thanksgiving and giving and giving

winco's good turkey price will go through thanksgiving, as far as we know.  we want a turkey for christmas, so we were thinking it would be a good idea to save a few dollars and get it now.  now, we just want a small one, so we really mean a few dollars, but they all count!  so on saturday we realized it just might be possible to fit it into our freezer and we made it happen.

probably like everyone else in the world we have many things in our freezer that have been there who knows how long and your guess is as good as mine as to what's in that recycled "tupperware" container.  (sour cream, cottage cheese, margarine, and even winco peanut butter and honey containers all are 99% interchangeable on the cups and lids.  if you can pair at least one see through one (from the peanut butter or honey) - lid or cup - then it makes it a little easier to remember what it is.  i like to do the same in the fridge, too.)  if we've used a "real" tupperware container the chances are higher.. : )

anyway, we found a couple of things that could come out, and a couple of things we thought would need to come out.  i ended up being able to fit some frozen fruit in a "real" tupperware (even real tupperware brand!) bowl back in, which was great news because i really wasn't too excited about the smoothie idea in our frigid winter state.  and it wasn't even that hard : )  but what did come out was put to use for our meals yesterday.  we had the sloppy joe leftovers we found for lunch yesterday, then used the turkey we found to make turkey noodle soup for dinner.  we didn't even use a recipe.. : )  our 12.something pound turkey (cute little thing) fit easily into the freezer and will block my view and get in the way for the next month, but it will be well worth it : )

as i was chopping up the vegetables and will was putting the turkey into the pot with the broth, etc, he commented something like, "who else can say they made their thanksgiving turkey last all the way until the next thanksgiving???"  hehehe  should we be embarrassed??  this is, indeed, the turkey we cooked on the sunday after thanksgiving last year after we got home from our san diego trip.  we've used the turkey and broth from it throughout the year for various things, and not really thought about "needing to eat it up."  that turkey just kept giving and giving and giving! : )  so now, yes, the turkey is gone (well, there are soup leftovers now : ), but there is still some of the broth in the freezer.  i just forget it's there and it's so much easier to open a can!

thanksgiving food is on my favorite foods list!  i've determined it's probably because i like salt.... ha  i have always really loved stuffing and that might be what i'm most excited to eat this week!!!!  but i really do love it all : )  let the leftovers keep on giving and giving and giving!!!

and let us keep giving and giving and giving!  our stake patriarch talked a week or two ago about being thankful, and giving and how they go hand in hand.  here is a quote from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf i found in an article in the church news section of lds.org.  He was speaking at a rotary club luncheon:

“Where there is gratitude, there is humility as opposed pride; there is generosity as opposed to selfishness.”

The article says he has been a Rotarian for almost 40 years and he spoke of the seasonally appropriate (and always) motto:

 ”'Service above Self'—a worthy motto for all of us.“

 President Uchtdorf also said:

”With all the busyness and business going on during this time of year, it is easy to focus on the feasting and not so much on prayer and praise!“

what a good example, and good things for us to think about, especially this week.  as much as i love the food and am excited for it, let us remember to be thankful to our Heavenly Father who has provided us with all of our many, many blessings.