Turkey Day 2018

Thanksgiving was wonderful this year. We've had some struggles with a family member in the past, which has made family gatherings difficult over recent years. Thankfully, some of those things have recently been worked through and resolved so it made this gathering more comfortable than we've had in quite some time.

We hosted at our house and Brandon and I took charge of the turkey mashed potatoes. The kids and I also made some pies.

As I was evaluating my recipes I was remembering that when I used to blog more regularly that I would document what recipes I used to I could go back to them in the future. And let me tell you, the turkey brine we used we definitely want to revisit. I went with a much simpler brine this year and liked it so much better than what we used last year.

So, the recipe inspiration came from this recipe at Taste of Home. Citrus & Herb Turkey Breast. We cooked two 12 pound turkeys. So, I doubled the brine and then just added enough water to cover the turkeys. After letting the turkey brine overnight Tuesday and through most of the day Wednesday I pulled them out and spatchcocked them. This is a fairly easy techinique, even easier when have really good sharp scissors which I did not. I actually broke one of my pairs of kitchen shears trying to cut the bone. Oops. Next step was to rub the herb butter all over the turkeys and then we put them in the fridge until Thursday.

We roasted one turkey in the oven and smoked one turkey on the Traeger. The roast turkey gave me a bit of a headache because our thermometer broke so I couldn't figure out what temperature it was. We tried calibrating it and everything and it kept changing readings. From 140 to 120 to 160. Finally, we took it out to the Traeger and used one of those probes and it read 167. Tada! Perfection!! And it really was delicious, both the turkeys were very delicious.

For the mashed potatoes we bought a potato ricer, in hopes of achieving the creamiest mashed potatoes ever. However, by the time we were making the mashed potatoes I was kind of just ready to eat and didn't give them quite the care and attention  (or enough butter) to quite get them to the perfect state. But they were definitely fluffy and did not get gluey at all, which was our main goal.

Finally, the three pies we contributed were key lime pie, fudge brownie pie, and banana cream pie. Banana cream pie has always been my favorite pie for Thanksgiving. I have very vivid memories of making banana cream pie and chocolate cream pie with my mom when I was a kid. So, I will always make banana cream pie, even if no one else eats it. Which, my family loves it, but no one else in Brandon's family had any. Fine by me! More for me! Marie made key lime pie. We add a little cream of coconut to the custard mix and we added a coconut emulsion to the whipped cream It was really delicious. I loved the texture of the custard and I think we'll add a bit more coconut. We were very light handed because we weren't sure how we'd like the coconut. And finally, William made a fudge brownie pie. It was good, but very rich. Ashley brought a tollhouse chocolate cookie pie and all our kids loved that one, so I think we'll do that one in the future and pass on the brownie pie.

Besides the yummy food, we mostly just visited with each other. The kids got a little crazy. We are determined to finish our family room this year so that kids will play down there. We didn't allow cousins in bedrooms and the cousins wouldn't play in the family room, so the kids just ended up under our feet a bit. By the time we host Thanksgiving again, we should have it all finished! Woohoo!

So, here's to a wonderful Thanksgiving and here's to getting it checked off the list. Hurrah!

Reading the Book of Mormon and other things

I have been working on reading the Book of Mormon before the end of the year, per President Nelson's challenge to the women in October conference. I have tried to be open with my family about my goal and have a chart on the fridge where I am keeping track of my reading. It has been neat to see my kids' support and interest. Tonight Sam sat down with me and read several verses to me as I was reading. I really had to binge read today because I was behind the pacing schedule by about 20 chapters. Ooops!

Marie is reading the Book of Mormon, too. She is going slowly, but this is her first time ever reading it on her own so I reassured her that reading it a little each day, no matter how long it takes her, is what is important. I am praying that she gains a testimony of the book as she does this reading. I want more than anything for my children to gain an greater testimony of regular scripture study than I have. That is something I never developed well in my youth and have, consequently, struggled with being consistent on in my adult life. My testimony has not suffered, but I do believe my general understanding and knowledge has suffered. I am trying though and am grateful for the chance at eternal progress.

