What’s for Thanksgiving Dinner?

It is nearly upon us…

turkey dinner

 

This year, my parents and Walt’s mom will be joining us at our home. Want to know what we’ll be eating?

Schulz Family Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

Links marked with * are my own recipes.

Baked Brie Bites in Puff Pastry with pumpkin butter and pecans, apricot preserves and almonds, and fig butter and chopped apples
Stuffed Mushrooms
Veggie Centerpiece *

Baby Greens with candied pecans, pears, pomegranate, feta, and maple vinaigrette *
Butternut Squash Soup

Brown Bag Roasted Turkey *
Mashed Potatoes, chunky, with skins on
Stuffing *
Turkey Gravy
Honeyed Carrots
Roasted Broccoli
Homemade Rolls * (using the dough from my cinnamon roll recipe)

Pumpkin Cheesecake with a gingersnap crust instead of graham cracker and a bruleed top
Salted Caramel Apple Pie 
Banana Cream Pie with a chocolate lining

And, of course, we’ll set the table with our Handprint turkey runner.

Thanksgiving Table Runner, tutorial here

Are you staying home or traveling? Having guests? Cooking, ordering takeout, or eating out? Tell me about your plans because I am nosy interested in you.

Happy Thanksgiving!
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On My Mind: November 19, 2013

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The Happiest Place on Earth

We just returned home from a weeklong trip to Disneyland.

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View of California Adventure Park from our hotel room

We have precious few pictures of the three of us together, but we were all there.

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We must have walked 100 miles over the course of the week. In one day I wore holes in a brand new, never-worn pair of socks. We passed out early every night and took Advil every morning.

We had a lovely time.

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A few weeks ago the New York Post ran an article declaring giraffes to be the new “it” animal. That must be why they seem to be everywhere! Ruining everything!

To combat this invasion, I created a Pinterest board depicting things that I see being ruined by giraffes. If you would like to contribute, please email your original photos (ones that you have taken yourself) to heidi@franticallysimple.com with the heading: Giraffes Ruin Pinterest.

Giraffes Ruin Shrubbery

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I love this little girl. You will too.

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If you are not busy on September 16th, you could use that day to maybe buy Hook’s Revenge. I mean, if you want. (It releases just in time for International Talk Like A Pirate Day–9/19!)

I’ve had a few people ask if it is available for pre-order. Not just yet, but I will let you know as soon as it is.

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Speaking of Hook’s Revenge, I saw some early sketches of cover art last week and I loved them so much. I can’t wait to see and share the final.

They did not look at all like this, but I felt like I should put something here, so:


Closet by *Sheharzad-Arshad on deviantART

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Even though it is actually raining outside, I still keep listening to this. My favorite mix is Rain on the Roof, Thunder, and Frogs.

What’s on your mind today?

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On My Mind: August 30, 2013

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Runaway chicken!

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Earlier this week, our neighbor knocked on our door and asked, “Did you get your chicken back?” We weren’t aware that one was missing but a check of the backyard confirmed it. Guinevere had run away from home. She had apparently spent some time in our neighbor’s backyard, unsuccessfully attempting to fly back over the fence. The neighbors’ attempts to capture her failed when she ducked under their gate and ran as fast as her stubbly little legs would carry her, out into the world.

I was just preparing to create some Lost Chicken posters, when she returned–a little sadder, a little wiser, but still harder than anything to catch.

She’s fast and she pecks.

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Happy almost Labor Day! The summer is nearly over. How did that happen?

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Photo taken by my friend Michelle who is the official photographer of everything good.

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If the summer is nearly over, that means fall is nearly upon us. Hooray! I am so looking forward to boots and sweaters, apple cider, falling leaves, and pumpkin everything!

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I’m also looking forward to the Wordstock Literary Festival in Portland this October. I am this year’s children’s specialist and have been working on programming for the children’s stage for months. I am so excited about the authors and special guests we have lined up. The full schedule will be on the Wordstock website soon, but in the meantime, block out the weekend of October 5-6 on your calendar. You really won’t want to miss this.

