Being Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to thank my regular readers for being such great friends- whether we have met or not!  I love making things to share with you all, and I'm so excited for the year to come.  I hope that you are able to spend today with loved ones, and that you are enjoying all of the little things we have to be thankful for.

Of course, I am thankful for my wonderful husband

My family, here in front of our old home on the couch my grandparents refurbished.  The home was in our family for 46 years

And this little peanut, Inga, who I can't believe was ever so small

Have a wonderful wonderful day.

On Being Thankful

Well, Thanksgiving is tomorrow.  I love the chance to pig out without remorse, but more importantly it's a time to be with family and friends, to be thankful for the great things you have.  I think that Thanksgiving is especially important to reflect on since it is directly followed by the most consumer driven holiday of them all: Christmas.  Now, I love Christmas probably 100 times more than your average bear, but I think that it's always important to remember and recognize the gifts we already have.

I am thankful for my husband, John, who will go to a masquerade dressed in a Luchador mask:

I am thankful for my smiley, happy, puppy, Inga...

who humors us by letting us do things like this to her:

I am thankful for my family, who as I am putting this post together, I realize we don't have a picture of from this year.  Thankfully, Thanksgiving will give us a chance to remedy that :)

I am thankful for this blog, because it keeps my creativity going and I've gotten to meet so many wonderful blogger friends.

I am thankful for so many many things, and I hope you all have a beautiful Thanksgiving that helps you remember all the things you're thankful for.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Granny's Green Bean Casserole

Well, after last week's series of super simple dinners (I think my favorite might be the pizzas), I figure it's about time for some Thanksgiving food!  So I pulled out Granny's green bean casserole (or "caserole" as she writes it) to make.

You will need:

• 1 can (10 3/4) ounce cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• dash of pepper (which I always leave out- I have a sensitivity to black pepper!)
• 4 cups cut up green beans
• 1 1/3 cup french fried onions

Mix the soup, soy sauce, pepper (or not), beans, and 2/3 cup onions.

Put into a casserole dish.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Stir the casserole and top with the remaining onions.

Bake another 5 minutes, and enjoy!

I hope you are having a happy Monday!

DIY "Be Grateful" Sign

I've got another DIY for you to try!  This month it's all about giving thanks for the things we have in our lives, and I thought that this simple sign was a perfect little reminder.

You will need:

• Small board or plaque (I got mine at the dollar store and just painted over the design)
• Brown paint
• Cream paint
• Paint brushes
• Pencil
• "Be Grateful" print out

For the print out, I used the free font, Always Here.

First, paint your whole sign brown.  Mine took a few coats.

While it dries, scribble your pencil over the back of the "Be Grateful" printout. 

Then, once the paint on your sign is completely dry, lay the print out with the pencil rubbing face-down.  Trace the outline of the words.  The pressure of your pencil will transfer the graphite to the sign!

It's a little hard to see, but the outline is there!

Use the cream paint to trace over the letters.  This will likely take two coats.

Finally, use the handle end of your paint brush to add dots all around the edges. 

To make your dots evenly spaced, put one in each corner and one in the middle.  Continue adding dots to the middle of each section until you're happy with the spacing.

Ta da!

A totally doable reminder to be grateful for what you have.

Gratitude Journal

November is the time of year where we take one day to be thankful for all that we have.  But I think it would be nice if we took a lot more time than that.  I think it's too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day, especially when the holidays come near, and to forget all the really great things - big and small - that are in our lives.

So, I decided to start a gratitude journal.  Every day, I try to find something new that I'm thankful for.  I sometimes forget, but most days I jot down a line or two.  It's a great way to remind myself of what's beautiful in my life and to keep me from taking these things for granted.

Think you'd try something like this?

Grilled Turkey Cranberry Sandwich

Who says it's too early for Thanksgiving food?  I saw a recipe for ginger cranberry sauce in a magazine (I have no idea which one!!) and immediately wanted to make it.  I added a few slices of turkey breast and some brie (obviously) to make a perfect creamy, tangy, savory, sweet sandwich.  Seriously, so good!

For the cranberries, combine 1 bag cranberries (about 3 cups), 2/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger in a pot.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until the cranberries start to burst.  Put into a serving dish and let it chill for 2 hours.

(If you're impatient like me, you can spoon a bit of it into a smaller bowl and pop it in the freezer)

Then, just layer your turkey, brie, and cranberry sauce on lightly buttered bread.  Grill until golden brown.

Enjoy!

DIY Autumn Leaves Wreath

It's time for yet another wreath, because I couldn't very well leave a skull with bugs all over it up in November.

You will need:

• Raffia wrapped wire
• Fabric leaves (find these at any craft store)
• Hot glue gun
• Wire cutters

This is so so so SO simple!  First, cut three strips of wire slightly longer than the size you want your wreath to be.

Braid these three together.  This will give your wreath stability.  Now, if you're tempted to just buy a foam wreath, don't!  The hot glue gun will melt the Styrofoam, and it will be a big mess.

Connect the ends to form a circle.

Then, just glue your leaves on one at a time.  I think it looks best if you mix up colors and directionality, but go with your gut!

And you're done!  Totally doable :)

Thankful Reflections

Chocolate-Whiskey Pecan Pie

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving Day.  As for my family, Thanksgiving continues through the weekend.  We had lunch with my family yesterday, and will have Thanksgiving with John's family on Sunday.  Today (as is my long standing tradition), I'll be putting up the Christmas tree and decorations.  Yay!

In the spirit of our Thanksgiving weekend, I'd like to reflect on the things I'm thankful for.

(1) My loving and lovely family

Especially (2) John, who pushes me outside my comfort zone (here, bicycling - which terrifies me - on our honeymoon)

Which leads me to (3) rock climbing.  I would not have tried it without John suggesting it, and now, I can't imagine not doing it

(4) Inga, our sweet little puppy.  She is such a ham and always makes me smile!

(5) Traditions: like setting up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving :)

And, of course, I am thankful for this blog that keeps me motivated to try new ideas and recipes, and all of you lovely readers.  Now, speaking of #5, I should get going!

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you all have terrific weekends!