Yummy Thanksgiving Feast

We had a nice Thanksgiving...small and quiet.  We ended up eating a Thanksgiving dinner instead of a lunch time meal...it was nice and because of my healthy changes I wasn't able to eat near as much.  Here was our menu:

The bread separating and getting hard to make...

home made stuffing: (which is the best)

http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com/2012/12/23/homemade-stuffing/

Then I didn't want to have a ton of carbs and we didn't even have rolls or potatoes we had this:

Stuffed cauliflower...which hands down replaces potatoes any ole day now...just takes a lil longer to make but health over time any day

http://foodiejourney.blogspot.com/2009/02/smashed-cauliflower-potatoes.html

I love cream corn but I love home made cream corn much more and so I looked for a recipe and found one that tastes AMAZING...

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cream-corn-like-no-other/detail.aspx

And I don't have many casserole type dishes (need to invest in more thats for sure and more pots to cook in...sounds like great presents for myself over the next year if I do say so myself).  But what is Thanksgiving without some green beans but instead of using cream of anything I found it with onions and bacon and a few seasonings all cooked in a crockpot...

http://douglicious.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-cooker-green-beans-and-bacon.html

along with these dishes we also had ham (no picture) ... sorry...

but deviled eggs (I love these and mommy would be proud)

 And a pretty salad...which we didn't even eat...but its still pretty and full of color

for dessert I found a yummy recipe in a magazine called pumpkin bars...3 yummy layers of goodness and I topped it off with home made whip cream:

I was definitely exhausted by the end of the night and after eating...but my amazing Nate helped me with the dishes and so that helped.  Tons of left overs which isn't a bad thing.

here are a few pics of my two of my three Turkey day dates (minus Nate)...hungry beautiful girls ready to dig in and eat...obviously Paisley really wanted those blueberries

And then after dishes and cleaning up and getting ready for bed...we always have time for a little girl style wrestling which is usually roll around on the floor followed by a pillow or tickle fight:

And then the girls are fed, attention given maxed and ready for bed...

cause chewing on a necklace and standing on Nate is just so much fun?!

Hope everyone had a fabulous Turkey day...until next year...

Pre-Thanksgiving feast...

so i made this about a week before Thanksgiving to try it out since it was a new recipe and if it was a hit I wanted to start a new tradition with it and make every year as our Thanksgiving breakfast...well it was a big hit and so this is what I made for breakfast on Turkey day:

Here is the recipe just in case you are wondering...we didn't eat ours with syrup or whip cream...just like they are because they tasted sweet enough and I also didn't add as much salt and added pumpkin pie spice...mmmm delicious and excited for new traditions!

http://www.littledairyontheprairie.com/baked-pumpkin-french-toast/

lately...for me

I have gotten really into puzzles lately and will even stay up late into the night until it is finished...they are just so relaxing for me.  i am one of those who does the outside first and works inwards

and thanks mom and dad for the new shoes...i love them! gotta love free kohls cash to get an amazing deal and free shoes (even better that they take expired ones...makes my life a little more complete)

Tree lighting ceremony

I love the holidays...especially CHRISTMAS...its by far without a doubt my favorite.  Last year was my first time to head over to the tree lighting ceremony and its free so why not go again and see an extremely tall tree all lit up so beautifully for the holidays?!  So...me, Nate, Adey, Paisley, and their friend Eastynn rode the train up to our stop, walked on over to City Creek mall to the Disney store (our favorite store and we can't wait to go play at Disneyland/world one day soon), met Santa in his enclosed gazibo (was gonna buy their picture but one too expensive and two the line issue was crazy to actually buy it), then rode another train on over to the Gateway outdoor mall where we saw the lit tree (we missed the concert but thats ok) and after playing around the tree we headed over to get some hot chocolate from Starbucks.  then we headed home as we were all tired from so much walking and it was getting late.  overall cheap fun and would do it again in a heartbeat...until next tree lighting...

I can't wait to get a new phone so I can have better picture quality...

we love BABIES...

Buppies....

we love to drag this pink chair inside to play with or watch TV with

getting so good at standing on her own

and bending over and sitting and standing again...just growing up slowly but surely!

and there it is...buppes on TV

AKA Bubble Guppies is a fun and educational TV show that Adey loves to watch and now has become all Paisley asks for...buppies buppies buppies....she loves to carry around the case and gets super excited when it gets turned out (need to take a video next time we watch it)

um....yes we gave in (part 1)

For those that know me even just a little quickly learn that Christmas is by far and with out a doubt my FAVORITE holiday.  Never before in the past have I have decorated before Thanksgiving (listening to the music doesn't count...that stuff just puts me in a happy mood and who doesn't want to be in a happy mood) So.........................Last week after dinner and baths, for a family activity I gave in and we pulled out our holiday decor and went to town.  Yes all of our trees are up, stockings hung, presents wrapped, village out for display and crafts in the working (I love finding and adding to my holiday decor every year).  

the girls tree in their room...adey picked out all the decorations from the beads to the pink/green ornaments to the cute silver tree skirt

I would say their tree turned out beautiful...my girls has some talent!

I love our stockings and how cheap they were...only $4.99 at Hobby Lobby which is hands down a dangerous store to spend money in!

our tree in the living room...working on making it a traditional tree with red, green, and silver ornaments with our silver tree skirt...trying to figure out what else it needs...just not done and satisfied just yet!  Oh and now there are a few presents under the tree waiting for Christmas day to be opened by the girls

our little gold tree for our table...i just love this star!  it even has a few fake gold presents on it and Adey was like...aw Santa has brought us a present and I had to tell her it wasn't real

our cute Christmas village that I hope to continue to add to every year because there are just so many cute things

Now I just need to finish setting up my willow tree nativity and the decor in my kitchen and will take pictures of all of that!

date night in...

So Nate and I had a fun date night in...Paisley was asleep and Adey had a friend over and they played barbies, painted nails, and watched a movie in my room and then fell asleep.  

In the meantime Nate lit candles, bought yummy broccoli and cheese soup from Kneaders and their bread and topped it off with martenelli's and beautiful flowers!  

We enjoyed each other company and then afterwards I pulled out my Thomas Kinkade puzzle box and we each picked a 100 piece puzzle and had a race to see who could finish theirs first (don't worry I smoked him...just kidding Nate).  I need to pick up one of Thomas Kinkade's Christmas puzzles....maybe a gift idea for myself...not a bad idea if i do say so myself

Then afterwards we just talked and had a relaxing time.  I even got a hand massage and it felt great.  So nice to be pampered and spend a night with my man!