Happy Thanksgiving!!



Thanksgiving is my all-time, ultimate, absolute favorite holiday!!! (Okay, I lied just a little bit there because it actually ties for 1st place with the 4th of July...but, we'll just go with it.)

 I love everything about Thanksgiving...the family get-together's, the movie watching, the game playing, the parades, the chilly weather, the contemplation on the amazing blessings in my life, the funny Pilgrim hats, and...of course...most of all....the amazing food!!  Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for a foodie like me!



I love pie baking, which I'm doing right now, as I'm typing...2 are done and 1 is in the works.  Yummy!!  I've already done a pumpkin pie, and a maple cream pie, and am working on creating a new one based on a recipe my husband came across in a newspaper and decided he'd like me to figure out how to convert it to GF.  Once I've finished, and it's been thoroughly taste-tested, I'll post some pictures and the recipe.  But, just a teaser...it's got a dark chocolate crust and a chocolate meringue filling with apricot jam....that should give you something to look forward to :)

 I'm sure you have your favorite Thanksgiving traditions and menus and recipes--at least, I hope you do!  Traditions are so wonderful and so important for mental health and for children's development.  If you don't have any yet, please start! It's not too late!!  Pick something fun to do tomorrow and plan to make it an annual part of your Thanksgiving Day.

 I'm not going to give you a recipe today...not really.  I just wanted to share something I made last week for a fun luncheon we had with some friends.
Yes, it really is a turkey made completely out of vegetables!!  I used red leaf lettuce for the base.  Then, I quickly blanched some asparagus spears in salted water to make the "ribs" of the feathers.  Then, baby carrots, red, yellow, and orange bell pepper slices, some cucumber slices piled in, and the "head" of a yellow squash.  I'm not that artistic, but I think you get the picture:)  Plus, we all got our daily "rainbow" of vegetables as we sat around munching and talking. 

 Make cooking fun!!  Take some risks!! Do something crazy and, if it flops, which happens to all of us, just laugh and serve it anyway!  It's the thought that counts...or is it the taste...or just the fun of being together and enjoying good food...
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!


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