17 Must Read Thanksgiving Books for the Kids
Thanksgiving is near and everyone is excited for the time with family, the parades and of course the food! This year, why not build on that excitement while offering your kids a chance to read, learn and be entertained without screentime?
I have compiled a great book list for my kids, Roo and Harp and I think your kids will love these titles too. You can order them via the links below or perhaps look for them at your local library.
Pete the Cat's Thanksgiving
Reading Railroad : Giving Thanks
Little Critter Just a Special Thanksgiving
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Helper
Bright Baby Thanksgiving
I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie
Ladybug Gives Thanks
What is Thanksgiving?
The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks
T is for Turkey: A True Thanksgiving Story
Happy Thanksgiving Curious George
Fancy Nancy: Our Thanksgiving Banquet
Arthur's Thanksgiving
Five Silly Turkeys
Turkey Trouble
10 Fat Turkeys
Have your kids read any of these books? If you have a favorite I would love to hear about it so we can look for it!
Thanksgiving Dinner Sandwich
This sandwich can be made anyway you like it, with whatever leftovers you have on hand.
I like to stick to the basics, but my husband adds the veggies to his!
This is the way to eat your leftovers on a crusty, flaky open face sandwich! You will need a knife and fork for this one!
From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
12+ Cranberry Sauce Recipes to Crave
Easy Citrus Cranberry Sauce by Spend with Pennies
Best Ever Cranberry Sauce by Mom on Time Out
Homemade Cranberry Sauce by Sugar Spun Run
Ten Minute Cranberry Sauce by Swanky Recipes
Sugar Free Orange Cranberry Sauce by Make Life Lovely
Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce by A Mom's Impression
Homemade Cranberry Sauce by All She Cooks
Fresh Berry Cranberry Sauce by My Turn For Us
Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce by Cincy Shopper
Cranberry Chutney by Mom Foodie
Grape Cranberry Sauce by Cindy's Recipes
Gran Mariner Cranberry Sauce by The Kitchen is My Playground
Which of these recipes sound best to you? And please! Someone tell me exactly how you prepare a can of cranberry sauce.
Find all of my Thanksgiving posts here
Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Thanksgiving is all about the food, and the side dishes are just as important as the main course. From classic dishes like mashed potatoes and green bean casserole to more creative options like roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato gratin, there's a side dish out there for everyone.
Garlic Parmesan Sweet Potatoes by Maria’s Mixing Bowl
Cracker Barrel Mac N Cheese by The Cagle Diaries
Orange Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole by Crinkled Cookbook
Cranberry Pecan Rice Pilaf from Val’s Kitchen
Pesto Brussel Sprouts by Veggies Save the Day
From Scratch Green Bean Casserole by Served From Scratch
Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole by Two Pink Peonies
Roasted Pumpkin Beetroot Salad by Maple + Mango
Brussel Sprout and Apple Salad by Conflicted Vegan
Sauteed Sweet Potatoes by Two Cloves Kitchen
Harvest Quinoa Salad by Honest and Truly
Browned Butter Sage Mashed Sweet Potatoes by What a Girl Eats
Spiced Rice Stuffed Squash by Little Farro Kitchen
Green Bean Bundles by Bitz n Giggles
Best Cranberry Sauce by Ann’s Entitled Life
Find more favorite recipes here:
7 Ways To Entertain a 3 Year Old
It is winter and my 3 year old son has cabin fever already. I have been searching pinterest for activities to keep him happily learning and playing all day long. These are some of the cutest ideas I found.
This pretend plate of food for Thanksgiving activity would be a good way to build my son up to eating Thanksgiving dinner. He is pretty sure he doesn't like anything but chicken and crackers.
My son would like this make a lion craft. This is a must try soon idea!
My son loves playing matching games so this Popsicle game would be a lot of fun for both of us.
My son loves to check out tanks of fish so he would like creating a fish of his own I am sure.
My son really loves the idea of Christmas and he loves cereal. Win, Win.
Unique Nacho Recipes
Are you looking for some easy meal ideas to get dinner on the table in a flash? Lately I have been LOVING nachos! The whole family will eat them without complaint, and there are so many ways to prepare them. You could serve nachos every week without repeating a recipe if you really wanted to!
I don't know about you, but just thinking about all of the cooking I have ahead of me in the coming weeks is enough to leave me overwhelmed. I like Thanksgiving; who can resist pie and turkey with all of the trimmings? But. Hear me out. I am over cooking these epic feasts already! I never want to eat it after cooking all morning, and the mess is enough to make me want to cancel dinner and stay in bed.
This year, I am going to give myself a BREAK before Thanksgiving and take the easy out for as many meals as possible. My meal plan for the month includes some very basic plans like soup and grilled cheese, crock pot chili, and of course, we are going to have nachos a few times.
I gathered some of the recipes I want to try the most to share with you. These are unique and easy. I am sure your family will love them all.
Blackened shrimp nachos by Ask Chef Dennis
I really want to try this recipe because I love shrimp and often keep a bag in the freezer for easy meals. With the price of everything being so high these days, I love that I could make these with what I have on hand, switching out the veggies for what I have in the fridge.
Waffle Fry Nachos by Dinner at the Zoo
This is a delicious twist on fries and nachos! I have a feeling my kids would love to mix up the toppings to get all of their favorites in there.
Mexican Street Corn Bacon Nachos by The Forked Spoon
This recipe mixes up so many good ingredients like corn, tomatoes and avocado to make a really delicious nachos that your family will gobble up!
Green Chile Nachos by Homemade for Elle
These are colorful and just the thing for someone, like me, who LOVES green chile flavor! I would probably add some olives and maybe onions to the mix too!
