Thanksgiving Prep

I love thanksgiving. I love spending the day with family, in the comforts of someone's home, eating yummy food and spending time with one another. Perfect day in my opinion

Since I moved to NC in 09 I haven't been home for a thanksgiving. Boy do I miss it. We have been lucky to spend our thanksgiving with good friends these past few years but still something is missing. I am hoping that as our kids get older it becomes as magical of a holiday as I thought it was when I was a kid.

Since having kids black friday means a day of lounging around and eating leftovers. As a kid/teenager it meant getting up at the crack of dawn and going shopping with my dad. As a college student it meant working all day  at Victoria Secrets and chugging starbucks to stay awake. As a newlywed it meant begging and pleading the husband to get up to go shopping with me. He usually did. Hey, the best vacuum we ever bought was a $25 dirt devil that was a target doorbuster. Take that dyson!

I was invited to a few places for thanksgiving this year and  debated about going on a Thanksgiving cruise down in Destin  but decided to host a dinner at my home. My good friend and her family are coming over to eat and spend the day with me. Although I have become a lackluster cook since having kids I love cooking a big Thanksgiving meal. I would make it every day if I could

My menu looks like this...

Turkey

Mashed potatoes and Gravy

Green Bean casserole

Stuffing

Pumpkin Pie

Rolls

Now I have to admit. I am going pre cooked on the mashed potatoes this year. Since I am leaving a few days after thanksgiving to begin the trek to Wi I wanted to cut down on dishes used and my cooking and cleaning time. Also I go boxed for the stuffing and that is just due to preference. The husband and I aren't a fan of homemade stuffing and have found that we prefer Stove top. Yummy I am starving just thinking about it

I don't do anything fancy with my turkey either. I add a little salt and pepper, cut up butter sticks and place it all around the bird and cook it as so. I baste it every half hour to an hour to make the skin nice and golden brown and that's it. We've had it fried, cooked in peanut oil, and smoked and the husband still prefers it the simple way I make it. So that is what I do year after year.

Since we are hosting people for thanksgiving I wanted to go and decorate the house for the occasion but went simple. I found these cute paper plates from Target

Along with some matching napkins, table cloth and a Give Thanks banner. Perfect and simple. Usually the day after Thanksgiving is reserved for putting out our christmas decor but since we won't be home for the whole month of December I will not be decorating this year.

I love that Thanksgiving is a kick off to Christmas and the perfect time to reflect on the years past and to give thanks for our many blessings. And of course I love to look back at the previous holiday's with my kiddos.

Gianna's 1st Thanksgiving 2011

Ethan clearly wasn't a fan of his 1st Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2012

Although the husband won't be home this year for Thanksgiving we are grateful that he will be home for Christams

Any tips or recipes that you want to share? What do you serve for your thanksgiving meals? Any fun traditions that you and your family do to celebrate thanksgiving?