Coconut Cake and Beer!

Okay...so obviously it has been a really busy week being it is Thanksgiving and all.  Last weekend I got to spend the weekend with two of my friends because one of them got engaged. We always have a fun time together.  Then I got to return home, on a SATURDAY!  Note...not Sunday night.  Garrett and I got to go to Whole Foods and pick up some steaks and some coconut for me to make my highly anticipated coconut cake.  :-)  The steaks were great...the coconut...the wrong kind, so Garrett had to take it back and get a refund.  I have already been made fun of for returning a coconut.  On Sunday, I got to wake up to breakfast and coffee.  I know..  And then we took Hank to the dog park.  He had so much fun!  He was great!  Then Garrett and I got to finish out the weekend by going to a movie which we haven't done in forever.  We went and saw Twilight with all the other teeny boppers in America.  haha...they ewweed and ahhhhed the whole time.  Another exciting thing we found is that Whole Foods carries Cold Mountain Winter Ale that Highlands Brewery makes.  You used to only be able to get that in the mountains.  I have only had it once.  Apparently they hadn't even gotten it in the mountains!  It was so delicious and we were so eager to get some again!  They only had 12 for the whole year and we got three (pictured below.)  We were very excited.  I even got another friend hooked to it and she had to go get some! 

 So tonight is the night before the Thanksgiving holiday and our family's stew, which is my favorite day of the year!  All are welcome!  I had a lot of cooking to do tonight.  I successfully made my first coconut cake and crispy cheesy spinach dip.  They both look and smell delicious. I am quite proud.  I know I will be Dad's favorite this weekend!  :-)  I cracked the coconut myself!  :-)

What else is going on...  Mike got a pet turtle named Simon.  He rescued him during  a storm. He was supposed to go to Petco to get some stuff for him, but I haven't talked to him since, so I'm not sure how that is going.  Since John has left for Afghanistan, I haven't been able to speak to him as much as I would like due to the fact that I am at work when he is able to get on and in the mornings, I know he is talking to his family.  The good thing is everyone in the family now has a camera for their computer so we skype each other erratically.  It is so much fun.  I skyped Mike when he had just woken up and his voice was still all scratchy...haha...he isn't as easy to make laugh when he has just woken up.  Dad tries skyping people all the time and gets mad if you aren't at home to answer his skype.  He has apparently skyped Mary at 5:45 in the morning. Now she can really have her peaceful quiet time in the morning before anyone else gets up all thanks to technology.  We are having a great time with it though!  I hope to catch John some this week since I will be available at my computer during the times when he is on.  

Tomorrow I head to the farm and am so excited!  I can't wait for Thanksgiving dinner, Monopoly, Bloody Mary's, Cold Mountain Winter Ale, Brunswick stew, friends, family, bonfires, and horses!  These are all the things that make up this wonderful holiday....oh and last but not least...Christmas music and Christmas decorations!!!!!  I love it!  I have been listening to Christmas music every day at work!  I'm not tired of it yet and I guarantee I won't be when they stop playing it!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!  Be safe!!

My coconut Cake:

My Cold Mountain Winter Ale...Yummmm: