The Bedroom Under The Stairs

My life is unconventional.

In a slightly inebriated stroke of genius, I decided to remove my dresser and other knick-knacks and convert the closet under the stairs in to my new bedroom. Surprisingly enough, it's more spacious than sleeping in the old loft bed and more importantly, I have a little more privacy (something that I had taken completely for granted until I moved here).

I'm seeing more people coming into work wearing scarves and heavy jackets, shopping with more panic-stricken fervor than normal. I've hung up my halloween costume, it's becoming slightly difficult to turn my car engine over in the morning and I had to pull my electric blanket out of storage.

This can only mean that winter and the bedlam that is the holiday shopping season is here.

I have never really looked forward to the holidays before (any time of year when people die because hordes of unruly shoppers stampede like a herd of spooked wildebeest and crush them behind the glass door of a Wal-Mart is a season that I don't want to be a part of.) but never have I dreaded their arrival more than now. For the past six years I have always had a family to be with during the holidays; Pre-Thanksgiving dinner with my Mom and Patrick, Thanksgiving dinner with Kate's family, opening presents with Kate on Christmas Eve, opening presents with Mom and Patrick at midnight on Christmas morning, Christmas Day breakfast with Kate's family, lighting incendiaries and illegal fireworks and eating various delicious but unhealthy meat products with Kate's dad while watching a stroke-stricken Dick Clark try to power out a warm New Year's message on the countdown. This will be my first winter alone.

Its Thanksgiving. It's difficult to feel thankful for anything when so many bad things have happened. However, if there's one thing I've learned in these past 8 months, it would be to find happiness in the little things. I'm thankful for things that I take for granted like having a roof over my head. I'm thankful for my friends who have been there with me in my times of stress. I'm thankful that my mom, who's been fighting with her old job to get her retirement benefits and back pay, has finally settled things and has money again. I'm thankful for the Tom and Jerry marathon that I'm watching. I'm thankful for Butternut Squash Stuffing.

Breandan's Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffing

1 Butternut Squash

1 Box Unseasoned Vegan Cornbread Stuffing

1 Cup Tri-Colored Peppers Diced

3 Celery Stalks Diced

1 Cup Onion Diced

1/2 Cup Baby Portobello Mushrooms Sliced

1/2 Cup Pecan Halves

2 Tblsp. Dill Finely Minced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Vegetable Broth

Follow directions on Stuffing Box for liquid measurements. Instead of butter or margarine, use olive oil.

Combine Vegetables and 1 tblsp. dill in large bowl. Mix by hand, adding vegetable broth until stuffing is desired consistency (a drier stuffing makes for a crisper top). Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 350.

Using a large knife, split the Butternut Squash in half lengthwise. Using an ice cream scoop or grapefruit spoon, hollow out the center of the squash along it's entire length leaving about a 1/4 inch between the hollowed out part and the sides of the squash. Save the scooped out remnants as they can be stored in the freezer and be used to make butternut squash soup. Drizzle about a tblsp. olive oil in the carved out inside of the squash halves and sprinkle in the remaining dill.

Pack stuffing into the squash halves and place on large cookie sheet. Bake until peppers and onions become slightly opaque. Garnish with Dill sprig.

It would be so easy for me to get caught up in all the reasons why I hate the holidays but it would do me no good. If I had focused on all the reasons why I hate my current situation, I'd probably kill myself. It would do me no good. Instead, I've decided to cling to all the little, seemingly insignificant things that make me happy.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING