Destroyed!!

Did you see??! Did you see?!

Alabama was beating Auburn 42 to 0 at HALFTIME!! Which is when I left with my cousin to do some shopping...

I only missed one touchdown. I'm betting the second or third strings came on to have the lovely experience of playing football during the regular season. Or Auburn's defense got a clue. It's a toss up!

Ahem...ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!

Here Turkey Turkey Turkey...

This is the post where you get to hear the rest of my cooking a turkey for the first time story, but lucky you, now you get PICTURES!

The first part was already covered, so here are the pictures that go along with the previous post. Above is the mixture pre-boiling over...

And obviously, this is AFTER boiling over. The nice this is that I didn't have to skim anything off the top of the mixture...

These are the ingredients that went into the brine.

This is the turkey post brining...and thoroughly defrosted, slightly covered in butter and almost put into the pan at the left.

Oh, and here is a picture of the bucket with what's left of the brining mixture...

...and another picture of the bucket. Apparently I was attached to it and it was very important to document.

And here is the lovely turkey in the oven bag which is in the pan which is in the oven which is preheated...

Let me tell you, putting a buttered raw turkey into a great big plastic bag is no easy task. And I had to do it TWICE! I forgot to follow the instructions on the Reynolds oven bag box to put a tablespoon of flour into the bag and shake it around to keep it from bursting...did you know flour can keep a bag from bursting? Yeah, neither did I. 350 degrees...

For 3 1/2 hours. I made the clock, oven and even the turkey nervous watching and looking at it...

And here is the finished product!! Now, don't let the somewhat blackened skin turn you...it's the butter that burned...next time I am going to listen to my Daddy and use oil.

I'll tell you what, nothing made me happier than seeing the little red thingy on the bird popped out...it means the turkey was done! Man, it was SOOOOOOOO yummy!

And this is a bowl full of turkey drippings!! And there was at least another 2-3 cups in the oven bag after I pulled this out...I still need to figure out what to do with all of this lovely juice...

And here is the gravy I made, not from the drippings, but from the broth from the giblets. I took pictures of the giblets, but I decided they really are gross, so I am not showing you.

Here is the carved bird...

And the table we sat at to enjoy all our lovely food. The turkey was SOOOOO good and juicy. We (my cousin and I) had to make a Walmart run, so I'm glad I started the turkey when I did...it was still nice and warm by the time we got to my other cousin's in-laws home.

It was so fun to have Thanksgiving with so many of my Madsen cousins! And to steal a thought from a friend on Facebook, I am so glad I didn't kill anyone from food poisoning.

Ghost of Thanksgivings Past...

Been pondering where and who I was with for past Thanksgivings. Most obviously were with my immediate family. But there have been quite a few I have spent away from home.

While in Alabama, I spent 5 Thanksgivings there. One was with the Hutchison's, one of my FAVORITE families out there. Jan whipped up a marvelous feast. One was with my roommate Lindsey. That Thanksgiving was memorable...her sister-in-law gave birth while we were up there. I felt terribly intrusive being there during this momentous occassion! It slightly messed up the main meal, but it was fixed. I also lost my driver's license and credit cards while I was there...the insert to my wallet fell out of my purse/bag and none of us could find it.

Another was with my boyfriend at the time Mark. It was a grand family affair. It was neat to do a Thanksgiving with such a large family. I had a great time! And the food was amazing.

Another I spent with the Willis family...that was probably the BEST Thanksgiving I spent away from home. Stephanie was the second counselor in the YW presidency, and I was the secretary. Her birthday was the day before, I believe, so not only did we have a feast but there was birthday goodies as well! And we all went Black Friday shopping together, we watched movies, I fell down the stairs...good times!

I believe, if I remember correctly, I spent Thanksgiving once in Atlanta with Reva and her family! One of my favorite people, we had a blasty blast of a time!

I also think I spent one Thanksgiving with my extended family in Arizona one year instead of making the drive home.

This is my second Thanksgiving in Utah. I did head home one Thanksgiving since moving here, but I decided it would be far better to stay here this weekend and not have to stress about driving and weather and such.

One Thanksgiving was spent with my cousin John, his family and his Uncle's family. We had a lovely time that year.

