Why I Love Fall, Even Though Winter Is Just Around The Corner

After a long hot summer, fall brings deliciously cool air into my home and life. Even though winter is just around the corner, fall flowers continue to bloom and the leaves begin their annual color change. Autumn is a delightful mix of perfect weather and outstanding colors.

The remembrance that winter is just around the corner gets me motivated and I use the season to finish projects. Cleaning the yard and planting for the coming spring gives me a feeling of completion that no other season can do. The air itself is crisp and clean and the sounds of work resonate through my soul.

Spring is a time of new beginnings but fall is a time for contemplation. The streets are quiet during the day because everyone has went back to their normal routine after the summer. With only the sounds of rustling leaves, I find comfort as I go about my daily tasks.

I start thinking about the coming holidays and begin planning for Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas treats. The oven, long unused during the hot summer, is once again heated and the smells of baked comforting casseroles and breads once again fill my kitchen. The warmth of a hot meal is uncovered once again and family time becomes precious once again.

I love fall because I relish the long walks through the woods and streets each year. Knowing that it will soon be too cold, each step becomes an affirmation of the richness of my continued health. Neighbors feel it too and the crisp tinge of cool area somehow makes all of us friendlier. Fall somehow expands time and lets us appreciate it.

Fall gives noise an ethereal quality. The sound of cheering during a football game rises and swells on the air and drifts away. Fall is a season without time.

I love autumn because even as the year draws to a close, I find myself thinking about next years projects. Pulling out the warm winter clothes and shopping for a few new items provides a sense of durability to my life. Too busy during spring, I hastily find summer clothing. But with the coldness of winter looming, fall is the perfect time to reorganize and rearrange.

I have a few pumpkins sitting outside that I'll enjoy for as long as possible. That is the reason that I love fall so much. It lends itself to anticipation as the days wind down towards winter.

Thanks for stopping by,
Suzanne

How to Prepare a Small, Delightful Thanksgiving Meal

Perhaps you have a small family, and like us, won't be traveling for Thanksgiving.

Perhaps you won't be hosting a large Thanksgiving get together either.

Perhaps you've spent years having a huge family Thanksgiving meal but suddenly, you find yourself without the kids at home and it's just you and your special someone.

How do you go from preparing large meals to smaller ones? Here are some ideas to help get you started.

Consider a Small Ham

Consider a small ham and some baked potatoes. Hams come in all sizes and it's easy to simply slice and freeze any leftovers so you can enjoy them at another meal. Add in some green beans (or even a small version of the favorite green bean casserole) and you have a meal. Finish it with a nice pie or dessert of your choice and you don't have any overwhelming mess to clean up and you're sure to enjoy your extra time with your special someone. Don't forget a nice pineapple glaze on the top of your ham.

Pork Loin

Find a smaller sized pork loin roast and impress your special someone with a nice pork dinner. Be sure to choose some favorite side dishes to go alongside such as mashed garlic and cheesey potatoes, a green salad and some pie for dessert.

Rock Cornish Game Hens

If it's just the two of you why go to the bother of a huge turkey with all of the trimmings? Simply purchase two rock Cornish game hens and roast those. Add in some roasted vegetables and a salad and you've got an instant hit. You won't be spending all of your time in the kitchen this year. Don't forget a favorite pie or dessert dish.

Smaller Turkey

Occasionally you can find a smaller sized turkey. If you don't see one, ask the butcher if they have any smaller turkey's or half turkey's you can purchase. Occasionally they keep these in the back so you need to ask. If you can get either use your crock-pot for a delicious, simple meal that you won't have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen for. Include some mashed potatoes, salad and a veggie of your choice along with a delicious dessert and you have another hit on your hands.

Other tips include cutting back on the number of side dishes served. Simply choose two or three favorite side dishes and stick with those. Consider quick store bought biscuits or make biscuits ahead of time and freeze.

No matter how you plan on celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope it is a warm and wonderful occasion.

Here are some more great ideas for Thanksgiving.

Planning a Frugal Family Feast - Kids Ain't Cheap
http://kidsaintcheap.com Wed, 16 Oct 2013 07:15:27 GMT
No where does it say your family feast has to include a turkey, ham or ”turduckin”. During Christmas, we would traditionally have a large family turkey dinner on Christmas eve after mass. Over the years though the family ...

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu Plan | Premeditated Leftovers
http://premeditatedleftovers.com Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:00:18 GMT
My Thanksgiving menu is made up of tried and true family favorites.

Weekend Menu Planning: Use a CrockPot (Slow Cooker) to Help ...
http://www.blogher.com Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:16:49 GMT
Use a slow cooker to pull together your Thanksgiving meal, or use the slow cooker to keep food warm while you move on to another dish.

How to Plan Thanksgiving Dinner - Home Ec 101
http://www.home-ec101.com Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:55:10 GMT
Thanksgiving dinner is a big deal. Learn how many servings you need for your guests and how to break up the chore of planning your Thanksgiving celebration.

Your Guide to Planning Thanksgiving Dinner - iVillage
http://www.ivillage.com Thu, 01 Nov 2012 07:00:00 GMT
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Planning Thanksgiving Dinner.

Thanks for stopping by,
Suzanne

Countdown to Thanksgiving

Join me on November 1st for the Countdown to Thanksgiving!
All the posts will be linked here.


Thanks for stopping by,
Suzanne





What to do if you can't travel for Thanksgiving

What can you be thankful for this year?

How to prepare a small, delightful Thanksgiving meal.

Why I Love Fall, Even Though Winter Is Just Around The Corner

Before Thanksgiving Dinner

After Thanksgiving Dinner

Decorating the Table

Thanksgiving Traditions

Keep the Stress out of Thanksgiving

Handle Your Stress When The Holidays Roll Around

What To Do When You Can't Travel For Thanksgiving

Can't or won't be traveling for Thanksgiving this year?

We haven't traveled for years. Most of our family lives in many different states. Other branches of our families aren't close anymore after older relatives have passed away. As a result, there is no need for us to hold large Thanksgiving meal or travel to one either.

I know other people that can't travel because of work schedules or can't because of transportation issues. Others don't want to travel by choice because of new babies or lots of little children in the home.

Don't feel bad that you won't be traveling and don't let any of your family pressure you.

First, if you do feel like celebrating you should see if you can get people to come and visit you.

You can ask family and friends in your area if they have anything,and if not, you can see if they want to come to your home with you. If not, then you're going to probably want to reach out to people that don't live around you to see if they can travel to where you are. You can easily get into touch with people via social media sites if you don't have their numbers. It's easy to hunt down just about anyone these days!

Try to set it up to where you'll still have a nice Thanksgiving for your immediate family if you can't get anyone to come by. You should try your best to get the food you can afford.

If you are having some trouble with money, then you may want to speak with a food pantry to see if they have anything that they can help you get. Generally, there are places that give out things like a free turkey. You just have to make sure you sign up for what you need beforehand so you can get the items since a lot of people will be doing the same thing.

Don't stress out too much about not being able to travel for your Thanksgiving. You will be able to travel again when you can afford to, or when you can get the time off of work.

Whatever the situation is for you not being able to travel, it will work itself out. There are ebbs and flows in life. If it is really important to you, make sure that you make it a goal to travel in the next year or so. People will understand because times can be tough for anyone at any time if they don't have enough work or just not enough money.

You may worry that your children are being deprived of a 'large family get together' or that they will miss out on 'getting to know their extended cousins.' Honesty, they won't notice at all. In fact, it may be more upsetting for them to have to socialize with people they do not know very well.

You may worry that your older children will think that they are lacking by not having an expensive Thanksgiving meal. The truth is they will pick up on whatever your attitude is. If you have happy about a quick meal, an easy cleanup, and then some exercise and watching football...they will be happy about that too.

As a mom, I know that I want to do the best I can do for my kids. Sometimes, the best thing is to understand that being content is the best thing.

Here are some more great thoughts about Thanksgiving at home.

My Sippy Runneth Over: A Small Family Thanksgiving Spent Together
http://www.mysippyrunnethover.com Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:15:00 GMT
A Small Family Thanksgiving Spent Together. I know that most people get together with parents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sister, grandparents or maybe just friends. We had been doing that for years. Mostly with my ...

6 Family Traditions for Thanksgiving | momstown moments
http://momstown-moments.momstown.ca Tue, 01 Oct 2013 16:11:47 GMT
Six new Thanksgiving traditions for your and your family. Ways to teach ... Tree of Thanks- For the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, create a tree mural in your house- it can be small or take up the whole wall like this one!

Non-Traditional Nibbles: Whimsical Thanksgiving recipes for a small ...
http://blog.zisboombah.com Thu, 15 Nov 2012 20:15:16 GMT
If you can't make it to your extended family's big Thanksgiving feast this year, then this is for you! Think of this as your opportunity to break away and create new Thanksgiving traditions for your own family or small circle of ...

YOURS TRULY: Our Small Thanksgiving
http://horsleyhome.blogspot.com Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:00:00 GMT
Our Thanksgiving weekend came and went too quickly. Yours? This year, for the first time since we've been married, we enjoyed a dinner with just our small family of 5. I grew up having Thanksgiving with my entire extended ...

Thanks for stopping by,
Suzanne