My 1st Thanksgiving Preparation

You read my menu and plan, now here are the results of my very first Thanksgiving preparation of my favorite yummy foods!

First thing I got up in the morning and prepared an herb paste of sage, parsley, lemon zest, onion and EVOO which I stuffed under the skin of the turkey breast. (Thank You, Pampered Chef, for my plastic food handling gloves or I never would have been able to complete this seasoning task!) Next I chatted on the phone with my sisters, both living in Minneapolis/St. Paul area, while I prepped freshly shredded colby cheese for the veggie casserole, and halved grapes for my grandma's fruit salad. Everything was prepped and ready, the turkey cooking in the roaster, and I had 2 hours to spare before needing to put everything together to cook and be done at the same time. Nice! I don't know what people are talking about when they say they are cooking "all-day" and complain about it... ?? what in the world are they doing "all-day"? I don't get it.

Once all was complete and presented on the table beautifully, decked out in all of my Pampered Chef stoneware, Simple Additions, and bamboo, of course, I took some pictures.

MMMMMMmm YUMMMM!! Looks good! Tom and I enjoyed this delicious meal with his parents, and everyone was stuffed! Tom's mom had made pumpkin pie for dessert and I also served hot apple cider from my silver Carafe. Yummm! I think I'll go have some leftovers for lunch today.

Here is the wall above our kitchen table. A year after having painted the kitchen, put our house up on the market, took it down, and with a blank wall, it was finally time to get a little personality pumped back in. I put up these decorative shelves, which were a wedding gift 4 yrs ago, and the 12x12 scrapbook frame with a piece of my scrapbook paper within and an Uppercase Living expression applied to the face. I plan to change the decorative framed art with each changing season. Although the lighting wasn't the best to photograph in the evening, with the kitchen overhead light on, I think it still looks really cute!

I hope you and your families had a yummy and enjoyable Thanksgiving meal! Next up? Christmas! My favorite holiday. And who knows where we will be celebrating. Christmas plans all depend on when baby schwandt decides to arrive. We're hoping he comes before Dec 20th as my Dr is on holiday vacation beginning that date! We...will...see...! :)

*hugs*

Roxanne :)

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Fun in Chicago

I've been so busy ever since I got home from Chicago last Saturday. I had SO much fun at PC National Conference!!! Not only is it super cool to find out all the new products coming out in fall, hearing my friend win an awesome prize from the "Serve It Up Squad", eating at fun restaurants, strolling the streets of Chi-town, and hanging out with friends, but attending the seminars I signed up for really have given me a new breath for my business. It's just the uplighting that I needed! Here are some cool pics I took downtown and of my friends. (with captions for each)

My friend Monica and me!

I made this door poster for my friend Angie who worked very hard to promote to Director and I'm so proud of her. (she is my director)

Grace, me, Carrie D, Rhonda. We had so much fun with the clappers and waving our glow sticks at everything we loved during the General Session presentations!

Crazy girls! I was holding my camera up over my head, backwards, and taking random pics. It was SO funny to check out what I captured each time. I think this is the best one with Jenny K (in green) and Carrie W (tounge, crazy hands) going nuts. We were laughing so hard I almost peed my pants!!

Random building on Michigan Ave. I admired the old stone and architecture.

Another random building on Michigan Ave that I admired the stone work. I just wish that darn ugly street light wasn't there. Oh well.

This is the library, folks. Yes, I said THE LIBRARY! Cool gargoyles, huh?! I thought so!

I thought these three identical buildings on the left were interesting. One a rust color, one charcoal, and the final a sand color. Then, in the background you can see a newer building with shiny windows. I think this really depicts the aura of downtown Chicago...the mix of old and new. There's just no other city (that I've been to) that compares to the dynamic of architecture, era, and individualism as Chicago.

Last but not least, this picture was taken for my friend Jamie (see Our Crazy Life) as a tribute to her memories of living in the burbs and working downtown Chi-Town! Tell us your loving stories about riding on the L, Jamie, please! LOL :) (her memories kinda bring back visuals of some sketchy charactors).

This last picture is my favorite NEW product! FINALLY!! A Bamboo Knife block for my Forged Cutlery! Yeah, I can't wait to get mine on my counter!!! ROCK ON!

