A Different Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving with my husband’s family was a little different this year.

There were fewer faces around the table and that table was sitting in a house that was slowly being emptied.

It has been a year of change and transitions which included a cancer diagnosis for Jan’s dad and several rounds of chemo.

And in just a few weeks, Jan’s parents will be moving out of their large four bedroom family home into a senior living apartment.

There has been a lot of cleaning and sorting and giving away.

Several rooms sit almost empty. Others have furniture noticeably missing.

But the dining room table was still there. And the fine china wasn’t packed. So Jan’s mom borrowed my roaster and did the turkey while the kids and I made sides and desserts.

We enjoyed one last Thanksgiving in the family home, just them and us and a couple of close friends.

It was one short day. No overnight. No extended family.

But we missed them.

There was no coffee run and Black Friday shopping. No late night Clue Game and pumpkin pie. No grand kids sprawled all over the family room.

And I missed spending time with my sisters-in-law; gals who are related only by marriage but have become some of my dearest friends. Bonded together by years of late night talks in one of the bedrooms upstairs.

It was a different Thanksgiving. Quieter. Shorter.

There were a few tears. But there was also laughter.

We’ll get his parents settled in the new apartment in the new few weeks and then we’ll find some new traditions.

It will be different.

But in the end, it’s not the place, but the people that matter.

And for them, I am very thankful.

(be) Happy (in your) Thanksgiving!

The girls and I decided early in November that we were going to celebrate Thanksgiving all month.

That’s right.

Totally Thanksgiving all month.

We tried, really we did.

But there aren’t many Thanksgiving carols to play.

Or Thanksgiving movies to watch.

I soon realized that Thanksgiving isn’t really a month long celebration.

It really isn’t a celebration at all.

It’s more of a time to pause.

To savor.

To reflect.

To give thanks.

Thanksgiving stands as a rock of remembrance at the end of November.

A time to recount the blessings we have.

To quiet our hearts.

To adjust our attitudes.

To change our focus.

And as I did, something amazing happened.

I found great joy.

And peace.

And contentment.

I discovered that a thankful heart is a happy heart.

So dear friends, I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving!

Which is to say, may you be be happy in your Thanks-givings today and everyday.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse

Psst!

Still need a dessert for your Thanksgiving meal?

Do you have a hankering for a little more pumpkin wonderfulness – but really don’t want to make a pie crust?

Maybe you’ve got a can of pumpkin left that’s needing to be used?

Here’s the perfect recipe for you!

Creamy pumpkin wonderfulness that can whipped up in a flash.

Angel Girl and I are addicted. We just finished our third batch this month – but who’s counting. 🙂

Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cup pumpkin puree (or 1 can of pumpkin)
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup of sugar (or1/3 cup Truvia )
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together the cream cheese, pumpkin and spice. Add sweetener.

In a separate bowl whip the cream with vanilla until soft and fluffy.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture.

Spoon into individual serving dishes, or into a graham cracker pie crust for a pie.

Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and some freshly grated nutmeg.

You could take a short cut and use Cool Whip – but why? The real whipping cream takes just a few minutes and is so amazing!

Want to take it to the next level? Whip up a batch of Bavarian Cream to dollop on top.

Bavarian Cream

8 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup brown sugar (1/4 cup Truvia)
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 pint of whipping cream

Mix cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Set aside. Whip cream. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese.

This will stay stable and keep in the fridge for about a week if well hidden from the children.

<happy sigh>

No wonder we’re addicted!

Enjoy!

Sacrifices of Thanksgiving

My house is hustling with activity as we prepare for Thanksgiving.

Many batches of dinner rolls are made, cookies baked, casseroles assembled.

My list is miles long. My help a little distracted.

I can only imagine the scene in your home today. 🙂

But in the busyness of the season- can we stop for a moment and focus on thanksgiving?

Not the holiday with the food and the family and the responsibilities – but the idea.

You know – the attitude of gratefulness that we should be displaying in our lives.

How’s your heart? Are you thankful?

