So I am hosting family dinner night this week. It's my brother's birthday tomorrow so of course I am making the cake right? Just something simple.. single layer chocolate cake with ganache on top and dipped strawberries. Well I over-filled the pan and now my house smells like it's burning down. The cake will be fine.. it's not a bad over flow, but still. I have to make a 14 pound turkey tomorrow and now I have to clean my oven too. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It's a good thing I did all the veggies already. All I have to do is make stuffing, put the turkey in the oven and make mashed potatoes (which I already peeled and diced. I might make rolls too, but I haven't decided yet.

AND my niece (who's 11 months old is sleeping over tonight and I think I hear her babbling to herself upstairs).. AND I have to clean up a bit.. AND I am helping a friend make a cake tomorrow afternoon before I host dinner. (but that will be fun so I can't gripe about it)

UGH... I am going to be a zombie. I hate the smell of burnt stuff.. why oh why did I over-fill my pans. Off to get the baby back to sleep..

Sorry you have so many things to do but girl, you made me crave a nice turkey dinner and I have to wait a very loooooong month to get it because I only make something like this on thanksgiving day because it's too much darn work!!! hope the day looks brighter for you and have fun on your family celebration, you deserve it!

I feel for you. My husband is out of town - and I have a one a half year old who's recently decided going to sleep stinks. Last night I didn't get to start decorating my niece's baby shower cake until 12:30 am. I just finished my sister's birthday cake for tomorrow. Thank goodness I really only bake for friends and family, and this doesn't happen too often!

Hang in there!

Thanks guys.. Well at least the cake is done so the oven can stop smoking. I was able to easily get all the bits out of the bottom of the oven with a spatula so YAY there.. and the baby went right back to sleep *knock on wood*.

Now I just need to wait a bit for the cake to cool so I can get it out of the pan and go to bed. I'm too old to be going to bed at 3:30am.. I have to get up early to get the turkey out of the brine and get some stuff done before I have to go help my friend. I'm just hoping everything goes as planned.. LOL.. if not I'm totally screwed.

miny.. if you lived closer I'd have you come over for dinner. The only thing missing is the apple pie.. and I have a ton of apples that we picked last weekend just waiting to become a pie. I love making "thanksgiving dinner" and we do it more than a few times a year. Last year I was going to roast a chicken and do all the fixin's so I invited my brother over.. he called back and asked if it was okay to bring a few friends.. I asked how many was "a few".. he said 7 of us.. I said ummmmmmm... okay. (Yes I am insane, but all of his close friends are like brothers to me and I hadn't gone shopping yet so I just couldn't say no) So I run to the store and grab 2 small turkeys that were supposedly fresh and not frozen and all the stuff to make dinner.. well one of them was a turkey-cicle so I had to thaw it out quick in the sink.. I managed to get thanksgiving dinner on the table (including a homemade pie) in just under 3 hours. So I just keep thinking.. if I can manage that.. this will be nothing right??

So now I just hope all of the good smells will overtake this burnt cake aroma that has overtaken my house. I wish I could open the windows and air it out but it's got to be 30 degrees out tonight.. brrrrrrrrrr.

Wow I'm babbling BIG time so I'm gonna shut up now.

babbling is ok! all of us babble that late in the night. i hope everything goes super fantastic!! from what you said i believe it will all be ok.... with all the babbling you said you were doing you still sounded as if you have it together!! you GO!! have a great one!!! think of us on here who aren't eating turkey and wished we were, hehehe!

Well I survived.. and I ended up making the rolls afterall. They were really good too (new recipe) so I'm glad I did. Everyone is fed and happy and the house is almost 100% clean.. good enough for now.. . I helped my friend carve her cake and I even brought her a mini version of my brother's birthday cake. It was so cute.. a 3" chocolate cake, unfilled with ganache on the top dripping down the sides with a chocolate covered strawberry on top that was drizzled with white chocolate all wrapped up in a 4x4x4 acetate box with a bow.

If you've never bothered to brine your turkey I HIGHLY recommend it. It was delicious and soooo moist. I am brining every turkey and chicken I cook from now on.

Now.. I must sleep. But the Red Sox are playing so I'm going to do my best to cheer them on.. it might be subliminally though.

You should try investing in one of those oven liners if you're going to fill your cake pans high. They are not that expensive maybe no more than $10.00. It works, you put it on the bottom rack of the oven and it catches anything that spills from the top, therefore, you have no smoking oven and no house that smells like its burning down!!!

You have company. I am already exhausted as well and my week has just begun. I have five weddings this week and a bridal show on Monday. I have to make a bunch of gum paste flowers and still have to fix some of my dummy cakes up for the show as well make all these cakes for the weddings and spend all day Saturday deliverying them. and bake cakes for the show (they are expecting 500 brides) And I am still tired from last week!

I agree though you have made me hungry for thanksgiving...I have already been counting the days. We are going to our camper we have parked at Myrtle Beach for four days, and I am leaving the laptop and cell phone at HOME.

Wow you sound like you had a busy day. Hope you get the rest you need. And like the others said I want some turkey..lol Can't wait for thanksgiving.

Too bad we can't all get together and make you a care package! haha! Sweet Potato pie is REALLY easy to make if you want a good recipe!

what does brining mean?

[quote="jkalman"]

miny.. if you lived closer I'd have you come over for dinner.

Thanks, the thought is what counts, right? I'm happy to know everything went great for you I bet your food was delicious.

Hey! I'd love to come for dinner too! I'm ready for a wonderful home cooked meal by someone else. It always tastes better to me when I don't have to be the cook! (Not very often!)

Any way, you must be a strong woman and quite a trooper to have that kind of schedule. When it has all past - you should treat your self to a mani and pedi.