Thanksgiving 2016

Well, another successful Thanksgiving, and looking forward to many more! 

This year we found a 25.84 pound turkey, our largest bird yet. It took longer to cook, but the meat was so juicy and tender! You can get my Thanksgiving turkey recipe HERE.

As always, I start by rubbing the entire turkey with real, unsalted butter. Then I add the turkey rub under the skin, I am generous with the seasonings, especially this year with such a large bird to roast, I ended up doubling the rub recipe.

It turned out PERFECT! Everyone enjoyed it. My mother in-law made the delicious gravy, and the kids helped grandma and grandpa make the stuffing. :) 

Thank goodness we got a new roasting pan last year! Our old one was way too small. The wings of the bird always fell off because they would get roasted to the sides haha.

Tim has always made me laugh. He is such a goof and I love his humor. :)

The kids had so much fun this year. They made crafts with grandma and played with grandpa all weekend. It was such a great time. We can't wait until next year! ;-)

Haylie LOVES her grandma!

My in-laws arrived Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) and stayed until Sunday. We had so much fun! Irvine Park lit up their Christmas Lights in the Christmas Village on Thursday, so we bundled up Friday evening and went to see them with Mama and Papa.

We got lots of pictures, but these two are my favorites!

We had such a blast (as usual)! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Gobble 'til you wobble! ;-)

Pumpkin Picking at the pumpkin farm!

Each year, it's our tradition to go to the farm on the 1st of October and let the kids' pick out pumpkins for Halloween (Samhain).

Once we get the pumpkins home, I use a spell on each of them for our home. If you are looking for a good protection spell for your pumpkins, maybe you will find this useful.

It's very easy. It's a simple enchantment spell you can use and I like to do it every year:

Pick out your pumpkin or pumpkins, and place it near your front door, but not on concrete as that will destroy your pumpkin and rot it out. If you have to, then place a board underneath the pumpkin to prevent this and protect it.

With a black permanent marker, draw a small pentagram on the bottom of the pumpkin(s). When the moon rises, hold your pumpkin (or one by one, if you have more than one pumpkin) in your arms, and repeat the following:

Precious pumpkin,
watch over my home

Protecting from bane,
all you behold,

By the power of this fruit
in the pale moonlight

Shield us from harm
both day and night.

Leave your enchanted pumpkin(s) as a watchful guardian(s). You may carve it no more than one day before Halloween (Samhain), and when you do, save some seeds for magic in the future.

You can also use the seeds for runes, which is something I like to do besides roasting them. ;)

Happy Autumn everyone! :)