Showing posts sorted by relevance for query thanksgiving. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query thanksgiving. Sort by date Show all posts

17 Must Read Thanksgiving Books for the Kids

This post contains affiliate links, but the list was inspired by the reading material I have for my children this month.

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

There is no shame in my game. I get way too excited about Thanksgiving! The actual meal is pretty wonderful, but the days and days of leftovers are what dreams are made of for me!

There are so many ways to serve them, but my favorite is the Thanksgiving Dinner Sandwich!
I like to serve this on croissants. The flakiness adds so much yum to this! 



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!




To make the Thanksgiving Dinner Sandwich, Sara Style:
Cut a Croissant in half.
Add a layer of stuffing,
a drizzle of gravy,
Then top with turkey and another drizzle of gravy.
Pop in the microwave for about a minute and a half, or better yet, warm in a 350 degree oven for about 13-15 minutes.




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

If you want to step up from canned cranberry sauce, you are in the right place! I found 12 of the best cranberry sauce recipes to share with you. 


I have never even tried cranberry sauce before. I am a 40 year old woman.
Growing up, it was not a dish to be found at a single Thanksgiving meal I attended. I can't recall ever seeing my mom ponder a can of cranberry sauce at the store, and certainly she never bought fresh cranberries. I don't even think those could be found in my tiny town growing up.

My mother in law likes it though. Over the years she seems to have figured out that cranberry never occurs to me when I am preparing the meal. She has been bringing a can of cranberry along hopefully for years.

Canned cranberry sauce looks gross though. It reminds me of beets, which I also don't like. HA! I used to pride myself on not being a picky eater, but this post might prove otherwise.

This year I am going to go out of my way and attempt to make a real proper cranberry dish to wow my mother in law this Thanksgiving. I found 12 recipes that look amazing. So much better than a blob of canned cranberry!



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:

Thanksgiving Dinner Sandwich

12 Cranberry Sauce Recipes

7 Ways To Entertain a 3 Year Old

Photo Credit: the photos belong to their respective owners. Visit the links to see the original sources.

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 might be down with this pretend ice cream cone craft. 


Hand print flowers would be fun to make and cute to display.



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

Can there ever be too many pies at Thanksgiving? I think not! This year I am going to prepare several varieties to share with the people I am thankful to have in my life. This list gives me a great starting point in my pie baking. If you are looking for a few great pie recipes, I know you will find a few on this list that you will love!



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


The holidays are the perfect time to whip up and enjoy a decadent cheesecake! If you have been looking for a unique new recipe to try, this collection is the perfect starting place.

Make sure you pin this collection to your holiday baking board. 

Social shares are so much appreciated. They help my site grow and send traffic to my blogging friends that participated in sharing recipes for this post. So please, hit that share to twitter, facebook, pinterest or etc button!



This collection has something for everyone! From a sweet sopapilla cheesecake to  cranberry cheesecake bar recipe that is perfect for Thanksgiving



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.





Play Dough Variations There are endless possibilities when it comes to play dough variations. Here are a few ideas: Add glitter or confetti for a festive touch. Add essential oils for a calming aroma. Add herbs or spices for a sensory experience. Add different types of flour for different textures. Add salt dough to make ornaments or other crafts. With a little creativity, you can make play dough that's perfect for your kids. So get started and have fun!

Find more play doh ideas here:
Play Doh Food Puzzles
Play Doh Pie Counting

Easy Cornucopia Snack for Kids

Thanksgiving is near and there is no better way to build excitement for the kids than with a yummy and easy snack like this kid made Cornucopia snack!





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!


11 Cheap and Effortless DIY Vase Filler Ideas



Whether you’re decorating for an event, a house gathering, or a reception, it can be a little intimidating what kind of ornaments to put up. On top of that, it can be pretty expensive too if you expect a lot of guests who have their own tables. That is why decorative table centerpieces always come in handy in situations like this.
If you ever find yourself scrambling to make last-minute additions to decorations or looking for cheaper alternatives, consider buying glass vases in bulk because they’re cheaper and there’s a lot you can do with them. You can easily customize glass vases to make centerpieces and have them fit into the theme of any party as you like.

Looking for ideas? Take a look at the list below.
Stones, Water, Candles


This sounds easy enough because you only need three things: stones, water, and a candle. You need to check the size of your glass vase if you want to achieve this because it can get crowded pretty easily. This is ideal for parties that are held outdoors and at night because, as a centerpiece, it can provide extra illumination once the candles are lit up.
Corn Kernels

This is a perfect DIY centerpiece for autumn because it fits in beside the general color theme of the season, which is reds and yellows. Corn kernels are one of the easiest and cheapest vase fillers to find because, if you love eating popcorn, you may already have some in your kitchen.