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I am absolutely enamored with this set of photos of forest animals living in an abandoned house in Finland. Go look and be charmed.

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A baby giraffe was born this month at the Woodland Park Zoo in Portland. I’m staying as far away as possible. I’d advise you to do the same. Giraffes are not to be trusted.

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On My Mind: 7/04/13

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Happy Independence Day!
I texted those greetings to a friend earlier, and in its never ending quest to make me look the fool, my phone autocorrected “independence” to “indigence.”
So Happy Indigence Day!

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I saw these in a little shop yesterday and present them without comment:
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Last week Newt and I were lucky enough to attend a day of LeakyCon, a Harry Potter (and other) fandom conference. Care to see a few photos? Of course you would!
*pulls out slide projector*
Just go ahead and make yourself comfortable.

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We ran into “Bing Lee” in an empty hallway. He gave us high-fives.

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I’m on Instagram now.

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It’s funny because it’s true. (Thank you, Jessica Sinsheimer, for sharing this with me.)

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This may be the greatest thing on the Internet.
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It’s on several sites, so I don’t know where to attribute it. If you know who is responsible for this work of art, please tell me.

Anything on your mind today?

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Heidi Homeschools (Yup, I still do)

heidi homeschools We are nearing the end of another school year–our fifth since Walt and I made the decision to educate Newt at home. Every year has been different, presenting its own particular challenges and triumphs. If I had to sum up this year in one word, that word would be change.
Around this time last year I started feeling like change was on the horizon. Newt was getting older and her needs, both socially and academically were changing. My needs were changing as well.
I felt it was necessary to add in some outside mentoring this year. Let’s be honest, I can only inspire Newt so far. She, quite naturally, has little incentive to push herself beyond her perceived limits for “just her mom.” And the few other leaders from 4H or church were ones that she had had for years. She had grown perhaps a bit too comforable in those relationships. She needed to be challenged.
And for the first time in my life as a mother, I am now trying to balance family and career. I needed to shift some of the homeschooling workload off my shoulders. Don’t get me wrong, the responsibility to ensure Newt is getting a good education is still firmly mine–I just needed to share the work.
It took much of the year, but a couple months ago we finally hit on the right mix and one that I think will carry over nicely to the fall.
For Newt’s at-home curriculum she is using Easy Peasy — All in One Homeschooling. This is a free, online curriculum that incorporates much of the classics-based learning we had enjoyed with Ambleside Online, but in a format that Newt can easily do on her own.
And does she ever. Many mornings lately, she’s been setting her alarm for 6:00 am so she can do all her schoolwork by 9:00. She then has the rest of the day to read, draw, play with her animals, or tell me she is bored. (Working on that.)
For math, she is doing Khan Academy at home, meeting with a weekly tutor, and taking an outside class.
The outside class, that is where the magic is happening. Once a week I drive Newt nearly 50 miles for classes at Village Home, a fabulous homeschool co-op. She is currently taking three classes there: The math class, a sewing/art class, and Hogwarts Academy (which has included potions/real chemistry in a lab, creating a scale architectural floor plan of Hogwarts, and playing Quidditch). They have all been very much worth the time and expense.
In the fall, I plan to register her for eight classes–two full days each week (and am crossing my fingers that I can carpool).
She is being challenged academically and beginning to make new social connections.
I am feeling the relief of not having to plan and execute everything, while still being certain that she is in good hands.
It has been a somewhat tumultuous year, but things are smoothing out. I think we’ve hit on the right combination–at least for now. But that’s the great and terrible thing about homeschooling: Adaptions can always be made because adaptions always need to be made.
I’m excited to see what next year will bring.
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P.S. Just a reminder: All of the above refers to our own personal journey and should not be taken as commentary as “the right” way to do things. There is no one right way. It there was, this would be a lot simpler.

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