Hi Friends! This is an exciting week for book signings opportunities if you live in Houston!! Come chat with me and shop at Three Doors on Wed. MAI and Back Row Home on Thursday!! If you order online and want a signed copy please put in the message box. There is a glitch in the software and we are not able to see if you just check the box for signed copies!! I can’t wait to visit with you all in person!!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Before we start all the decorating, table setting, cooking, and entertaining talk, let’s think of three things we are thankful for, and text or email someone we care about something super nice and thoughtful!! Hopefully, we will brighten their day and they, in turn, will make someone else’s day special too!!

I think we should make that our tradition each day through out the holidays!!  Since Halloween is over, it’s time to think about Thanksgiving!! My pumpkins from Halloween are still alive and looking good so I thought I would take off all the spiders and re-purpose the pumpkins.

Maybe its a bit busy but I am going to go with it anyway!!

You may have a traditional set of dishes that you look forward to using each year.  I personally like to mix and match and change things up each holiday season. So, I pull from what I have and see what combinations work.  You might be surprised with what you come up with!!   I kind of like this orange and blue mix.

I have a bad habit of sometimes waiting until the last minute to prep for Thanksgiving.  The hard thing about that is sometimes it is difficult to find enough of any one item when I need to add something to the place setting.  The great part of my procrastination tendencies are that most of the Thanksgiving decor is on sale.  This year I added enough napkins and a few velvet pumpkins to mix in from Pier 1.

For Halloween I made split pea soup for an appetizer which was a big hit, so I was thinking of trying a different soup recipe for Thanksgiving and wanted something special to serve it in.   My favorite find were these pumpkin soup bowls from the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s.  The price was greatly reduced-due to my last minute shopping- and, I could get them just in time for the holidays!

After playing around with so many combinations, I decided on this place setting!

Mainly because I liked how the napkin rings coordinated to the centerpiece!!

I really wanted my family to remember and reflect on all the good they have received each year. Seeing this great idea from Country Living inspired me to create a family activity we could add too every year at Thanksgiving. Moo or Vista Print are affordable ways to create the cards. I went to Moo and created 50 different picture cards on the front and left the back blank, so each person could write what they were thankful for that year. I chose 5×5 postcards, but you could use the business card size which are 2×2. At the end of each season I will save them in a box which will be brought out each of the follow years. It will be so fun to read and reflect on past years and add to each season.

These burlap place mats actually were left over wrapping material I used to package Segreto Vignettes for Christmas!!  I purchased them from U line.  You can get them in all different sizes and buy in bulk!!

Everyone had so much fun looking through the pictures from the past year!!! This definitely will be a tradition I will continue!!

The soup bowls were a big hit too!!

This year my typical 12 guests went down to 6, and these six were really health conscious eaters.  I opted to try roasted chicken with cauliflower rice dressing and roasted vegetables–one pan style!!

It really turned out great and I was surprised how we all liked the cauliflower version as much as the traditional dressing with bread!!

You know I cannot follow a recipe, so I can’t give you an exact one to try. Here is your inspiration.

Ingredients:

Frozen cauliflower rice from Trader Joe’s

Turkey Italian sausage

Fresh thyme, sage and rosemary.

Italian seasoning- I like essence of Provence from Trader Joe’s. Sea salt and pepper.

Chopped or julienne carrots, celery and onions. HEB sells them all already chopped. 

Add your favorite veggies to roast. Brussel sprouts, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes and all roots are great! 

Cut up veggies and marinate in olive oil, fresh rosemary and seasonings. Brown the Turkey sausage in a pan. Add the onions, carrots and celery. When soft, add the thawed cauliflower rice and season with the fresh and dried herbs. Clean the chicken, rub with olive oil and seasonings and insert the cooked rice mixture into its cavities.  Cover pan with foil, drizzle with olive oil and layer with vegetables. Place the stuffed chicken on top and cover with foil. Google how long to cook depending how big your bird is. Take foil off to brown the last 15 minutes or so. 

A beautiful food display can make such a difference. Layer with greens and garnish with fruit or flowers!!

I think I am going to try this festive fall salad next time from The Novice Chef! Looks delish and so stunning!!

Here are some more beautiful tablescapes! I love the green, gray and orange from Dining Delight!

Sugar and Charm creates a beautiful arrangement with coppers, grays and whites!

The Fashionable Hostess created this simple and elegant tablescape with whites, greens and grays!

I don’t think you can ever go wrong with these napkin rings from Pottery Barn.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I appreciate each of you and the many gifts you have to offer others. Remember to spread those gifts this holiday season, to family, friends and beyond! Hope to see you before Thanksgiving but if not Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Till next week, Leslie