Monday, November 24, 2008

I Am so Thankful

As Thanksgiving Day approaches I dwell on things in my life for which I'm so thankful.

I'm thankful that I have a personal relationship with my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. To know that my story is part of His plan and I can be an instrument used to His greater glory is so wonderful. Thank you, Jesus, for giving Your life for me.

I am thankful for my husband Darrel, my wonderful family, my friends and my sweet little dog, Keeper. All of them keep me grounded, but let me be myself in this journey. I also love it that they allow me to spoil each of them in my own way, mainly with alot of hugs, cooking and laughter.

I am thankful that I live in the United States of America, the most wonderful country in the world. To have the freedoms and opportunities that we have is such a blessing. To be able to voice my opinions without fear of imprisonment, to succeed as a woman and to practice my faith in a country where we are encouraged to be ourselves.

There are so many things in my life that are blessings and I'm thankful for all of them.

Thank you, Lord, for my life, my faith, my family, my friends and most importantly Your love.

Friday, November 21, 2008

My Thanksgiving Menu and Plans

This year the guest list includes 26 (and counting) family members. To be honest, this may very well be the largest Thanksgiving crowd I've ever cooked for. I love it, though. Cooking for my family and friends brings me great joy and is something I've done every Thanksgiving since I was 14. I think of it as a gift to my family and they truly appreciate it and look forward to it every year.

I have completed my menu and have made my grocery list...whew! What a list!
The Menu
2 Turkeys
Cornbread Dressing
Gravy
Broccoli Casserole
Sweet Potato Supreme
Scalloped Corn
Butter Beans
Deviled Eggs
Pear Salad
Layered Salad
Olives
Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
Buttermilk Pie
Brownies
Cookies
Flan

Vivian, Pat's wife, is from Puerto Rico and she will be bringing 2-3 dishes from her native country as well as Flan (we hope she brings Flan).
I'm going to set up round tables that seat 8 in the living room and in the den. My dining table seats 8 and Ben and Blake like to sit at the bar where all the food (rolls for Ben) will be placed.
I'll be using hunter green tablecloths as well as harvest gold cloths. We'll use my everyday dishes as well as the yellow cabbage dishes and serving pieces. These colors make a beautiful table.
I hope Darrel doesn't rake up all the leaves in the yard because I love to see them on Thanksgiving Day!
I will prepare the casseroles, layered salad, desserts that I'm making and the cornbread for the dressing the day before so I won't have too much to do on Thanksgiving Day. I'll also set the tables and lay out all the serving pieces I'll need.
On Thanksgiving Day I'll get up at the usual time 4:00 AM, shower and get right to it. I have to make the dressing, bake the turkeys, make tea, deviled eggs, pear salad, gravy and butter beans. It's tradition with me to have Fox News and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on in the background and then listen to (too busy to watch) "It's a Wonderful Life" as I cook that morning. Everyone should start arriving around 12:00 and we'll eat somewhere around 2:00PM (hopefully!).