The Moore’s Top 10 List for 2014

christmas mantle 2014

Merry Christmas readers! What a crazy year it has been! Here’s our top 10 list of highlights, lowlights, and unforgettable memories from 2014:

10. Unfortunately, our little family of three was involved in a head-on collision the day before Thanksgiving that totaled our car. We were blessed to all come away with no major injuries and had a lot to be thankful for the next day.
9. We’re debt free!!!! After 6 long years we finally made our last payment on our student loans. We may not have much, but we no longer owe anyone anything and it feels amazing!
8. I suffered from an aversion to all things chocolate for five months while pregnant with Baby D. It was horrible, but we did get to try a number of new ice cream flavors (coconut, banana split, etc.).
7. At 34 weeks pregnant, we took a trip to see family in New Jersey and friends in New York City. While in the city we were able to see Pippin on Broadway with the set that the hubby helped build while working for his last theater in Boston. Also, Braxton Hicks contractions in the middle of Times Square are no joke.
6. We decided to take a Babymoon trip in May to visit Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor in Maine. We had an amazing time taking in the breathtaking views at the park, strolling along the waterfront in Bar Harbor, and stuffing ourselves full of fresh blueberry pancakes.
5. After a little over a year of working as an SEO Manager for a great company in Lexington, I temporarily left the working world to stay home with Baby D.
4. In May, the hubby graduated with his Masters of Fine Arts in Technical Production. A degree that was three years in the making.
3. The husband started his job as the Technical Director and a Professor at a school in Alabama.
2. We said goodbye to Boston and moved to Birmingham, Alabama with a 3-week old baby.
and……
1. Baby D was born on July 21, 2014. With blue eyes and wispy blonde hair, he was absolutely perfect and made our little family complete…for now.

Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

green beans with almonds

With so many casseroles already planned for this years’ Thanksgiving dinner, we decided to stray from the traditional green bean casserole with canned soup and crunchy onions. These green beans with toasted almonds were the perfect addition. It was nice to have a lighter, healthier side there next to all my Thanksgiving favorites.

Ingredients:

  • green beans (we used 2-3 lbs of green beans for Thanksgiving)
  • sliced almonds
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 Tbs butter
  • salt & pepper

Directions:

  1. Toast sliced almonds on baking sheet
  2. Steam green beans until bright green and tender (about 5-10 minutes)
  3. Toss cooked green beans with olive oil and butter to lightly coat
  4. Season with salt and pepper
  5. Add in toasted almonds and mix

Moore Cookin’ Original Recipe

Our Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving 2014

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!!  So our Thanksgiving didn’t quite go as planned…

Ugh. I’m a little tired of saying “things didn’t go as planned” lately. I know that the logical thing to do would be to just stop myself from creating plans in the first place…but I really just can’t help myself. I’m a super-planner and always have been. Look around our house, car, my purse and you’re bound to find a list of mine hanging around. [end tangent]

Anyway…we were SO excited to have almost all of our family over to our new (rental) home in Alabama. And with all that family in town, when would be a better time to take a few family pictures? On our way to take said pictures our little family (Kyle, me, and Baby D) were involved in a head-on collision. We were driving down a two-lane highway and a woman from the other lane drove across the yellow line and hit us head-on. We still don’t know what caused her to do such a thing. Our car is gone, but thankfully we are still here. We are feeling very blessed.

Needless to say a car accident, ambulance trip to the ER, bruises, whiplash, pain meds, etc. are not the best way to start a holiday. I ended up not being able to cook at all with my stirring arm wounded. Thank goodness for moms because the food was still Dee-licious!

thanksgiving food

 

Our Menu Included:

  • Herb Roasted Turkey & Gravy
  • Plain Dressing
  • Sausage Cornbread Stuffing
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Sweet Potato Casserole (yes, the kind with marshmallows on top)
  • Broccoli Cheese & Rice Casserole
  • Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
  • Granny’s Homemade Hot Rolls
  • Cranberry Sauce (canned because I was told that if “it doesn’t have ridges, it doesn’t count”
  • Jello with Raspberries (another must-have for the hubby’s family)
  • Apple Pie
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Pecan Pie
  • Bluebell Vanilla Ice Cream (simply THE best)