I wish everyone in the U.S. Happy Thanksgiving and hope that f not 364 days out of the year, then perhaps just today to stop and take a moment to appreciate all that you have in your lives and find it in your hearts to dedicate some time during this holiday season to help those who are less fortunate.
Every year we begin with optimism and hope and set some goals for ourselves to stir up positive thinking. Yet as the year unfolds, we are faced with so many difficulties or challenges, that we not only forget the optimism and hope, but find ourselves constantly struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, although that may be the case, we should take a moment on Thanksgiving Day, if not at least once a week, to say thanks to our family members for being with us through thick and thin, for the soldiers who are abroad keeping us safe, for volunteers who dedicate their time in making someone happy, for organizations who truly support a good cause, for retailers who offer give back programs for the needy, for all those who have become conscious about saving our beautiful planet and for all the amazing pets who keep us going, even when the going is tough. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving
The countdown begins, in my opinion, since it is officially one week to Thanksgiving. While I contemplate the menu for this year’s feast with family, I am also searching for table setting inspiration. I usually shift gears and turn to country themed settings because of the occasion and choose, probably like everyone else, autumn colors to set the right mood. I found some ideas here that are pretty easy and not over the top, so I am going to draw my table setting from a combination of the photographs I have included below. What theme are you going with?
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone. May your holiday be filled with joy and a sincere gathering with family and friends. And remember, no matter how bad times are, please take a moment to be thankful for all the blessing you have received in twenty-ten.
I must admit, I am not a fan of pumpkin pie. I prefer more of a fruit based tart if I am forced to eat a pie like dessert. I say give me fresh fruit any day. But just for traditional sake, I always bake a pumpkin pie for my guests. In light of trying to stay healthy and watching my family’s calorie intake, I, once again, have opted for the following recipe which I found here. pumpkin coconut tart INGREDIENTS CRUST 1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour, (see Ingredient Note) 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (see Tip) 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 4 tablespoons cold reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel) FILLING 1 1/2 cups canned unseasoned pumpkin puree 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons dark rum 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 3 large eggs 1 cup “lite” coconut milk GARNISH 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut chips, (see Ingredient Note) or flaked coconut, toasted (optional) PREPARATION Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 11-inch …
Not a shocker to anyone in the U.S. trying to make it through the holidays without over eating or avoiding eating things that are not good for you. Although if you think about it, the Thanksgiving meal in itself is pretty healthy, based on today’s healthy eating standards. But just in case you are thinking about how to add more to the healthy Turkey, Cranberry, sweet potato or green beans dishes, I have included a recipe for stuffing which I have found here, that I plan to incorporate to my menu this year. Pear, prosciutto and Hazelnut stuffing INGREDIENTS 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced, cut into ribbons 2 cups onion, chopped 2 cups diced fennel bulb 1/4 cup minced shallot 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary 8 cups stale baguette, preferably multi-grain (not sourdough), cut into 1/2-inch cubes 2 Bosc pears, ripe but firm, chopped 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken …
Most Americans take great pride in setting up the dinner table for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Why not? After all it is probably the most and sometimes the only time a woman has the chance to gather her family and friends around the table to eat at the same time. I am one of those individuals who take pride in setting up my Thanksgiving dinner table and would consider a different theme each year just for the fun of it. Since Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated during the Fall, I have no trouble incorporating nature throughout the table decor. Just in case you are wondering what I am going to do this year and even if you are not :), I am getting my table decor inspiration from the following photos and plan to include a bit of something from each suggestion to create an eclectic feel. Let me know what you think?
There are two things I appreciate during the course of a year. Holidays and Nature themed decoration. Whether it be a dinner table centerpiece, a bouquet of flowers on a side table or a wreath hung on the outside of the front door, how about a mantle displays or just a platter full of fruits and nuts on the dessert table. I usually get a warm fuzzy feeling and even become teary eyed when I see the efforts people make in incorporating nature into their decoration. In light of this subject matter and since Thanksgiving is based around a harvest festival, I have gathered some ideas from the internet which I think are very easy to make and beautiful to look at in any home during the Thanksgiving celebration. I hope you like and happy weekend while planning your special Thanksgiving dinner get together.
rawsilkandsaffron.com 