Thanksgiving Traditions

My Thanksgiving plans for this year include:
What an exciting week we have planned!  We are heading up to North MS on Wednesday afternoon once Ben gets off work (I have the day off, whoopee!!).  We will spend Thanksgiving at my Nana's house eating way way too much and watching football.  We're heading to Oxford on Friday to watch Ole Miss take on Penn State in basketball.  Saturday is my BIRTHDAY!!!  We will be in our favorite place cheering on the Rebels as they pick up their final win of the season! HOTTY TODDY!

My favorite Thanksgiving was:
All of the Thanksgivings when I was growing up and when all the grandchildren were still kids.  We usually have Thanksgiving at my Mom's brother's huge farmhouse that sits on a ton of land.  After we finished eating, the men would go across the field to shoot skeet.  The kids would jump on the 4-wheelers or my favorite, the "mule" and ride until the wheels would just about fall off.  Or we would ride one of their horses.  Or play a good game of football.  Just like on corny family commercials.

My signature Thanksgiving dish is:
I have to be honest.  Last year was the first year I contributed to Thanksgiving dinner.  I made oreo balls.  Totally not a Thanksgiving dessert, but I do not like pecan or pumpkin pie so I wanted to make something that my tastebuds would desire.  Of course they were a hit, that is the ones that actually made it over to my aunt & uncle's house.  This year I am making a more traditional Thanksgiving Dish.  Mac & Cheese, not any mac & cheese, but Ben's grandmother, Mama Jean's mac & cheese.  It's going to change lives Thursday.

My favorite Thanksgiving food is:
Stuffing.  My aunt makes the best stuffing there ever was.  I'm salivating thinking about it.

Thanksgiving is:
my absolute favorite holiday, of course you knew that because you read this earlier post. It's a day for delicious food and time spent with family enjoying good conversation.  It's the one day of the year I do not feel guilty about consuming a week's worth of calories in one day.  It's football watching all day, better yet, all weekend. 

I am thankful for:
the Lord from whom all blessings come.  I am thankful to have such a wonderful husband and the best family and friends ever.  This year I am especially thankful for my Mama, after her health scare in October it really made me realize how much I take for granted.  I am thankful that God has blessed me with a great internship that is preparing me to be a better audiologist.  I'm thankful that I have a roof over my head and food in my pantry.  I am thankful for Layla.  I am thankful for my health.

Thanksgiving 2009

Share your Thanksgiving traditions!

Lasagna Soup

I made this for dinner last night and I could barely finish my meal from all the "mmmming" I was doing.  Ben has rehearsals every night of the week, except those reserved for the Lord, for Scrooge the Musical that he is performing in December meaning I have been eating some lonely meals so I thought I'd make something super yummy and comforting.  No worries, there were plenty left over for Ben to enjoy today at lunch.  I wish I had packed myself a bigger bowl, I'm such a fattie.

My classmate Katie shared this recipe with me in the Spring and I made it once before it got to warm outside for me to actually enjoy eating soup.  I definitely don't remember it being this tasty.  Thanks again Katie for sharing this hearty dish.

Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. Italian sausage (we like Jimmy Dean, it's in the gold packaging with regular sausage)
1 red & green bell pepper, diced (you can certainly just use one pepper if you like)
1 med. onion, diced
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes (I like Hunt's with the Italian seasonings added for extra POP!)
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce (they might sell a big can but I just stick with what I know)
1 32 oz carton of chicken stock
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (if these are too scary, leave them out)
2-3 tsp. Italian seasoning
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1/4 c. grated parmesean cheese
6-8 oz. lasagna noodles, broken up (I used about 8 or so noodles)

In a large pot (or dutch oven if you're fortunate enough to own one), heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add sausage, peppers, onions, and garlic.  Stir occasionally until sausage is no longer pink.  Drain.  Return to pot and add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper. Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil and then reduce heat.  Let simmer for about 20 minutes.  Next, add the broken lasagna noodles and parmasean cheese.  Cook for about 12-15 to cook the lasagna noodles, stirring occasionally.  Top each serving with mozzarella cheese. 

Super delicious without all the work of layering!  Next time I might even add mushrooms. Yum!  Hope y'all enjoy!

November

It is my favorite month.  Everyone has a favorite month, or they should and I am currently enjoying mine.  There's a gazillion reasons to love the month of November.  For starters, it is the month I celebrate my birth.  Now that you know, you can start celebrating too!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE celebrating my birthday.  I always wondered if my love for my birthday would start to diminish the older I got, but oh boy it hasn't!  I have always felt that my birthday celebration should last for about a week (Lord, bless my dear parents and now my poor husband).  However, I feel that they should consider themselves lucky since I have a dear friend who thinks that February should be called "Annauary."  Back to November, if you think about it, I bet you have a lot of friends that celebrate birthdays in November.  I sure do.  Ben's parents both have birthdays in November, me and his mom share our birthday!  My Nana has her birthday this wonderful month and I can think of about a dozen other folks I know with November birthdays.  Now, think back 9 months, February, Valentine's day and BOOM there's your explanation for the abundance of November birthdays.  Back to why I love November.  Well my favorite holiday falls in November. Yes, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday & it should be yours too.  What other day of the year can you eat until the buttons snap off of your pants and not feel guilty about it?  We're giving thanks, right?  In November, we here in the South finally start getting a taste of fall.  It is the start of the holiday season.  We get to enjoy college football AND college basketball all at the same time. I have a million tiny little reasons why November is a great month and they include wearing scarves, black Friday, hot apple cider, beautiful trees, seeing your breath when you are outside, Chili (yum yum), autumn scented candles, wearing boots, Christmas shopping...I could go on and on and on.  Reading this post, one might come to think that I love cold weather, I actually despise it.  But in November, it's just chilly enough to bust out all the sweaters that have been stowed away and  the cute coats but not feel like your nose might fall off when you walk outside to check your mail.  Come mid-December, I'm ready for the sweat beads on the back of my neck and the humidity that takes my breath away to be back.  Hope everyone enjoys this glorious month.