Frugal In Florida

Confession ... we aren't frying a turkey, or six, this year. Our friend is roasting a 21 pound bird and we will eat it at our house ... WHAT!? I remember last year our usual partners in crime spent the holiday back at their home states, Princess was in California visiting her fiance's (now her husband) father who has been there for a year receiving chemo treatments (who passed away that December), my dad had the flu and the boy and his girlfriend were vegetarian (still are) and doing something Veggie Like. And then I got the text message from my best friend in Bethany Beach that her mom was admitted to Hospice End Stage (which has just broken my heart for both her and her mom) ... which left me and Hubby ... WHO, by the way, was wearing a boot and waiting on x ray results on his foot ... this year, thankfully doesn't have all that drama ... a few things, but nothing like that! This year's only excitement will be the pregnant lady (Princess), only one partner in ...

*This is a repost from a while ago but since I'm making it this week, thought I would share with you! I love when I try a new recipe and its spot on the first try with my modifications ... it does something for my self esteem :-D This one is definitely staying in the kitchen ... Chicken  Turkey Lettuce Wraps 20 oz package of ground, lean turkey. Um, do NOT buy the roll stuff, you know that's all dark turkey stuff, very little lean meat, right? handful of green onions (cut right out of the glass on counter), diced 8 oz can of water chestnuts, drain and rinse well, diced 6 sweet mini peppers, diced 1/3 cup of soy sauce 3 tsp hoisin sauce (it's a miracle, I had it in the pantry!) 2 tbs dry ginger (I don't have fresh) 1 1/2 tbs water 3 tsp sesame oil Brown the meat. Because mine was super lean (93/7), I added a little bit of olive oil to the bottom of pan since I wasn't using a nonstick pan. Chop it up as it cooks and drain if necessary when done. I...

I'm not a big Thanksgiving fan ... and every year, Hubby and I will lay in bed one night leding up to the big feast and discuss my 'issues' and what memories we have. Him? He LOVES Thanksgiving ... and it's a big deal when it comes down to it. My only real vivid memory is the scolding, ridiculing and just plain misery as I wouldn't eat any of 'that' food when I was a kid. Picky? You bet. Which is why I can sympathize with the Boy and why I always make sure to make a large tray of mac and cheese ... just one of those things that I can so relate to .... I like turkey nowadays ... thankfully, but after 2 full days of breakfast, lunch AND dinner, I get a little fed up with it ... so after we had this at the Brown Hotel a few years back, I had kept it tucked away in the back of my mind ... I made it a few times ... but never really after Thanksgiving ... and then it became a Saturday or Sunday night tradition ...  So if  you are like ME and get...