There have been terrible fires in California this year. A fire near Sacramento basically wiped out the entire town of Paradise. The town is surrounded by mountains and forest and when the fires swept in they had no way of evacuating. Many people died in their cars and homes. It is just so devastating. There are fires in Ventura County, as well. The winds took the fires from Simi, but many other areas have been burned.

The last days are here. I certainly feel the urgency to be found on the right side of the battle.

Higher and Holier

In October at General Conference it was announced that we will be moving to two hour church blocks on Sunday. The purpose for the shift is to create a greater emphasis on home-centered learning. I am so excited about these changes and the greater purpose it has given me as mother. Of course, this has always been my call and my purpose, to create a home environment that promotes Gospel learning and light. However, it feels "higher and holier" now, to borrow a phrase that has been used in conference lately.

As I have pondered and prayed about what the Lord would have us do here in our own home, it has been thrilling to receive the needed revelation. President Eyring's talk was especially poignant to me.

• So you will take more time to pray, to ponder, and to meditate on spiritual matters. You will have knowledge of truth poured out upon you and grow in your power to nurture others in your family.

• You can know whom to nurture in your family. If you pray with real intent, a name or a face will come to your mind. If you pray to know what to do or what to say, you will feel an answer. Each time you obey, your power to nurture will grow. 

• You will bring your inherent feeling of charity into changes in activities and practices in your family. That will bring greater spiritual growth. When you pray with and for family members, you will feel your and the Savior’s love for them. That will become more and more your spiritual gift as you seek it. Your family members will feel it as you pray with greater faith.

• When the family gathers to read scriptures aloud, you will already have read them and prayed over them to prepare yourself. You will have found moments to pray for the Spirit to enlighten your mind. Then, when it is your turn to read, family members will feel your love for God and i for His word. They will be nurtured by Him and by His Spirit.

What stands out to me about these passages is the way that President Eyring guides us. He uses the statement, "You will" not "you should" or "you can". The phrase "you will" brings with it the confidence he is showing in us to be able to accomplish the task which is in front of us. And in turn, as he guides us in what we will do, he then shares with us the blessings that will come from our actions. I italicized the blessings above.

As I read these passages I can't help but feel the urgency of these tasks. I feel driven to accomplish them, as the blessings that are promised are ones that I cannot afford to live without. 

But then the task at hand starts feeling daunting. I begin to wonder if I am equal to it. That is when I am reminded of one of my favorite sections of the Book of Mormon. It is in Ether when the Brother of Jared is preparing boats for his people to cross over to the Promised Land. The Lord has given him direction on building the boats, but now he has a question. How will we have light? Instead of giving them the answer the Lord says, 

Ether 2:23. What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire.

Ether 2:25. And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?

He reiterates to the Brother of Jared that they are going to need light, but leave the task up to him to find the answer. I have a book called "Christ and the New Covenant" that Elder Holland wrote and I love the way he describes this moment.

After what was undoubtedly a great deal of soul-searching, the brother of Jared came before the Lord--perhaps hesitantly but not empty-handed. In a clearly apologetic tone, he said, "Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with they servant because of his weakness before thee; ... O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock. Things. The brother of Jared hardly knew what to call them. Rocks undoubtedly did not sound very inspiring. Here, standing next to the Lord's magnificent handiwork, the impeccably designed and marvelously unique seagoing barges, the brother of Jared offered his contribution of . As he eyed the sleek ships the Lord had provided, it was a moment of genuine humility.

The brother of Jared then proceeds to proclaim his faith that the Lord can touch the stones and make light out of them. And his faith is so complete that he sees the Lord. What I learn from this passage is that whatever we can present to the Lord in faith, he will sanctify. He will consecrate our actions and our efforts and the Atonement of Jesus Christ will make up for anything which we lack.  

These are just musings are perhaps just half-baked; but I am learning and I am ready with my stones to have the Lord touch them with light. I know I can and I must do this for my family.