Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

Wednesday morning, I packed the cooler, then Brett packed the car and we started on the long drive to my dad’s house on the California Central Coast.  The weather was wet — snow at home and rain down the mountain, but we arrived in time for me to put the apple pies in the oven to bake while we ate dinner with my dad.  The rest of the family arrived in trickles over the evening and Thanksgiving morning.  By Thanksgiving, at noon, we were all gathered.  So, while we were drinking champagne, our house and animal sitter was slogging through snow at the ranch.

The horses were in the barn so she didn’t have to deal with dragging hay to the pastures.

All the animals were happy, healthy and well-fed when we got back home this afternoon.  I’m sure Sage had a good time jumping in snow banks, one of her favorite things.  Kersey stays on the porch where its dry.  She’s no dummy.

A new storm started its path through our area shortly after we got home.  This one is not so cold, so we will get lots and lots of rain but no snow.  It’s a dreary grey color outside — not exactly like the brilliance of the Central Coast.  The kids took this photo while they were hiking at Montana de Oro, with waves crashing over the rocky shore and spraying them on the bluffs.

Thanksgiving at Oak Creek Ranch

Tuesday the first wave of a storm system from the Gulf of Alaska arrived.  It brought high wind and pounding rain, but no snow.  When the clouds cleared Tuesday afternoon, the ground was covered in leaves.

Wednesday morning, we woke to patchy clouds that cleared throughout the morning.  We decided to move the horses out of the barn and into their pastures.  The second wave appeared to be a non-starter.  As we led the horses out, the skies darkened and rain, then sleet, started to fall.  The horses have trees and a run-in shed for shelter so we opted to leave them in their pastures.

It snowed throughout the afternoon.  Not hard, but enough to cover the ground with a light coating of white.  Lucy wasn't sure what to make of the snow.  This is her second winter with us, here in the mountains, and we didn't get any snow last winter.  She sniffed it, pawed it, and then jumped sideways when it sprayed her.  Then she settled into her lunch, with a pile of snow building on her back.

Meanwhile, we waited inside for Kyle and Camille to arrive.

Brett wasn't feeling well so he spent the day on his recliner, with chills, worrying that his appetite wouldn't return in time for Thanksgiving dinner.  Fortunately, Thanksgiving morning he felt a bit better.  He's still far from 100% percent but he was able to join us for dinner.

My sister's kids, Kristin and Nick, arrived mid-morning on Thanksgiving.  My dad, sister and brother are travelling this Thanksgiving so I hosted those of us who didn't go, at our place.  I could have asked the kids (all 20-somethings) to bring parts of the dinner but everyone was traveling.  The easiest things for travelers to bring are rolls and pie, which can be picked up at the market on the way.  But, those are my two favorite things to make so I didn't ask them to bring anything.   I made the pies first thing Thanksgiving morning.

Then I stuffed the turkey and slid it into the oven.  We had a heritage breed turkey, which is very lean due to its life running around outside eating bugs and roosting in trees.  It was delicious.

We rounded out the meal with mashed potatoes, gravy, and rolls.  Brett ate a little bit and went back to his chair.

The kids took Kersey for a walk after dinner.

I was on the couch, wiped out.

Thanksgiving Prep

I made my to-do list for Thanksgiving and got started today.  I'm trying to do as much as I can ahead of time so it isn't too crazy on Thanksgiving itself.

I started the morning by making a batch of granola.  I make my own, full of nuts, oats, coconut, sesame seeds, brown sugar, honey and cinnamon.  When it's done baking, I add in dried cherries and blueberries.

Next I browned a turkey wing and some chicken scraps from the freezer.  When I roast a chicken, I save the carcass for stock.  I added onion, parsnips, carrots, celery and a huge bouquet of herbs.  I had it simmering on the stove for most of the day.  I will use it for our gravy on Thanksgiving.

I made pie dough for a single (pumpkin) and a double (apple).  I wrapped the dough and put it in the freezer.  Thursday, all I will need to do is roll it out, fill it, and bake.  Making the dough is the most time consuming and messy part of making pie.

I also tore a loaf of artisan bread into little pieces, tossed it with olive oil, and toasted it in the oven.  It will go in the stuffing.

Last, I made cranberry sauce.  I put a cup of port in a pot with a couple cinnamon sticks and let it simmer together for about five minutes.  Then I added a bag of cranberries, the zest and juice of an orange, some sugar and a smidge of water (the orange wasn't very juicy).  Brett and I sucked on the cinnamon sticks when it was done.

Meanwhile, Brett and his friend Richard spent the entire day working on the fences.  Everytime I looked outside, they were in a different pasture working on a section of fence.  Richard left at dusk and we collapsed on the couch.  Dinner?  I had a bowl of Frosted Flakes and Brett had a can of barbeque beans.

Thanksgiving in Colorado

Thanksgiving morning started with Brett making pancakes for the grandkids while Kerri, Brett's daughter, and I started assembling the ingredients and utensils I would need for making the stuffing.

Brett and Chris

Andrew and Telly

Kerri

My grandmother's stuffing recipe is full of apples and raisins.  I tweaked the recipe a bit, using Craisins instead of raisins and adding some thyme and sage.

Rachel

Once the turkey was stuffed and in the oven, we relaxed.  The turkey came out beautiful.  I got to work on the mashed potatoes and the rest of the guests started arriving bearing plates of smoked salmon, pies, pumpkin soup, and rolls.  While Kerri set the food out on the buffet, Adam (her husband) carved the turkey, and Brett opened the wine, I made gravy.  Then we feasted.

Today, we'll eat turkey sandwiches for lunch and I'll make a big pot of turkey soup for dinner. 

It was a perfect day; clear Colorado skies, time with family, and great food.  We've come so far from the first years of our marriage when the relationships were a dance around wounds from divorce.  There was no dancing this year, no hurtful moments.  Just easy good times.