Loaded Cauliflower Nachos by I Hacked Diabetes
These are perfect for eating a lighter, yet totally satisfying meal. I don't know if my kids will love this recipe, but my waistline will thank me for taking a lighter route at dinner a night or two when I am faced with all of the epic holiday desserts to come my way.
Crispy Loaded Jalapeno Nachos by Crayons and Cravings
If you love jalapenos, then you are going to want to dig into this recipe! Crispy jalapeno nachos look incredibly appealing to me. I LOVE spicy food!
Nachos Deluxe by Ann's Entitled Life
This recipe is loaded with good things! And it looks just messy enough to be fun to eat! I would add some fresh veggies to the top of this plate!
Which of these nachos would you try first?
While you are here you might like to check out 12 Lasagna Recipe You Will Love or My Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings recipe.
17 Pies for Thanksgiving
Pumpkin
Skinny No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate
French Silk Pie
Mud Pie
Chocolate Fudge Pie
Fruity
Peaches & Cream Pie
Cranberry Sauce Pie
4 Ingredient Berry Pie
Blueberry Banana Cream Pie
Easy Cherry Pie
Caramel Apple Pie
Apple Pie
Nutty
Brown Sugar Pecan Pie
Corn Syrup Free Pecan Pie
Vegan Pecan Chocolate Pie
12+ Cheesecake Recipes for the Holiday Season
Sopapilla Cheesecake by Spend with Pennies
Monkey Bread Cheesecake by Sweet Recipeas
Red Velvet Cheesecake by Food, Folks and Fun
Maple Bacon Cheesecake by Ashlee Marie
Funfetti Cheesecake by The Suburban Soap Box
Fireball Brown Sugar Cheesecake by Sweet Recipeas
Related: Apple Pie Cheesecake Parfaits
Gingersnap Cheesecake by Julie Measures
Birthday Cake Cheesecake by Centsable Mom
Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars by Centsless Meals
Christmas Tree Cheesecakes by Mom Foodie
Peppermint Cheesecake Trifle by Tastes of Lizzy T
Cranberry Cheesecake Bars by Domestic Superhero
If you are craving more holiday goodness check out my Thanksgiving collection.
There is so much fun to be found in my Christmas section, you won't want to miss a moment!
Homemade Play Dough Recipes: A Fun and Easy Way to Keep Kids Entertained
Play Dough Recipes: A Fun and Easy Way to Keep Kids Entertained
Play dough is a great way to keep kids entertained for hours on end. It's also a great way to help them develop their fine motor skills and creativity. And best of all, it's easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients.
Here are a few of our favorite play dough recipes:
Ice Cream Playdough by Bitz n Giggles
This playdough idea is perfect for a mess free ice cream play session with the kids.
Thanksgiving Playdough by Making Frugal Fun
Make this for the family feast, and give the kids something to do while they wait to have dinner!
Shimmer Makeup Playdoh by In the Playroom
Who knew you could make playdough with make up?! This is a fun idea for girls who love all things glam.
Cornstarch and Lotion Playdough by The DIY Nuts
This recipe makes for the softest playdough ever. You are going to want to squish this a few times before letting the kids have it.
Pumpkin Spice Playdough by Suburbia Unwrapped
Playdough is always fun, but when it smells of pumpkin spice, the experience is twice as nice.
Super Soft Fairy Dough by Little Bins for Little Hands
This recipe for fairy dough is so soft it feels nothing short of magical!
Glittery Pumpkin Pie Playdough by Retro Potluck
A pinch of glitter takes this pumpkin pie play dough experience to the next level.
Glow in the Dark Playdough by Our Wabi Sabi Life
This playdough glows in the dark for an incredibly fun experience for kids.
Kool Aid Playdough by The Best Ideas for Kids
This playdough is made with kool aid for such a vibrant color!
Chocolate Play Doh by Rainy Day Mum
Make a batch of chocolate play doh for kids to play with!
5 Minute Playdough by Made in a Pinch
This recipe only takes 5 minutes to make and is just the thing for a rainy day activity!
Color Changing Playdough by STEAM Powered Family
This recipe makes for a magical color changing dough that kids are going to love to play with.
Extract Scented Play Doh by The Typical Mom
This dough is scented with extracts for a sensory experience that kids are going to love.
Glittery Blue Playdough by Tikkido
This glittery blue play doh is perfect for a Frozen themed play session.
Conditioner Playdough by Sweet Silly Sara
Make this recipe with conditioner for a really soft playdoh to share with the kids.
Find more play doh ideas here:
Play Doh Food Puzzles
Play Doh Pie Counting
Easy Cornucopia Snack for Kids
This is such an easy snack to make with little kids. My preschooler and first grader had a ton of fun making, sharing and eating this!
It is as simple as dumping your ingredients in a large bowl and giving it a stir! You can completely customize the ingredients to match your preferences or what you have on hand!
Ingredients:
Unless otherwise specified, use one small box or package of each ingredient
Cheerios
Cheeze Its
Honey Nut Cheerios
Fruit Flavored Mini Marshmallows
Dry Roasted Peanuts
Peanut Butter M&Ms
Craisins
Milk Chocolate M&Ms
Peanut M&Ms
Chocolate Chips
Sugar Waffle Cones
After mixing well scoop the mix into sugar cones and serve!
This stores for 3-5 days in an airtight container or ziploc baggies. We like to substitute Rice or Corn Chex for Cheerios and Reeses Pieces for M&Ms sometimes. No matter what you mix into this Easy Cornucopia Snack, it will be a delicious hit with anyone you share it with!





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