A quick look through scripture shows us that the word thanksgiving is often used with the word sacrifice.

Psalm 107:22 “And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving.”

What a thought.

When I hear the word sacrifice I see Abraham posed with a knife over Isaac.

Or Mary breaking the bottle of expensive perfume and anointing the feet of the Savior, wiping it with her hair.

Yet scripture tells us that every “thank you” that we offer up to the Lord is a sacrifice.

Something precious – laid at His feet.

A gift.

What a beautiful, amazing thought!

May my heart say with the Psalmist –

“I will offer to thee the sacrifices of thanksgiving” Psalm 116:17

I ask again, how is your heart? Is it full of thanksgiving?

Offer them to the Lord as a sacrifice.

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert

Just as soon as I turned the calendar page to November I started craving pumpkin.

Pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bars…

…and this yummy pumpkin dessert that my mother-in-law makes.

Even with three different layers, it was pretty simple to put together. And then it just sits quietly in the freezer out of the way until we need it – making it perfect for the holidays!

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert
Recipe from Jan’s Mom

Crust:

2 1/2 cups Rice Chex, coarsely crushed (we used Crispix)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Filling:

30 large marshmallows
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 quart vanilla ice cream

Mix together the ingredients for the crust and press up to 2/3 into a 9 x 13 pan, saving the remaining mix for a topping.

For the filling, melt the marshmallows with the milk in a double broiler over boiling water. Stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Let it cool.

Fold in Cool Whip.

Spread 1 quart vanilla ice cream over crust, then the cooled pumpkin mixture and reserved topping.

Freeze.

It cuts better if removed from freezer 15 minutes or so before serving.

Enjoy!

For the Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thy Church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

May your hearts find much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!

Have a blessed day, dear friends!

Crock Pot Creamed Corn

Can I confess here that I never knew that you could make creamed corn from scratch?

My idea of creamed corn was the stuff you buy in a can by accident when you’re looking for canned corn.

Oh – but how wrong I was!

I discovered this gem recently and had to pass it on!

It’s rich and delicious and so easy to make!

We put it in the crock pot on low before we leave for church – and the corn is hot, creamy and ready to eat when we get home. It’s the perfect side dish for our traditional meat and potatoes Sunday lunch.

I took it to a recent potluck and brought home rave reviews and an almost empty crock pot.

It would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving meal, too!

Crock Pot Creamed Corn

16 ounces frozen corn (I used a fat quart of our home-frozen corn)
8 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon white sugar

Melt the butter and cream cheese. Add the milk and sugar.

Stir in the frozen corn and put everything in a crock pot.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cook on high 2-4 hours or low 4-6 hours.

It’s that easy folks!

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace and Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving weekend turned out to be quite a busy one – so busy that it’s taken us all a few days to recover!

We started out on Thanksgiving Day at church where we helped to serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal to anyone in the community who didn’t have a place to go or family to spend the day with.

It was the second year the church opened its door for a Thanksgiving meal and we were thrilled with the attendance and support.

My responsibility was to cook and bring the turkeys and make the gravy. I fretted over that gravy.

I prayed over that gravy.

I’m happy to report that it was well received! 🙂

The kids loved hanging out after they helped served drinks and cut pie.

Then as soon as we had the clean-up under control we loaded up our crew and left straight from church to head up to Jan’s brother’s place in the Twin Cities.

It was a 6+ hour trip and as we headed north the cold increased – as did the snow.

But it was worth it! The kids filled every minute with cousin time! I think they slept at some point- but I can’t verify that statement. 🙂

They watched movies, played in the snow, and even had a push-up competition.

Meanwhile I had some sweet time with 3 special nieces (you can read more about them here, here, here, and here), and did some major “thrifting” with my sister-in-law. Ahh – the bargains we found! 🙂

Jan and I had also chance to slip away and drive the extra 45 minutes north to the nursing home where my Grandpa and Grandma are now staying.

It was another bittersweet visit. Grandma knew exactly who I was and we had a lovely time together. She held my hand as if – when she let go I would disappear.

She cried when I left.

I cried too.

Grandpa’s in the Alzheimer’s unit and he didn’t know me, but he seemed glad to see me anyway. He looked tired and a little lost.

I cried when I said good-bye to him too. I always wonder if it was our last visit.

The rest of the weekend went by in a blur of laughter and food!

We packed the gang up on Sunday morning and left for the return trip home – this time with some very tired and sick kiddos.

It was one of those weekends that we filled to the brim!

But I’m so glad we did – the memories we made were priceless!

The First Thanksgiving

The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers

By Felicia Dorothea Hemans

THE breaking waves dashed high,
On a stern and rock-bound coast,
And the woods against a stormy sky
Their giant branches tossed;

And the heavy night hung dark
The hills and waters o’er,
When a band of exiles moored their bark
On the wild New England shore.

Not as the conqueror comes,
They, the true-hearted came;
Not with the roll of the stirring drums,
And the trumpet that sings of fame;

Not as the flying come,
In silence and in fear;–
They shook the depths of the desert gloom
With their hymns of lofty cheer.

Amidst the storm they sang,
And the stars heard, and the sea;
And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang
To the anthem of the free!

The ocean eagle soared
From his nest by the white wave’s foam;
And the rocking pines of the forest roared–
This was their welcome home!

There were men with hoary hair
Amidst that pilgrim band:
Why had they come to wither there,
Away from their childhood’s land?

There was woman’s fearless eye,
Lit by her deep love’s truth;
There was manhood’s brow serenely high,
And the fiery heart of youth.

What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels of the mine?
The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?–
They sought a faith’s pure shrine!

Ay, call it holy ground,
The soil where first they trod.
They have left unstained what there they found–
Freedom to worship God.

Make Ahead Butterhorns

Croissant Rolls My family got together for an early Thanksgiving meal last weekend – and like all of our family meals – we divided and conquered.

Mom did the turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, one sister brought stuffing and corn, another brought desserts, another made sweet potato casserole – and I brought the buns.

Dagmar and I wanted to try something different – and since we were meeting for the first time at my youngest sister’s new house with 2 ovens – we made these fabulous Make Ahead Butterhorns.

We really loved the fact that we could make them up ahead of time – but not bake them. Instead we froze them and baked them fresh that morning at my sister’s.

Fresh hot rolls! Oh my.

I will have to admit that these are just about the best rolls I have ever eaten in my lifetime.

I take no credit for their wonderfulness – I got the recipe from Crystal Paine over at Money Saving Mom. She has the recipe and a step-by-step pictorial that was very helpful.

Make-Ahead Butterhorns (makes 32 rolls)
Recipe from Crystal Paine

2 Tablespoons dry yeast, heaping
1/3 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
9 cups flour, divided (you can use any mixture of white or whole-wheat flour you’d like)
2 cups warm milk (110-115 degrees)
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
6 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
3-4 Tablespoons butter, melted

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add 4 cups flour, milk, butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Beat 2 minutes or until smooth.

Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto floured board and knead lightly. (Or, knead in mixer until sides of bowl are clean, then knead two more minutes.)

Place in a greased bowl, turning dough once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (1-3 hours).

Punch dough down and divide into four equal parts. Roll each part into a 12-inch circle and brush with melted butter.

Cut each circle into pie- shaped wedges. (We actually cut them into 12 and thought the rolls were huge!)

Roll up each wedge for wide edge to tip of dough and pinch to seal. Place rolls, top down, on baking sheets and freeze. When frozen, place in freezer bags and keep frozen until needed.

To bake: Take out as many frozen rolls as you’ll need and place them on a greased baking sheet. Thaw for five hours or until doubled in size. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned (about 8-10 minutes). Brush with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Remove and serve immediately or cool on wire racks.

I would recommend baking extra – or be prepared to slap some hands – cause when these babies come hot out of the oven they are irresistible!

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post up with Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum.