Nothing going to waste.

I put our turkey in the oven yesterday morning at nine after I made our stuffing (I didn't put any in the turkey but usually I do) and went for a walk around the development. It was very pleasant to get outside and enjoy some alone time.

We had our Christmas lunch/dinner at 2 pm and enjoyed turkey, gravy (all though very thin), mashed potatoes, corn (I forgot the green veggies), some carrots I cooked with the turkey, and our sausage/apple/sage stuffing. There were five of us to feed and I thought the turkey was 21 pounds. My mistake since it was only 11 pounds.

Yesterday afternoon when our Christmas Day lunch/dinner was over my husband and I went for a walk around the new development. All the house are being built or recently finished being built. A portion of the homes are occupied and some (not ours) have lights and decorations in the yard for Christmas. We were walking our dog and enjoying the cool weather. When we were finished with our walk I was able to get all the skin, bones, and frame into the crock pot to make turkey broth. I didn't add any spices to this because I had spiced the turkey prior to baking.

Later yesterday evening my husband made a few turkey sandwiches, my oldest had some turkey and mashed potatoes, and my middle daughter had some stuffing and gravy for dinner. My son opted for a peanut butter sandwich and half a banana. I didn't eat because I wasn't hungry after our late lunch. I made a cup of decaf tea to enjoy with them while they ate.

My husband and I went for another walk at the local park. The Tavares park was light up for Christmas and it is really strange to see palm trees with Christmas lights. There was some music playing from one of the local restaurants that were open at the park (it's a bar and grill type place and they always have the best music). We walked together along the lake, the bridge, the park, and met some folks with their furry companions. I was dressed in my long pants and a t shirt with a sweater that zipped up. My husband was in his shorts, a tee shirt, and flip flops. He mentioned after about 30 minutes that he forgot how chilly the park and lake are once the sun goes down in the "winter months". We left after his statement because he is worried about getting a cold or a virus from the cooler weather. I was pretty comfortable in my pants and zippered sweater with my hat.

I ended up going to bed before 9 pm. The turkey bones, skin, and frame were still in the crock pot. When I got up this morning I checked the crock pot and we had beautiful turkey stock. I strained everything and put the turkey stock in two 45 ounce butter containers. The two containers are about 2/3 full and cooling in the fridge. They eventually will be going into the freezer for soup. This is the best resource when funds are tight and very cost effective when getting the most out of a bird such as the turkey. We do this with all the chicken bones and skin also. We haven't baked any chicken in a while though.

We still have a lot of Christmas dinner left. We will have turkey sandwiches today. If the potatoes and corn do not get eaten today they will make their way into a Shepard's pie this week. I am pretty sure the stuffing and gravy will be gone first since everyone really enjoyed that.

I have to take my middle daughter to work soon. I am sitting here typing, drinking a cup of decaf tea and enjoying a banana. She made herself two scrambled eggs for breakfast.