My Thanksgiving dinner menu!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week. Where did November go, where did the year go for that matter? I haven't gotten my turkey or any ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner yet. I need to get on the ball y'all!

Here is my Thanksgiving dinner menu. I will be hosting lots of family members in my home so our menu includes lots of foods that are traditional for us, along with some new items this year!

Citrus Herb Turkey (recipe to come, it's so good!)

Potato Salad - I'd love to be able to share this recipe with you, but alas... it's a family secret.

Green Bean Casserole - Nothing fancy, just the simple French's recipe. You can find it here- http://www.frenchs.com/recipe/frenchs-green-bean-casserole-RE1511

Creamy Peas and Carrots - This is new on the menu this year. I have been making this side dish for a couple of months now and everyone seems to love it. It's so easy...
Chop one onion and saute' in a large pan with a small amount of vegetable oil. Once the onions are translucent throw in some fresh carrots that have been peeled and chopped. Also put in a 1/2 tbsp of water. Let the carrots some up to a good simmer and throw in some thawed peas. Turn the heat down to medium and put the lid on. After the carrots are good and tender throw in a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese (don't freak, it's SO GOOD!) and put the lid back on. Let the cream cheese melt all the way through to create a creamy sauce and serve. So simple, and good!
This recipe is a variation of Giada's creamy pastina found here-
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pastina-with-peas-and-carrots-recipe/index.html

Spinach Artichoke Mac & Cheese - Another newbie on my menu this year. I stumbled upon this delicious bit of heaven on pinterest over the summer. Thank you to the Budget Savvy Diva for the recipe, which you can find here-
http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/05/spinach-artichoke-mac-cheese-bake-recipe/

Sweet Potato Casserole - Another family favorite. Here is a recipe you can follow, I just don't use pecans and I use real marshmallows!
http://www.pauladeen.com/food_section_articles/view2/a_house_and_casserole_divided/

Cranberry Sauce - Yeah, I take a shortcut on this one. Canned cranberry sauce is just as good as home made!

Mashed Potatoes - this is another family favorite, only this year I will be making them in the crock pot following this recipe (Thank you again Budget Savvy Diva!) -
http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/01/ultimate-crock-pot-mashed-potatoes/

Gravy - Our house is divided. My parents and husband love the giblet gravy which makes me shutter just thinking about it. I prefer the store bought canned!

Dressing - Here is Kelsey's (my partner in blogging!) recipe for easy peasy oyster dressing! http://2momsandablog.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-thanksgiving-contribution-oyster.html 
If you are not a fan of oysters try this - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/southern-cornbread-stuffing-recipe/index.html

Rolls With Citrus Herb Butter - I buy pre-made rolls like these - http://www.saraleebread.com/our-bread/sara-lee/buns-and-rolls. The citrus herb butter to melt on top will go along with my turkey recipe which will be posted shortly!

DESSERTS!

Apple Pie - I am going to try my craft hand at these apple pies baked inside apples this year - http://domesticdilettante.com/2012/01/11/applepie/

Pumpkin Pie - I will not be making this, I am giving this dessert to my sister to make. But here is a good recipe to try! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-pie-recipe/index.html

So that's it! My Thanksgiving recipe round up. I hope that you have found some inspiration here!

~ Miranda

DIY Spotted Puppy Halloween Costume

Part one on '2 Moms and a Blog' special Halloween series! 
*NO SEWING MACHINE REQUIRED*

Post courtesy of Little Man and Me (www.littlemanandme2.blogspot.com)

Halloween of 2010 my son was only 1 and it was difficult finding a cute little Halloween costume for him that wouldn't break the bank. I also didn't want something that would just be worn once and tossed away. So I came up with the Spotted Puppy Costume! In all it cost around $10 bucks. $8 for the hoodie and $2 for the felt. We had the other supplies on hand. It was really super simple. Considering that I have ZERO sewing skills and if possible much less patience. It was quick, inexpensive and super cute. And 2 years later my son still has the costume and wears it around the house! Here is how me and my husband together made this costume...

You will need an over-sized hoodie, felt squares in coordinating colors, needle, thread, scissors and fabric glue.

Step 1) Cut off the arms of the hoodie at shoulder seams (save them, you'll need them!).

 

Step 2) Cut different sized circles out of the felt squares (save the scrap felt, you'll need it!).

Step 3) Using the left over pieces from one of the arms of the hoodie, trace and cut out 4 puppy dog ears.

Step 4) Take two of the pieces of ears you just cut out and sew them together leaving the bottom open. Then stuff them using some of the left over felt scraps and sew to the hood of the jacket.

Step 5) Glue the felt circles onto the jacket to make spots. 

Step 6) Roll up the other arm sleeve and attach to the jacket as the tail of the puppy.

The results:

Absolutely adorable! When I took him to a Halloween festival that weekend we got so many compliments on the costume. It was simple, not over the top for a child his age and he was comfortable. The possibilities are endless with the over-sized hoodie idea. So keep an eye on the blog for more ideas to come soon! And be sure to check back for more in our special series of posts leading up to Halloween! 

~ Miranda