Let's talk Turkey!

:) LOL

Is everybody getting excited about Thanksgiving? It's just 2 days away now! :)
Tomorrow I get to make my pies! Yummm, the house will smell so wonderful with all my baking!

I do have to admit that I'm not making homemade rolls this year. I bought some rolls in the freezer section that you bake. Shhh...don't tell anyone! :) LOL

I went to the store last week and bought all my ingredients for our menu. I can't wait.

We'll have the usual

• Turkey
• Stuffing
• Gravy
• Mashed Potatoes w/garlic
• Cranberry Sauce (& sugared cranberries)
• Sweet Potatoes w/caramel sauce
• Green Bean Casserole
• Carrots (I'm not sure if we're doing a honey glaze or just spices)
• Rolls
• Pecan Pie
• Apple Pie

I picked up a couple bottles of wine to go with our meal today. We've got Apple Cider, which I might make some hot spiced cider with part of it.

In a coffe filter I put ground spices: 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. Allspice, 1/4 tsp. Cloves, then tie it off with a rubber band then let it simmer in a half gallon of Apple Cider on the warm setting in your crockpot...it smells so good, and tastes so great too! You can add rum to it if you like, but I'm serving wine so I won't be doing that.

Of course a fun alternative is to let Apple Cider simmer with melted down red hot cinnamon candies (general rule is 2 tsp of candies to every cup of cider).

I am adding a new pie this year, something light and fresh for a twist, Cherry Cheese Pie! ;)

I'm not making Pumpkin Pie, I don't like it, but it just doesn't seem right to not have it, but Bobby told me not to worry with making it. I don't know though, I just might run to the store and pick up the few extra things I'll need to make it...our friends might really want it. I'll just send all pie left-overs with them! :) We did invite a few others over for desert afterwards, I'm not sure if they'll come though...but just incase I need to be prepared, right?! :)

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Catherine is so sweet. Today she was thanking me for all kinds of things I guess she's really taking Thanksgiving to heart. She told me thank you for making her dinner, and helping her with her homework, fixing her hair and all kinds of little things that normally kids just take for granted. It was really heartwarming and I appreciated it. Meanwhile Abby sat at the table saying "Tartersauce" becuase she couldn't get the cap back on her markers! :) LOL

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I'm planning on taking some really great photos of our dinner this year. I'd like to make a little Thanksgiving Recipe Album, so it would be nice to have a great photo with each item, the recipe and some comments about it. I'd also like to include some general "Gratitude", "Blessings" type of pages too. Something that I can have sitting out around the Thanksgiving Holidays for years to come. I'm even thinking of having some blank pages so that Guests can sign it like a Guest book and write a short note of what they're thankful for. I'm really excited about this, I just wish I had time to create this before this Thursday! :) Hmmmm......I wonder if I could squeeze it in....

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As much as I love Thanksgiving, I really can't wait to pull out my Christmas decorations. :D Friday, after I go to the gym, I'll clean the house back up from Thanksgiving and I'll be ready to unload the storage closet just to get to the tubs of Christmas decorations. Funny how much stuff we have for just one month huh?! :)

Anyone going Black Friday Shopping? Not me! No thanks!!! To me, that isn't any fun, and doesn't capture the Holiday Spirit...I don't care how good the sales are, the crowds and traffic just isn't any pleasure to deal with!

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Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!