Cherokee Sage Woman

OK, here's the scary stuff.. I'm cooking & baking.. (shaking yet?) And it's all from SCRATCH! aaaaaaaaaahhaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaa!!
Scratch is an unfortunate sounding word to describe cooking because you have to have a whole lotta 'scratch' to buy the myriad of ingredients. You end up buying things in bulk, when it's not sold any other way. So I will have fresh parsley, sage, thyme, cillantro, et al.. that will turn the obligatory brown & black in a few days, so that I can throw it out. One always waits for the death process to fully take place in the fridge before throwing it out. And then comes the tupperware opening 'Guess-What-This-Crap-Was' game. It all looks like a bio breakdown, & has no sense of it's former glory. Even more fun when you can con a spouse into sticking his nose in it, to add further clues to 'GWTCW' game.
Anyway, I have been to the stinking store 3X already, each time thinking I had reached nirvana & all the needed ingredients were right at my fingertips. And when one goes to WallyWorld, one does not just stop at the grocery section.. because those stretch jeans are just calling ut your name (& yes, I will need them).. & look what's on sale for 1/2 price.. vats of Halloween candy! If I were smart, I'd take the wrappers off that junk, place it in a tupperware bowl & claim it as my own. But that would be cheating.. & I'm not that smart.
So those 3 trips were $300+ EACH. Fun! I tell ya, it's all funny money. And heck, maybe we'll qualify for a bailout.
Now I find that I will need yet another trip to the store. I have added to this 'final' list about 1 item every 1/2 hr. It grows like topsy.
*What exactly is 'topsy', & will I need it for the pea salad?
So this morning I created 'Sweet & Spicy' candied pecans. I swear, they taste just like the ones you buy at the state fair, for like $3. If I were making these for a living, I'd be charging $10 a damn bag. My burned fingertips would demand it.
They aren't pretty to look at, but quite tasty.. & if I don't quit eating them, they will be a distant memory for Thanksgiving.
Next I made some marbled walnut fudge. Luckily I'm not a chocolate fan, or I'd be tasting that into oblivion as well.
I have about 10 things that I'm going to cook, some including the art of using wonton wrappers! That's just pretty freaking exotic for east TN. (at least up here on Rocky Top)
I'll be baking all day tomorrow, & will be happy to greet Angi & her family. YAY!
Tomorrow evening, we'll start brining the turkeys, & I'll crock pot up a big pork butt (no jokes, please).. for shredding & serving w/ the ton 'o ribs that Dan will be grilling on Wednesday.
Thank the heavens for list making abilities, because it's the only way to plan multiple meals.
And the best part of all will be sharing it w/ all my kids. And the belching, farting,laughing, etc that follows.
You know, we could all sit around w/ a bag of fritos & a tub of bean dip & still have the best time together. Note to self: buy those things!
Dustin flies in on Wednesday, & Kenny's family will be driving down that afternoon. Paul's family will be flying in late that day.
We are soooo excited!

Ya'll have a happy Thanksgiving, because we sure will! And if you don't have a place to be.. c'mon up.