditions" in the meal department included mashed potatoes:

This year, on a whim, I added lemon juice and rosemary to the potatoes. I really like having the extra bit of tangy-ness...and I didn't hear any complaints! :)

And sparkling apple cider is a must-have at our holiday meals!

In addition, there was an ah-maz-ing artichoke dish and jello that Grandma made, "Felicity" green beans (cooked in butter, milk, and salt), Maple-Glazed Parsnips and Carrots, homemade whole wheat rolls, and two other dishes I don't particularly care for (dressing and cranberry sauce). Actually, I do like dressings, so long as you hold the croutons. (Mama informs me that it isn't really dressing without the croutons, but...)

The spread:

The gang (no one pays attention to cameras anymore! :)

After dinner, Grandpa pulled out his computer and showed us pictures of his and Grandma's recent European Tour (visit Papa's blog to see some of them!). Then, it was time for pie and coffee!

Emily made Nantucket Cranberry Pie, (left), Papa made an apple pie (center), and I made our "we-have-it-every-Thanksgiving" Peanut Butter Silk Cream Pie (hmm...could you have guessed which was mine by the "decorating"? :)

A slice of each, if you please! :)

It was a good Thanksgiving. I love that, as a nation, we have a day set aside each year to count our blessings. How was your Thanksgiving?

Watch-It Wednesday: Get a Rope

The unforgivable sin....

Have a yummy Wednesday!

Dripping Honey

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." - Proverbs 16:24

Mmmmm. Honey certainly is good. But honey in the honeycomb is ten time more so. To just dip a spoon and come up with a teaspoon of dripping honey and chewy comb... Yes, we've been enjoying the gift some friends and their bees gave to us! :) Mama and I are now considering getting our own hives...

"My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off." - Proverbs 24:13, 14

Have a sweet Tuesday!