of bagels & bagles

I spent my Thanksgiving weekend and birthday (! and my husband's - we were born on the same day) in Orlando vising Jason for the first time since we moved apart. It was wonderful to finally be with my husband again - and so easy to fall back into our old life style. Maybe too easy! I easily ordered him to go get me drinks - when did I become so lazy?

First, on Thanksgiving, we visited my husband's school, Full Sail University, where he is studying to receive a master's degree in Game Design. He is owning. He is an awesome, hard worker and I'm super proud of how well he is doing (and will do - I have belief in him - but more than belief - like he's just good.) The school is nice - and these photos were taken in front of really nice sets that they have built.

dress : easy doe-s it sugarhill boutique via modcloth
shoes : loeffler randall for target
raynor's collar : mod dog on etsy
necklace : ornamental things
bag : foley + corinna disco city clutch
ps. that's my "bagle" raynor. she is a basset/beagle, or a bagle, hence the name of this post

Thanksgiving turned out well! I made Herb Roasted Turkey with Pan Gravy, Autumn Potato Gratin, and Creamed Corn. True to myself, I like to look for recipes more to inspire than to follow. The recipe I followed the closest was the Turkey - which indeed turned out with an amazing flavorful crust - and the gravy I improvised a bit more. I used mostly Woodchuck apple cider and added bay leaves and rosemary that I strained out. Delicious! My au gratin potatoes I had Jason help with - he sliced a lot of baby red potatoes thin and then I made the cream sauce - I added extra garlic, a bit of extra herbs, and I put a chunk of the reggiano cheese we picked for sprinkling on top in as well as some rind - it really helped to add the cheesy flavor everywhere. I also never measure, which is both bad and good. The creamed corn I really messed with - I caramelized the onions and deglazed them with a bit of the cider I had on hand (Magners) but not too much. Then I added the corn and cream at the same time along with some seasoned salt, white pepper, brown sugar, tumeric, and a bit of thyme and rosemary. After cooking for awhile (about 15 minutes) I added some yellow corn meal which helped to thicken it, then I cooked for about 15 more minutes. The corn was soft. To add an extra and delicious kick, Jason chopped up some aged irish cheddar for me and we mixed that in. It was the best creamed corn ever! Unfortunately, this picture does no justice.

More to come! Wait for tomorrow for more photos from Downtown Disney!