Guitar Hero III conundrum November 18, 2007

Is there anyone out there who’s played any of the “Guitar Hero” games? My husband and I just got Guitar Hero III for XBOX 360 the other night and I just have one question:

How in the world are you ever supposed to be able to play the orange and blue buttons? Seriously, how can one ever hit those notes??

I’ve never played any of the Guitar Hero games before but those buttons just defy all logic for me. Tips? Or are you just laughing?

Thanksgiving dinner for two November 18, 2007

My husband and I are having Thanksgiving dinner on our own this year. My one set of local relatives are going to be out of town and most of our friends have their own families here. But instead of taking the “woe are we” approach, we’re happy to have a day to spend with each other and be thankful for what we have together. 

Since it is just the two of us, I’m going to make a modified holiday dinner. There’s really no sense in cooking a whole turkey for two people. I found a recipe for slow cooker chicken and stuffing, which can easily be modified for turkey. It’s not a difficult recipe at all:

1. 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2. 1 cup butter/margarine
3. 1/2 cup chopped onion
4. 1/2 cup chopped celery
5. 1 can (4 oz.) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
6. 1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
7. 1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
8. 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
9. 1 tsp. salt
10. 1/2 tsp. pepper
11. 12 cups day-old bread cubes (1/2 inch pieces)
12. 2 eggs
13. 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
14. 5 to 6 cups cooked chicken [turkey]

• In a saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients. Simmer for 10 minutes; remove from the heat. Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Combine eggs and soup; stir into broth mixture until smooth. Pour over bread and toss well.

• In a 5 qt. slow cooker, layer half of the stuffing and chicken [turkey]; repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the stuffing reads 160 degrees.

Yields: 14 – 16 servings.In addition to the turkey and stuffing, I’m also making mashed potatoes, crescent rolls, and green bean casserole. More than enough food for two, but we enjoy leftovers.

My wonderful husband is even making a chocolate-banana pie for dessert!