Food for Thought | Thanksgiving

{Be Thankful}

I don't have the perfect life.  This year, I have been practicing gratitude for everything: the heartaches, the set backs, the good, the thrills, the disappointments, and the ugly.  

 

Around Thanksgiving, many people say they are grateful for their families, friends, having a job, etc.  I am always eternally grateful for my friends and family without whom I would most certainly be lost.  However, this year, I am most grateful for all the little things in my life.  Below is a very small sampling of the small things that I am always grateful for:

• the daily kitty welcome committee/snuggle crew
• the daily comments from The Hubby that he loves me, thinks that I am beautiful, sexy, intelligent, etc
• the sunrise over a beautiful Kentucky landscape on my way to work
• the sunset view that I have from my house
• the surprise emails from my grandparents about how they love me and are proud of me
• the banter and time I spend with my mom
• the health of my body, mind and soul
• my senses: being able to see, touch, hear, taste, and smell my surroundings
• for the compassion that is shown to me by others (who I don't forget to thank, even if they are strangers--one person even cried after I thanked them!)
• for authors that write the books I read
• for the directors/writers that produce/write the movies and TV shows I watch
• a warm, soft, safe place to lay my head at night (or for nap time in the middle of the day)
• for all the people both near and far that make my life easier, better, safer, etc

I am not perfect, and sometimes I do forget to be grateful especially when I am sad, mad, frustrated, stressed, etc.  I am human, and I am grateful for that.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I'm taking a short break, but I'll be back next Monday!

 

PS--I am thankful for you too, my dear reader!  Did you really think that I would forget you?

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Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Since November is National Peanut Butter month, I thought I would debut this recipe that I have been working on for months.  Why so long?  I cannot get the chocolate to stick on the outside without wax (I'm not eating wax--sorry!).   I gave up, and put the chocolate on the inside.  I have no idea how they got it to stick, but I got impatient because this recipe is so DELICIOUS.

The peanut butter filling:  I saw how much sugar they asked for in the recipe, and I decided to half it and go from there.  The golden rule of cooking-you can ALWAYS add more, not take away.  I am so glad that I did because it was delicious and spectacular the FIRST time!

 {Inside Out Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cups}

 {These don't last long and are safe no where!}

Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
from Six Sister's Stuff

Makes 3-4 dozen (depending on the size you make)

10 graham cracker sheets, crushed into crumbs
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
8 oz powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
Milk chocolate chips

1. Put graham crackers in a food processor or plastic Ziploc bag and beat until they are finely crushed. 
2. Mix butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and graham crackers together in large bowl. 
3. Grab some of the peanut butter mixture and a few chocolate chips and roll into 1″ balls. 
4. Place rolled balls on large cookie sheet (I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper) and stick in the freezer for about 20 minutes. 
5. Try not to eat them all! 

This recipe is dead on for a Reese's cup.  The Hubby says he prefers these to the store brand.

Do you like peanut butter?  The Hubby and I go through about a jar every two weeks.  What can I say, if I was allergic to peanut butter, I would be the saddest woman in the world!  If you are looking for a savory peanut butter recipe, check out my favorite Asian dish:  Rice Noodles with Peanut-Lime Sauce.

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Food for Thought

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How-To | Have a Stress-Free Thanksgivng

Do you dread Thanksgiving?  Are you just completely stressed out just thinking about it?  Do you wake up at 3 AM and make the entire meal?  If you answered YES to any of these questions, read on for some tips on making Thanksgiving as stress-free as possible!

 {Brined Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, and Stuffing}

I told several of my co-workers that I was going to spend a Saturday making Thanksgiving, and they all gave me such sympathetic looks.  I asked them why, and they said "you'll be in the kitchen ALL day!".  I'm happy to say that I spent only about 3 hours in the kitchen making the Thanksgiving pictured above because I followed the tips below for a stress-free Thanksgiving:

Plan the Basics:  This doesn't have to be a five course dinner with 4 dishes for each course.  How many guests will you have?  What time will dinner be?  Where will everyone eat?  Will tables and chairs need to be rented?  Get the basics written down and confirmed.

Decide on a Menu:  What are some traditional family dishes?  Make a list.  Gather everyone who will be there and decide on a menu.

Delegate:  My family has a rule that whenever we have family meals, everyone brings something.  So take the menu and ask people what they are willing to bring.  Even if they cannot boil water, they can buy rolls.  You are a wonderful cook, and you can do anything!  Don't do everything. 

Confirm:  Confirm a few days before Thanksgiving that 1) the person is coming and 2) that they are still bringing the dish they volunteered to bring.

Make Ahead:  Make as much of Thanksgiving recipes that you can ahead of time.  Even some of the sauces that will be pour on vegetables and such will save a tremendous amount of time and sanity!

Enjoy! Enjoy a stress-free holiday because this year, you had help and were actually able to enjoy your holiday rather than waking up at 3 AM and spending all day in the kitchen.

So there you have it!  My 5 tips on how to have a stress-free Thanksgiving!

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