The best Thanksgivings though are the ones when I get to be home with my parents and sister, and now with her family. My Dad usually smokes the turkey, which makes it super flavorful. It's quite yummy...

And now I am making my own turkey. We are having a Madsen cousin Thanksgiving (plus a few from John's in-laws family...)! I feel so grown up!! Praying that the gravy and turkey and everything turn out!!

Adventures in Brining...

So, I think I am soooooo smart, and so besides actually purchasing the needed ingredients for preparing the turkey did I give one slight thought that I should start making the brine BEFORE lunch today? Oh, NO! (HEAVY SARCASM FONT) I will have PLENTY of time to make it and get the turkey into it over my lunch break.

HA! (very loud...)

I get home after leaving work late, going to the bank to deposit a check, AND going to Wendy's to grab a burger and a frosty. Still, PLENTY of time.

HA HA HA! (think My Fair Lady)

Apple juice, brown sugar, salt. Bring to boil. Then let it get cold. It boiled over (thankfully I beat the fire alarm) and do you know how long it takes something that boiled to get cold? Think jello people...

Yeah.

Cut, slice, measure and smash the rest of the ingredients.

Then I pull out the turkey.

It's pretty much ROCK SOLID. Ugh! So I put it in the 5 gallon bucket with too much cold water in it (have to wash my kitchen floor...double UGH!) to help it defrost enough so I can retrieve the neck and giblets.

40 minutes later, I force the legs to separate enough to get said items.

And the boiled mixture is still warm. Even after I put it in the fridge. Next time, it's going in the FREEZER!!

In the mean time, I have a lesson to teach at 3:45. It's now 3:15. I add the cold water and other cut up ingredients, and that makes it cool enough to add the turkey. Thank HEAVEN.

I was able to, during my luxurious off minutes, figure out how to remove the shelves in the fridge (that is a handy thing to know) and put the bucket with the brining mixture and turkey onto the second shelf.

I leave the house at 3:24ish. Make it to the studio at 3:41. Grateful for no more construction zones on the freeway and the lovely fact that I was able to elude all state highway patrolmen/women.

As I'm on my way, I have a lovely vision of the second shelf in my fridge not being able to hold a load of a 5 gallon bucket with a turkey and brining mixture in it. The shelf gave way, the door of the fridge (being incredible old and weak) opens, out bursts the bucket, the lid of course pops off, and there is brining mixture and a lovely 20 pound only halfway frozen turkey in the middle of my kitchen floor. It smells divine.

Gratefully, it was only a vision. A quick pleading prayer, a few lessons (1 cancelled and 1 no showed) and a car ride later and I discovered my second shelf is still in tact.

Oh happy day. I am somewhat documenting this experience with the hopes of putting pictures up so you can enjoy the experience along with meself. Oh, I hope it turns out well!!!!........

Shopping, Shopping, Singing!! and...Petite??

The turkey is in hand people! And it's...big...and frozen...and kinda scary to be honest with you. My Daddy always handled this part of the program...ack!

I was able to remember most of the ingredients for the brine on the first go around, but I discovered I needed WHOLE cloves, not ground ones, and I forgot the Reynold's Oven Bag (which is God's gift to Thanksgiving Turkey cookers apparently) and a few other things. Thankfully I have a routine on Tuesday evenings which allowed me to take care of acquiring these artifacts.

Most Tuesday evenings I have my singing class. It's my favorite night of the week. I have an excellent teacher and an excellent (and I have to admit fairly good looking...yes, a 'he') classmate. I am doing things with my voice I have never been able to do.

Before said class, I travel to the small local grocery and purchase a water bottle. I also sometimes purchase cookies from their bakery. And if there is a need for other grocery items, I may also get them at the same time.

Now, for the funny part of this post. After getting these items and traveling to my class, we talked a lot, warmed up, sang, and when the next class showed we were about to start the group song when the other teacher asked a student what part she was singing. My teacher mocked her and asked how she could ask; that just by looking at her, you could tell she was a soprano. She screamed soprano in her looks.

So, I took the bait. I asked him if I looked like a soprano.

The girl they were talking about is maybe 5 feet and skinny and petite as heck.

I am not.

After a few moments of reflection, my teacher said yes. Then we rehearsed the song. After the group song, we traveled into another room to finish our class. As we were walking over there, my teacher said the following: 'Now, this may seem strange to you, but I really do mean it. You really are petite.'

P-e-t-i-t-e.

I laughed. and laughed and laughed and laughed.

And then he went on to explain that the parts of me made of cartilage were in actuality very small. He points to my ear and asks my classmate if my ear looked like a soprano's ear (now he was making jest...I think) and I proceeded to go red in the face and hide all my 'petite' features from the world.

So...I'm petite?

Monday, Monday...

Considering this is the Monday of a 3 day work week, it really felt more Wednesdayish to me...although rather Mondayish things happened...such as the computer system we use at the morning gig failing big time. I could look at it all I wanted, I just couldn't add, edit, enter, etc. VERY ANNOYING.

But really, this is going to be a lovely week no matter what. Pay day is tomorrow, I get to have a big meal with a bunch of people I love, shopping, and the Iron Bowl. Who could complain, huh?

Who wants to take bets on how many of my students end up cancelling on me this week (or no showing, like student #1 did tonight?)? I bet at least one more doesn't come. I mean, it is a holiday weekend...I am actually surprised I was able to reschedule them all.

Hoping I can get all my shopping done before the stores get crazy...food shopping, not the other shopping. Have a list of things I need to get to brine my turkey! Oh, and I need a turkey. Eeps, the thing will need to defrost...hope the salt in the brine will help it along...

And...cut!

Cooking a Turkey

Yes, me. I'm cooking a turkey. All by my lonesome. Well, I suppose I could ask someone to come over and cheer me on, but, yeah, you know...that pride thing...yeah.

Thankfully I have a Facebook with friends and family who have all kinds of experience in such things, so that I CAN figure a turkey out. Apparently Reynold's turkey bags are a must! Who knew? Well, apparently most of my facebook friends did...

Anywho, going to brine it the night before somehow. Need a bucket...that will fit in my fridge. Need to finish up a few yogurts and other things that are in my fridge.

Man, this is going to be fun! At least I can say I've cooked a turkey all by my lonesome after this weekend! Go me!

And...good Sabbath all.

Dream Wedding

No, not mine. I dreamt about a friends wedding. Well, a former friend of mine.

Once upon a time ago, we were really close friends. Best friends. But twice she cut me out of her life, and she got married mere months after the second time.

I haven't thought about her in a very long time. And this dream, it was so real. I was really hurt that she didn't invite me to her wedding. I mean, we were such close friends! In my dream, I think I was a bridesmaid or even her maid of honor. I don't think she would've invited me to be either, she had so many sisters and she was close with them all. But the dress she chose for me to wear was gorgeous, and her dress was absolutely breathtaking. She looked so happy and we chatted it up during my dream. It was really fun, actually!

Maybe this dream was a gift from Heavenly Father. I finally got to attend her wedding.

I decided a long time ago that if she were to re-enter my life that I wouldn't allow us to become close like we once were. I just couldn't handle a third time being shut out of someone's life whom I truly cared about. But really, I imagine if somehow (however unlikely) we were to ever meet up again, we would probably pick up where ever we left off. Maybe. I don't know, really.

Listening to Rachmaninoff this morning in honor of her memory. Can't listen to it without thinking about her. Can't tell you how many times I listened to her practice his amazing works.

NEW MALL!!!

Have you ever been to a mall opening? They are wonderful things to attend.

But an OUTLET Mall opening? EVEN BETTER.

The nice thing about Outlet Malls is that pretty much everything is on sale. The amazing thing about when they open is that a) everything is on even more of a sale than usual and b) they have drawings, free giveaways, and other opening day wonderfulness...

I only bought one thing. A long sleeved shirt from Banana Republic. I never buy things from there unless they really do fit and they are on sale. Well, this really did fit and it really was on sale.

It was a good day. And tomorrow will be too. But not for worldly reasons.

Cooking!!

To round off the work week well, I decided to make dinner for a change. As in, actually cook a meal rather than snack on whatever doesn't involve me having to work much...

On the menu for tonight: Meatloaf. 

I have gotten in the very interesting habit of not exactly following a recipe when I cook. I have cooked for long enough now that I don't really need to follow a recipe...at least for the basic stuff. Baking, I still follow most recipes with exactness, but cooking, nah. I will browse around a bunch of recipes and then do what sounds good to me...or rather, do what works with what I have on hand.

And with that, I just remembered I didn't stick any carrots in there. Dangit. I could've even Magic Bulleted them into a puree...oh well, that can be a side dish I guess.

And this is an example of most of my high school writing examples. All. Over. The. Place.

Good smells...smiling at me...nothing but good smells...do I...um...sniff? :)

I Work Out

First time going to the gym in at least a month. Went and just walked for 30 minutes. Was a little winded at the pace I was going, but my legs feel pretty good.

Alright, I suppose it's time to let out a secret. (NO Emily, it's not the one you keep bugging me about)

I have talked a friend...maybe two...into running a half marathon with me. But not just ANY half marathon...

Yep. The Disneyland Half Marathon. I have until the end of August to get all these pounds across a finish line after 13.1 miles of running/walking at a 16min/mile pace. Yeah.

I am officially starting a training program on Tuesday, but a brisk walk is a good way to warm up to the actual training. I actually need to figure out how to implement my training program at the gym...

But, there you have it. By my birthday I should be able to actually do the 16 minute pacing, so then I can start slightly improving it. But I'll keep pace with a friend who is going to do the impossible with me.

NOTE: There IS a chance we may do the Tower of Terror 10 miler instead at Disneyworld...but I am going to push for the Disneyland one this year. :)

The Song

Well, I think I have chosen THE song for my Christmas Recital.

Drumroll Please:

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Maria Wiegenlied::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

What, haven't heard of it? How about the Virgin's Lullaby? Still haven't heard it?? Yeah, not surprised. Not a very popular Christmas song, however beautiful it is. Sissel performed it at the Christmas MoTab thing she participated in. Dame Joan Sutherland also performed it rather beautifully. I am going to do something in between the two. Not as fast as Joan, but with the same arrangement...not as slow as Sissel, but with a sound that more closely follows her.

AND the duet for me and my classmate will be Walking In The Air.



I'm still a bit bitter about the whole Once Upon A December thing. Did I mention it? The teachers sons girlfriend hijacked it from me. (sorry if I seem to be complaining about this a lot...it just bugs me...this isn't the first time it has happened...)

And scene.

The E-Flat

A self analysis of my performance for the Halloween Recital.

First of all, go to my facebook page and watch the first 7 minutes of the video...you can skip ahead about 30 seconds actually. I really need to edit the thing somehow.

Alright. So, considering this was the first actual coloratura soprano piece, it was pretty good I think. The high note placement, while not consistently in tune, was in a good spot. I got through the whole thing. And I semi-acted the part.

Things that need improving: I need to put those dang hands AWAY!! They move all OVER the place, and most of the time make absolutely no sense what.so.ever.

I need to sing in tune ALL the time.

Needed better phrasing. And acting.

Need to not forget the notes. BUT I remembered every single word! Improvement!

And I could really keep going, but I don't want to feel bad about what really was a good performance. And it will get better with time. I may be doing a competition with the piece. So a few more months of it and ta dah! It will be awesome...right?

Oh, and I nailed that E-flat! Although when I ended the pitch, I ended it high...

So, what did you think?

Booklist

A few weeks ago I did one of my favorite things to do.

I asked the facebooks what book I should read next.

Really, you ought to try it. It's an amazing thing to do. I have a list of 40 books, plus 5 authors and a few goodreads booklists to now devour. It totally made my month.

(If you are interested, check out the status update from October 16th on my facebook page...you'll love it too, I promise)

To stave off insane loneliness and depression, I read. Read and read and read. I am a much healthier person when I do this. Really, I am. I read about women with gumption (looooooooove that word) and I want to soak in the best of their characters and become more like them. I read about men with heart, or men who lack it, and wonder about Mr. Right out there, which one he is...

I read about adventures. I read about pain. I read about wonderous things. I just love it.

I do believe historical fiction is my favorite type of fiction. Although I love a good science fiction, as long as it isn't too techie...

And I LOOOOOOOOVE memoirs and biographies. Real people. Real experiences. They really are wonderful.

So I am off again reading. I am off to India tonight. :) Night.

Warbling (and an FYI)

The choir sang today for Sacrament. They did an excellent job. It was a super easy song though.

