Christmas Decorations

   Thanksgiving was wonderful for hubby and I. We went home and got to spend almost a full three days hanging out with everyone. We are lucky that both our families gather in the same town and that on holidays we get to see everyone. We ate lots of delicious food, went out for Black Friday and spent time with our parents.

But now that Thanksgiving is over it is full blown Christmas time and our house reflects it! Our tree is up and lovely, it is probably one of my favorites I've ever had. There are of course many Star Wars ornaments, some Christmas Story, the normal bulbs, and our special ones that we pick out each year. I still haven't found the right ones for us this year.

The TV has a rope light around it bringing in some extra colors to the living room. There is also a cute lit present sitting by the TV.

Trim Healthy Mama Update and Cheeseburger Pie Recipe

 PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR TO GET TO THIS POST ON MY NEW SITE. IF SPOONS COULD TALK, IT HAS A FUEL CYCLE REVIEW AND MANY MORE THM RECIPES AND TIPS. 

Thanksgiving Dessert- Apple Pie

   When you think of Thanksgiving, of course, you think turkey and stuffing, but right after that most people think pie. There are three that are almost always at our gatherings, pumpkin, apple and pecan. What would Thanksgiving be without them?  

McTeacher's Night

I am a brand ambassador for McDonald’s of Central Arkansas and am being compensated for this post, all thoughts and opinions though are my own.

I'm Thankful For....

   For 3 years each November I decided to write what I was Thankful for every day and post it on Facebook. It was a trendy thing that people were doing, I haven't done it the last two years because when I stopped I decided it was time to find something to be thankful for every day no matter the month. This month as I checked my TimeHop every day it was fun to see what I had said I was thankful for each day. Some of them were funny and some of them that are still true to this day.      
   Today I am going to write another list of things I am thankful for, so next year I can come back and see what was going on in my life.

20 Reasons to be Thankful for Your Husband

    I am glad to be back with Married Mondays, I have some great things happening in the coming weeks here.  

   Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and I have been thinking what I am thankful for. My amazing hubby always comes to mind first. We fit together and complement each other so well I just know that God, designed us for each other and brought us together.  

Cookbook Review: Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees By Kian Lam Kho

I received this book from blogging for books in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

   This cookbook is right up my ally. I love books that don't only give you recipes but share a history and insight into a culture. I have loved Chinese food for as long as I can remember, it just plain makes me happy. I like to think of myself as a decent Chinese food chef. This book shows great recipes with traditional flavors from each region. 

Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Vegetables

   Last week we talked about turkey, aka the main character on the Thanksgiving table. This week and next week I want to talk about the other dishes on the table, that are just as important, sides. Side dishes are what I typically remember most about holiday meals and are what bring happy thoughts to my mind. I love corn, stuffing, green beans, and rolls, I look for them every year.

A meal would not be complete without the veggies. Some traditional and maybe not so traditional ideas would be.

Creamed Corn- One of my all time favorites, It can be the kind that is cooked down from fresh corn that gets mushy add some butter, sugar, salt and pepper and you have a wonderful dish. Or it can be the kind with frozen corn cooked in cream with salt pepper and butter. Either way will work for me I love it any way I can get it, and look forward to it at all my family gatherings.

Corn Pudding is also a popular way to make corn for the Thanksgiving table. Here is a good recipe from Food Network

Brussels Sprouts- not often found with my family but many people like them. They can be wonderful tossed in butter or roasted.

Broccoli and Cauliflower- Both of these when roasted and sauced have the potential of great flavor, if you don't like them  on their own, Many times they are baked into a casserole and served right next to the green beans. Cauliflower recipe from Ann Burrell and Alton Browns Broccoli casserole  both look delicious.

Green Beans- and finally we have my all time favorite green! I love green beans cooked in just about any way. My favorite lately has been roasted with garlic sometimes called green fries. But I will eat french style warmed up from a can if I'm in the mood. If you google green bean recipes you will find oh so many different kinds. Let us not forget the famous green bean casserole. That is one traditional item that not many leave off and with so many variations why would you want to.

Served here with Creamy Herb Chicken from THM

Book Review: Trim Healthy Mama Plan Book by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison

 I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

   This is the companion book that goes with the cookbook that I reviewed a couple weeks ago. The tagline of the book is "Keep it Simple. Keep it Sane." And the book shares a great not much fuss eating plan. I had gotten the cookbook because I had seen my cousin pinning THM recipes and thought it would be interesting to go through and see what it was all about. About an hour after I had it I knew that I needed the plan book so I could figure out how to make these recipes work for weight loss. I went and got the book while visiting home, loved it so much when I found it on Blogging for Books I knew I needed to get it to share my review and gave that copy to my mom.  

Harry Potter Party: Pt 2

   Our Harry Potter party was a hit. We watched 3 movies and had some delicious treats. We made our own grand table complete with Buckbeak.

Turkey Talk

   It is November and I can officially start thinking about the holidays. Thanksgiving will be here soon and with that some wonderful foods. This month I will be sharing recipes for Thanksgiving lunch or dinner. Today I want to talk turkey. There are many ways to cook your turkey and all can turn out wonderful. Here are some tips when choosing and cooking your turkey for the big day.