Turkey day is almost here! If you haven’t made up your menu yet, here are some fun ideas.
Unique Twists on Traditional Thanksgiving Dishes
Tips for a Gluten-Free Thanksgiving
And of course, to make up for all the turkey eating, some fun Turkey Day Calorie Blasters.
What are you feasting on this turkey day?
Tap tap tap…
Hey, is this thing on?
Normally people abandon their blogs when life gets chaotic, busy, and overwhelming.
I’m pleased to say things have been quiet around here lately for exactly the opposite reason. After a rather rough first 8 months, we’ve hit a sweet spot.
10 months is officially my favorite age. It may {definitely} have something to do with my consistent greater-than-2-hour-stretches of sleep. Much greater than 2 hours. My little one is happy, alert, curious, and complete delight to be around. I’ve just been soaking up as much of that as possible. Things with babies change faster than Lady GaGa’s outfits.
Picture from With Style & Grace
So instead of running to my computer every spare minute, or slaving away in the kitchen while simultaneously trying to entertain the baby underfoot, I’ve been skipping a lot of that stuff. So that’s why during this Thanksgiving week, also known as food blogger heaven, I’m not whipping up creative cranberry sauces, elaborate pies, or healthy side dishes for that deep-fried turkey you know you want to try.
Picture from OhSheGlows
Instead, I’ll rely on some of my favorite foodie experts to provide that for you. I know present you with the greatest roundup of Thanksgiving round ups ever.
You’re welcome.
Delicious Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas
Last Minute Thanksgiving Recipes
Ways to Use Up All Those Thanksgiving Leftovers
And just to round things out:
The turkeys are done cooking, the dishes have been washed, the leftovers have been eaten… but there’s still room for one more thing: pie!
Apple pie is a holiday –and year round- classic. The best part about apple pie? It’s best left simple. No fancy additions or twists, just classic apple pie.
Now I guess I need enlightening, because technically this isn’t a pie. Can someone clear up the official difference between a pie without a top crust, a galette, and a tart?
I’m going with galette simply because it sounds the fanciest. But I promise you- this is neither fancy nor difficult to make. So go grab some apples.
To keep this recipe as simple as possible, feel free to grab a premade-pie crust. If you don’t have one on hand, try out this version, or any of your favorite pie crust recipes. It’s the filling that makes it that beloved apple classic.
What’s your favorite pie?
Ok I really didn’t want to… but I will:
{And no, I haven’t made them all, but they sound amazing. So let me know what you think if you make them. 
}
Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Pomegranate Cream Cheese Icing
Jalapeno Peach Goat Cheese Crostini
Cranberry Pumpkin Seed Granola
Apple Sage Brined Turkey Breast
Sourdough Stuffing with Mushrooms, Apples, & Sage
Quinoa Sweet Potato & Dried Cranberry Stuffing
Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Salad
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Butternut Squash & Cranberries
Spiced Cranberry Prosecco Punch
What’s on your menu this year?
Psst… we reached 30 weeks!
November is a time to remember to give thanks for everything we have in life- from something huge right down to the tiniest thing.
It’s also a time of giving- showing your thanks and appreciation by giving back to something or somebody that needs it.
The biggest reason people don’t give is because they feel they don’t have anything to offer or can’t afford it. Well, here are 2 ways you can make a difference for less than a dollar.
Just 25 cents fills a cup with porridge, rice, or beans for hungry kids in 70 countries around the world in the World Food Programme’s Fill the Cup initiative. $50 can feed a child for a year. A year. That’s a dinner out for a couple in an only semi-nice restaurant around here.
Without food, kids can’t learn. Something as small as being hungry robs them of the ability to develop their full potential. In addition, serving food at school {where the cups are distributed} encourages families to send their children, increasing attendance rates- especially for girls.
It’s something to think about next time the barista fills up your holiday red Starbucks cup with a $4 beverage.
Prefer to keep things local? Check out No Kid Hungry, which does a similar thing at the US level.
Or find a similar program in your community. Around here, Backpack Beginnings is a remarkable program feeding kids in my county over the weekend, a time they would often go hungry before. {Did you know it takes 2 days for your brain to recover from not eating? That meant kids weren’t learning until Wednesday. The cycle starts all over just 2 days later.}
The husband and I support the World Food Programme & No Kid Hungry each year at our Red Cup holiday party.
Heather & Mike Spohr’s daughter Maddie should be turning 4 this Friday. Unfortunately due to complications from a premature birth, this will be the third time her parents spend her birthday without her.
Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, the Spohrs turned their tragedy into something positive for other families by creating Friends of Maddie, a not for profit organization that supports families and babies in the NICU with care packages, assistance in finding a place for the family to stay, and helping families connect to other families for support.
To honor her birthday this year, the Spohr’s are selling a song Mike wrote for his wife that has specially meaning for them for Maddie. For 99 cents you can download the song from iTunes and all proceeds go towards supporting and expanding the Friends of Maddie program.
How are you giving back this Thanksgiving?
