Join us for a snapshot of our Thanksgiving week activities

K-Rae has been entertaining us by singing Thanksgiving Songs....

here are a couple of clips I managed to capture with some coaxing.....

We celebrated my birthday (yes, 29 again!)

RyDaddy made me this yummy chocolate caramel trifle 

(all from scratch!!!).

 

We pulled out the Christmas books and decorations. 

Creamie, Grandpa, and Great-Grandma came to visit.

The girls coaxed all of the grandparents into reading them lots of stories.

And tried on their Christmas dresses to make sure they are all ready for their upcoming programs. 

Building end tables was probably Kelsie's favorite activity....so much so that she didn't even have time to get dressed first!

Indian princess!

"Where's the food....or am I supposed to eat this cornucopia?"

Much to be thankful for!

...especially thankful for my family and big helper girls!

Simply Thanksgiving

I like the simple decorations.....

This butternut squash has been a decoration for our kitchen all fall....

moved more recently to the dining room table.

It will probably soon be made into a yummy soup, 

but for now it's accompanied by gourds, fall foliage, mini cornucopia place settings,

and today the gum drop turkeys were added.

It's not everyday you see a four-legged turkey,

but these make pretty cute Thanksgiving table decorations.  

 I can remember making these little gumdrop gobblers as a child myself!

Unfortunately, I don't think ours will last that long---

their "feathers" keep disappearing!

To make these, simply have your kids stick toothpicks in an apple for the legs and feathers, add gumdrops and a card stock or thin cardboard head.  (An adult should cut the slit for the head with a knife.)  

I had the appetizer style toothpicks on hand, and thought they made cute feet.

K-Rae had fun helping with these...

For the cornucopia place settings, make a cone shape out of half of a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" scrapbook paper, 

or even plain brown card stock or a sturdy piece of brown paper bag for a cheap alternative!  

Trim the cone shape as desired.Tape the cone shut along the back side.  Fill with artificial fall foliage....

we stapled the leaves to the cornucopia to keep them from falling out, 

and used craft glue to hold in some of the other items.  Miniature pumpkins & gourds look cute in these too.

Grace with a ribbon, add a name.....make one for each person at the Thanksgiving table!  

These make great favors for guests to take home after the holiday feast.  

Happy Decorating & Happy Thanksgiving!

Kelsie's proposal....

As we were getting ready to leave for trick-or-treating, 

K-Rae asked RyDaddy, 

"Dadda, how about you weddin' me?"

I think that's a four-year-old's way of asking her daddy to marry her.....

Since Daddy is already taken---

K-Rae is now hoping to have a little brother, 

so she "can have a wedding."

Sharing a recipe....yum!

Dinner tonight was yummy, even if I do say so myself....

 and pretty easy (don't tell that part to RyDaddy)

and as a bonus...even the girls like this dish!

I haven't shared a recipe in awhile....here is a simple standard wintertime favorite of mine that you really can't go wrong with.....Prep time is only 15 minutes, you use only a 1/2tsp. & 1/2c. measuring utensils and this yummy dish bakes in the crock pot.  Crock pot meals are my absolute favorite!  It turns out looking pretty fancy too...like you surely must have slaved over it!

Cornish Game Hens:

Prep Time: 15 min.

Bake Time (in crock pot): 4 hrs. & 30 min.

Ingredients:

·         1/2 tsp. salt

·         1/2 tsp. pepper

·         1/2 tsp. onion powder

·         1/2 tsp. garlic salt

·         1/2 tsp. dill weed

·         1/2 tsp. dried oregano 

·         1/4 tsp. paprika 

·         2 Cornish game hens (thawed and rinsed inside and out)

·         1/2 c. chicken broth

·         1/4 c. juice any flavor (I've used orange, pineapple, or apple.......and today fruit punch from the girls' juice boxes, as that's all we had on hand....it all turns out good--the juice just adds a tinge of flavor and mostly moisture).

Mix first seven ingredients in small bowl.  Mix liquids in separate small bowl.  Place hens in crock pot.  Pour liquids over hens inside and out.  Sprinkle other mixture generously over hens inside and out.  Cook on low in crock pot 4 hrs. & 30 min., or until 170 degrees F. 

As sides, we (yes we, RyDaddy jumped in and helped finish up this meal....such a good hubby......who is now finishing dishes while I blog; I must be spoiled!) made mashed potatoes, gravy from the game hens' drippings, and steamed carrots with butter.  We also had apples in the fridge that were needing used up quickly, so I found and adapted new recipe that's now a favorite for dessert....

Spiced Baked Apples: 

(Prep Time: 15 min./Bake Time 30ish min.)

Ingredients:

·            4 Tbsp. chopped walnuts 

·         1 tsp. grated orange peel 

·         6 Tbsp. chopped dried plums (raisins would work too)

·         1/4 cup packed brown sugar 

·         1/4 cup water 

·         1 Tbsp. butter

·         1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

·         1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

·         orange slices as garnish

·         4 large apples 

Combine nuts, orange peel and dried plums; set aside. In a saucepan, bring brown sugar, water, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Core apples and place in an ungreased 8" baking dish; fill with nut mixture. Pour sugar mixture over and around apples. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until apples are tender. Pierce with fork to check if done.  Garnish with orange slices.  Firm apples, or standard baking apples will probably need more baking time. This dessert smells so yummy and tastes wonderful.....certain to please!