I hope you enjoyed seeing pictures of my friends and I, and also of downtown Chicago. I can't forget to mention that during our walk downtown when I took all those pics, (Grace and I) it was right after we ate dinner, and as we were heading back to The Hilton, we cornered and nearly ran right into Baskin Robbins. Yes, as you can imagine my pregnant intuituion told me I HAD TO HAVE Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl ice cream, my #1 ultimate favorite. As I looked frantically for the flavor to place my order, I thought I was going crazy... It wasn't anywhere! So I asked the nice man behind the ice cream counter. He said he had a tub, but it was in the back in the freezer unscoopable, so he couldn't get it out. "*Gasp!*" I begged by rubbing my tummy and claiming the baby needed it. "I'm pregnant, please help, I can't go one without this ice cream!" Being a smart man, he said he would help me, but we'd have to wait a little. I patiently waited, and dear Grace waited with me as she ate her ice cream. Finally my cup of sweet, delicious, melt-in-my-mouth Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl ice cream was ready. The man said he arm hurt as I thanked him so much, I just about wanted to give him a hug. He said he wouldn't have done that had I not been pregnant, because he remembered when his daughter's mother was prego--if she wanted it, she got it. I said to him "Good man!" and greatfully walked on my way devulging in the delcious cold cream melting in my mouth. MMmmm I could go for that right now......... (*yelling into the living room* TOM!?!?!)

National Conference!

Well folks, I'll be on my way to Pampered Chef National Conference in Chicago tomorrow! I'm SO excited. This will be my 2nd year at conference. I had such a blast and gianed a wealth of learning last year. It is a wonderful opportunity and experience with a super fabulous group of girls! (yes, there are dudes there, too, just none in our cluster..tee ehehe).

I leave Wed around noon and we'll check into the Hilton on Grand Ave in the heart of downtown Chicago. We actually can see Navy Pier from one side of the massive hotel. We'll go out for dinner tomorrow night, then settle in for some sleep. This year, I won't be up late partying in the halls drinking Corona, nope, I'll be hitting the sak sober as a bird! :)

Thursday starts the festivities including my first training class. I can't remember what I all signed up for, so good thing they print up an itinerary on the back of our name badges! At general session on Thursday all the new fall products are introduced, along with the new marketing tools like the new theme shows and recipes! YUMM:) I better bring some snacks in my bag, cuz I just know my baby tummy will be grumbling for everything my eyes feast their fix on!

Friday will be a big day of training, and another general session. This session we will find out where the trip incentives will take us, should we earn (I'm on my way to earn this year!!). Sometime also on Friday I'll pick up some surprise packs of random products. It's so much fun to open them and find out what you've just WON!

My next post will be a report of my experience. I hope you all have a great rest of the week! maybe I'll splurg in my next post and tell you a little secret about new fall products.... :o)

Rummage Sale!

First of all, THANKS for your vege receipes and YES, I survived last weekend. I ended up making a yummy Indian (India, not the native americans) vege dish with jasmine rice. I was Veg'd out by supper on Sunday! Tom continued to eat leaftovers all week, he's better at that than me!

So this weekend I am having a Rummage Sale!! Yah, and my goal is to make as much moola as I can, of course! The moola I make will go towards spending money for my trip to Pampered Chef National Conference in Chicago July 17-19. I'm so excited for this 3-day fun-packed event. They're saying lots of goodies this year, but the best part is finding out the new products for fall/winter season! "Wa-Hoo!" as Jean Jonas, Director of Sales, says as she flips her perfectly flocked hair from her shoulder. heheeee :)

In other news, all of my flower planting is done. This year was especially cheap because I only had to buy annuals for my pots, and just a few perennials to replace some that didn't come up that I had planted last year. I'm so excited to see my huge lillies come up again this year. The best ones I have are the ones I got at Wal-Mart, believe it or not! The one is already up to my waist, and it has yet to bloom. Pretty awesome! My bearded iris are just about done. I didn't even get out there and take a pic! They are white/purple, very pretty. The ferns I had planted (only 2) about 4 years ago (got 'em from a co-worker) are totally taking over the flower bed! I swear I pulled about 8 of them already, and could use some more plucking! I'll have to take pics this weekend and post. I enjoy the beautiful flowers and the happy feeling they give me.

I hope you all have a happy, fun-filled weekend! If you're looking for something to do, stop on over to my house if you're in the area! 2224 Marathon Ave, Neenah.

**HUGS**