For this, you can display the kernels all on their own or add candles and maybe some ornamentation like dried maple leaves and some string. If you’re curious, here’s how the finished product should look like.

Coffee Beans

If you’re a coffee aficionado and have coffee beans lying around, consider getting a handful and turning them into vase fillers. It doesn’t matter what kind or grade you have. They’re perfect for any season, and you will be greeted by that wonderful coffee smell whenever you walk into the room.

Acorns

One of the best ways to save up on money when decorating is to use what nature has to offer. If you have a lot of acorn trees around your place, you can pick up some to use them for your own table centerpiece. This is perfect for autumn, and if you want the acorns to fit with the theme of your home or a party, you can paint them in any color you want.

Wine Corks

Show off your love for wine by using the corks as vase filler. Not only does it look like it was bought from a store, but you also recycle used items and help the environment. If you don’t have a lot of corks, you can buy a pack in bulk instead. Or you can simply fill out the vase slowly with each new wine bottle opened. You can find a simple tutorial online.

Snowflake Ornament

If you want seasonal centerpieces, snowflakes look great and would be perfect in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can make use of snowflakes from your collection of Christmas-tree ornaments if you plan to get new ones for this year. Instead of throwing them out, give them a second life instead as a table centerpiece.

Fresh Citrus Fruits

For an eye-catching pop of color, you can actually use fresh citrus fruits as vase fillers. This is great for any outdoor party. All you need to do is slice up some lemons, for example, and put the slices in the vase, along with some water and some flowers. If you want to get a beautiful effect,  

make sure to use bigger glass vases.

Another popular citrus fruit choice is oranges. Take a look at this tutorial if you’re curious.

Colorful Cereals

Cereals are one of the things that you can always find in the kitchen, but not everyone realizes that they make good vase fillers as well. Colorful ones make a vase look good without you needing to spend anything. They’re great for birthday parties and other kid events.

If you want to use them for this kind of purpose, it is up to you whether you want the vases to remain as centerpieces or whether you want to use them to hold treats to give away other than the cereals.

Loose Toys

Suppose you want to tidy up your child’s room but it is hopelessly filled with a lot of random loose toys and small knickknacks that you can’t seem to place or put away. Instead of putting them in a box somewhere to be forgotten, why not display it as a centerpiece?

Put little plastic army men, bouncy balls, Lego blocks, and puzzle pieces in a vase to make it look stylish. You can add flowers, faux or real, to make it look deliberate.

Dyed Rock Salt

Substitute fake gemstones with rock salt if you want to make a centerpiece with tea candles. Rock salt is cheap, and for just a few bucks, you can actually use dyes to paint the salt grains in different colors that you like.

What’s more is that they’re biodegradable, so if you feel like changing decors or using another batch of colored rock salt, then you don’t have to worry about polluting the environment. If you’re unsure how to dye rock salt, this little tutorial will help you out.

Beans

They’re the first beads of any kind, and that is why they make great vase fillers. Depending on the occasion and look you’re going for; you can easily find beans for the task. If not, you can always spray-paint them in batches and choose to put them in the vase by themselves or with other baubles.

Get Creative

There are a lot of cheap, easy, and free things you can use for vase fillers. You only need some  
imagination and maybe a little DIY here and there to make it happen. In terms of decorations, centerpiece vases are one of the easiest to do, and their beginner-friendliness makes them a top choice for those who want to try out small DIY projects for their home.
What do you think are other vase fillers that you can easily find and use? Share what you know in the comments section below.
     


Whether you’re decorating for an event, a house gathering, or a reception, it can be a little intimidating what kind of ornaments to put up. On top of that, it can be pretty expensive too if you expect a lot of guests who have their own tables. That is why decorative table centerpieces always come in handy in situations like this.
If you ever find yourself scrambling to make last-minute additions to decorations or looking for cheaper alternatives, consider buying glass vases in bulk because they’re cheaper and there’s a lot you can do with them. You can easily customize glass vases to make centerpieces and have them fit into the theme of any party as you like.

Looking for ideas? Take a look at the list below.
Stones, Water, Candles



This sounds easy enough because you only need three things: stones, water, and a candle. You need to check the size of your glass vase if you want to achieve this because it can get crowded pretty easily. This is ideal for parties that are held outdoors and at night because, as a centerpiece, it can provide extra illumination once the candles are lit up.