THANKFUL

How is everyone feeling today? Still stuffed from yesterday's food events?

I'm feeling a little stuffy but not with food. My nose is stuffed up and my voice sounds like I'm a veteran smoker. Besides that, Thanksgiving was wonderful! Spent time with family, both immediate and extended, eating food and just enjoying each other's company. The girls had a blast playing with their cousins and the weather was chilly and holiday perfect. 

We started off the day with a 5k Turkey Trot

then headed home to cook and get ready for the big dinner event at my mom's house. 

At my mom's, the turkeys were cooked (one fried and one baked)

and then carved. 

After eating turkey, mac-n-cheese, sweet potato casserole, many different vegetable casseroles, brussel sprouts, stuffing, salad, and rolls, we washed all that down with cake, pie, cookies, and caramel popcorn (all homemade). Goodness :) 

After all food was devoured, we spent some time outside by the fire, going through the Black Friday ads (Sophia showed Grammy EVERYTHING she wanted) and watching the kids play outside. 

The perfect Thanksgiving....

I hope everyone enjoyed time with their family and/or friends! If you were working or did not get to spend Thanksgiving with family, I hope you had a great day anyways!

XOXO

 

Chicken Pot Pie & Thanksgiving Menus

Last night was the beginning of our Thanksgiving festivities. Katie (brother's wife/sister-in-law) made a delicious homemade Chicken Pot Pie for us! When she asked if we wanted to come over for some Chicken Pot Pie, I thought about the last time I actually ate a chicken pot pie. (I like saying "chicken pot pie"!) I believe the last chicken pot pie I had was more than 10 years ago and it was a frozen Marie Challender. Sorry Marie, but you've got serious competition. Katie's chicken pot pie was beyond good and I will not go another 10 years without Chicken Pot Pie. I will now demand Katie's chicken pot pie a numerous times a year!

So today is Thanksgiving Eve...it might as well be called Black Wednesday for grocery stores. A day when grocery store parking lots are jammed packed, all the cans of sweet potatoes and chicken broth are sold out, and you have to park all the way in the back and actually walk more than 100 feet to the store. Goodness...

It's still early in the morning right now and I'm already making my strategic plan for grocery shopping today. I have officially waited until the last minute to get my supplies for our Thanksgiving menu. My excuse is that school is out and grocery shipping with two youngin's is one of the furthest things down the list of fun. But it's come to the day that I can no longer avoid it. 

My responsibilities for Thanksgiving this year are the Macaroni & Cheese and a vegetable side dish.
When I told my husband I was making the mac-n-cheese, he told me to find the fattiest recipe I could find because it would be the best! (Sticks of butter makes everything better) Since it's Thanksgiving and we're all setting our scales back 10 pounds anyways, I'm going to go ahead and just make the ultimate cheesiest mac n cheese I possibly can. But, to even out the playing fields, I'm also going to bring a brussel sprout side dish. ;)

These are the two recipes I'll be making for Thanksgiving this year:

Creamy Gruyere, White Cheddar, and Parmesan Macaroni and Cheese by Solid Gold Eats

Pan Seared Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries & Pecans from Rachel Schultz

I can't wait to eat tomorrow!!! 

XOXO

Adopting New Thanksgiving Traditions

Hey guys!! How is your week starting off? 

If you're working, the good news is that it's a short week since Thanksgiving is Thursday...unless you work in retail. If you do, then this week just might be your biggest nightmare {screams of horror just thinking about Black Friday}.

I want to know about Thanksgiving family traditions. Because I'm looking to start some :)

The traditions we have in my family is everyone coming to my mom's house to eat food, food, and more food. We usually do 2-3 turkeys! One fried, one baked, and one smoked. Good stuff all around.

So I guess our only "real" Thanksgiving traditions are what's put on the table and who comes to gather around the table. We've gone back and forth throughout the years on different ways to some how go around the table and say what we're thankful for. Whether we write them down on a piece of paper or just go around the table one by one. Nothing has really stuck. The times are changing in my family since my siblings and I are growing our own little families and I think this is a good time to start some new traditions.  

Of course I took to Pinterest to look at what other people do on Thanksgiving (besides cook and eat delicious food) and found some awesome ideas! 

Five Kernels of Corn - just from my preliminary findings there are many different ways to do this.

StoneGable Blog

Thankful Tree - Starting at the beginning of November, ask the kids what they are thankful for. Write each on a different leaf and glue, tape, hang with string, etc onto a tree of choice. 

SimplyVintagegirl

Blessing Jar - This is very similar to the Thankful tree in that it can be started earlier than Thanksgiving (or just on Thanksgiving day). Everyone in the family writes down things they are thankful for through the year or month. The pieces of paper are read out loud during Thanksgiving dinner. 

Thanksgiving Tablecloth - Start with a plain white tablecloth and set out a pair of permanent markers for family and friends to write down what they are thankful for along with the year. Use the same table cloth every year and watch the blessings grow!

 The 2 Seasons

I think I may be starting some new traditions this year! Check back Friday to see which one we adopted!

XOXO