BUT the song we are (hopefully) singing in two weeks is incredibly difficult. I hope they are up for it. Considering what I have put them up to over the last 6 months, they totally have got it. We just need to run a lot more times...

And then we have Christmas to start. We have been asked to do three songs.

At first I was thinking of doing all three atypical songs for Christmas Sunday service. But then I thought better of it. If we were going to do that, they would all be in minor and it would be the most depressing Sacrament service ever known to man.

So, we are only going to one that is in minor: Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel. There is a lovely arrangement of it in those Hymnplicity books. I am hoping the other two I can purchase a good version of a carol...gotta get the monies approved for it first though...:)

Whatever we do, the closing hymn will be Silent Night. It's too good and too inspired a song to NOT sing it as the closing hymn. I think the choir will do the first two verses and then the congregation will come in on the last...cause the congregation needs to be involved.

(FYI, apparently none of my blog posts for the last three days were posted...not sure how that happened, but they are there now. Feel free to peruse them at will...)

Gigging...

I had a gig today!! It was sooooo nice to get to play in a string quartet...it's been WAAAAY too long.

The gig was a fantastic idea too...

It was a Royal King and Queen Etiquette Ball...or something like that.

The local Home-Schooling super-group came up with an idea to teach all their kids good manners and dancing techniques. The kids were 14-18 years old. Apparently it was a multi-day experience for them. They learned how to speak, eat, treat ladies and gentlemen, etc. Then the night of the big event, they dressed in their very best finery, adorned themselves with crowns and tiaras, and the young men escorted the ladies to their seats, ate a lovely 3 course meal which was served by the kids fathers, and then danced.

The dinner was amazing (they fed the poor starving musicians afterwards, soooo yummy, it was catered), and the kids danced to our waltzes and tangos. Would be a great thing to do for a youth conference I think.

In a moment of self-realization, I discovered my sight-reading skills have gone the way of the world. Need to do something about that. Hooray for a paying gig! AND I got a free meal AND a tiara out of it. Yes, the musicians were given tiaras to wear for the event. I love it!

Wreck-It Ralph

Watched it. Loved it. Will buy it.

Super cute. Catchy lines. Clever interactions between various retro arcade games and more up to date ones.

Yeah, go see it. Good for everyone.

Went with my friend Karee. She is on a working out binge at the moment. Which is good, it's kinda rubbing off on me in that we are going to work out together at least some days during the week.

Well, she was SUUUUUPER sore and so sitting down to watch a movie sounded perfect.

We first hit up a healthy dinner at Zupa's (LOVE this place...if you visit Utah, check it out).

Then we discovered that we would either get really not so awesome seats for James Bond or we could get foot on rail seats for Wreck-It Ralph. It was a good decision.

It was a fun night! Glad to have a friend to go with to movies!

Oh Blessed Thursday

I look forward to Thursdays. I work 5 hours at one place and 4 at the other. I am off at 7. Which is the first evening I get to myself for the week.

Mondays there is FHE. Not that I really go to FHE. But if I don't have anything else I need to do, I will go to FHE. Which doesn't exactly happen very often. My name is Elizabeth, and I am in inactive FHE goer. I usually call my Mom to have an over the phone FHE. :) Yes, it counts. I am only sealed to my Mom and Dad, so they are the only real 'family' I have FHE with anyways.

Tuesdays I have voice class. Which usually goes until 9:30. Even though it is supposed to get done at 9. I am not complaining.

Wednesdays I teach until 8:15.

So Thursdays are a relief to say the least. And BONUS: the next day is Friday. It means I survived the week.

Christmas Songs...and Scene!

Ugh...can't find a Christmas song to sing for the LIFE of me!! It shouldn't be this difficult...seriously...

I need a unique Christmas song. Not your typical song that you hear. Yes, I am asking a lot apparently. I was originally going to do Once Upon a December, but that was confiscated by the teacher's son's girlfriend. (Follow? Some girl who may not even be around for the Christmas concert if things go south before then) UGH!!

The backup option is Walking in the Air (from the Snowman, you know, the cartoon...if you haven't seen it, youtube it and watch it...great one for families and individuals alike). It's pretty, but...eh...I'm looking for something a little awesomer...

You suggest Rudolph, and I am defriending you. In every way possible.

PAGE BREAK OF SOME AWESOME SORT...(yes I am too lazy to actually put one in...pathetic...)

Today I perused the Facebooks and saw that my lovely friend Reva was in need of some assistance. She discovered a fabulous phenomenon that when eating saltine crackers and drinking apple cider you get a vanilla aftertaste.

OBVIOUSLY she needed someone to test this out to make sure she wasn't going crazy.

Enter ME: I go to Target, call her and ask her all kinds of lovely questions about the cider, crackers, and life in general. I buy the necessities to test the theory, set the pot on the boiler and do my own testing. The method via Reva was: drink, cracker, let the cracker soak in the cider, THEN swallow...7 seconds later, vanilla aftertaste.

Well, she was right. :)

Hooray for fun little experiments. I really need a boyfriend or something...although, even if I had a distraction like a boyfriend, I probably would've still done this.

On a Tuesday

The plan during my lunch hour was to shop/clean/do something productive. I have a 3 hour break on Tuesday, which considering my schedule is quite the luxury.

What did I end up doing? I napped.

And it was wonderful.

And I definitely needed it. Seriously, I am going to get more sleep this week that I think I ever have within a week as an adult. Hoorah!!

So what do you do on your long lunches, huh?

Sleeping Sickness...

I do believe I slept more last weekend than I have slept in any full week previous to that since I was 18 years old.

When I was 18 years old I somehow got Mono. No idea how. Kissing a boy was out. Sharing a drink was out. So, yeah, no idea.

Anywhoo, when I got that, I inherited a lifetime of relapses to look forward to.

I believe last week was a mini-lapse. So, I did what I did when I first got it. I slept. A lot. As in Saturday I woke up, showered, got dressed, went to Target, went to football game, and came home from football game between the hours of 3:45PM and 9:30PM. I pretty much slept or laid in bed the rest of the time.

Sunday comprised of choir practice and Sacrament meeting. The rest of the time I slept.

It was suuuuuuper lazy. But you know what, I feel much better.

Hooray for an extra hour.

Speaking of sleep, I should probably head to bed. Meeting at work in the morning. Joy.

Sabbath Musings? Roll Tide!!

Well, to me it's still Saturday night, BUT the clock says it's after midnight, so this will count as my post for the 4th.

ROLL TIDE!! Oh my goodness, but that was a nail-biting game!! What an incredible ending! I hope if you were watching anything on TV last night you watched that game!!!

SO glad we won. We barely pulled that off...

And I'm glad next weeks game is a not too worry at all about team.

Yes, I titled this Sabbath musings. If we were in Alabama this Sabbath morning, we would be hearing multiple people bearing their testimonies on the game. Seriously. OR they would tie some aspect of the game into a gospel principle. It's amazing how many principles of the Gospel tie into football.

Anyways. Roll Tide Roll! Congrats on the win! Yeldon, I hope you get whatever you want for Christmas!!

Desire

So, as some of you know, I am on Pinterest. I have a bit of an obsession with it.

Well, I have this stupid wish with Pinterest: to have more people following me than I am following. Stupid right? But, it would be kind of awesome to have more people interested in my boards? Right?

Yes, I want to be popular apparently. Never have been, so it would kinda be cool.

Anyways. I think my boards are awesome. I only pin the good ones.

And there's my two cents for the day.

(Sickness update: about 70% contained I think...not 100% yet)

Voted

Did the civic duty today.

Got in line for the early voting. Felt like I was at Disneyland for 2 hours and when I got to the front of the line the ride broke down.

Except apparently I registered to vote a day after the deadline for early voting.

Yeah.

Thankfully, they had an option for you to still cast your vote that day.

2 hours turned into 3.

But hey, I voted, and that's what counts...right?

AND I got the sticker. Huzzah!

Alright, let's get this going!

Yes, I am doing NaBloPoMo. Hoorah!

Planned to post about all kinds of wonderfulness that happened over the last few weeks, but the news items today are as follows:

I really hate being sick.

Slept ten hours, woke up with nasal congestion, headache and a rather unforgiving sore throat that is making life difficult. This started up last night, and I am not at all sad I set up someone to work for me this morning. Working while feeling like this would majorly suck.

Now, if only I could get someone to cover for me at the afternoon job...maybe a miracle will happen and I will feel better in a couple of hours.

blah.