The Day After Thanksgiving

We had a very nice Thanksgiving, except...Rachel,Peter and Julie,Joey were in Kansas, Gretchen,Nate, Sam were in Philly and Bridgie was at work (she popped in later tho and enjoyed the food)

We had Turkey, Stuffing, succotash, cranberry sauce, asparagus, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, thanks to Mr. Birchler's garden:)
Pumpkin and cherry pie for dessert.

Kelly, Dad, Damon and Charlie...and Bridgette and me were all at our table.

Mom

A Few Days Before Thanksgiving

Hello,

Hope you are having a wonderful Saturday.

I just posted a couple of recipes for Thanksgiving.

One is Simple Butternut Squash:
http://amomslove.com/hg-recipes-thanksgiving-butternut.html

and
the other is Sweet Potato Casserole:
http://amomslove.com/hg-recipes-thanksgiving-sweetpotato.html

My husband is blowing leaves outside.

Decorate Naturally for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving…..if you are lucky enough to have wood floors: What an exquisite natural backdrop for Thanksgiving decorating.

Please find a wonderful tall rattan vase

And go out in your yard and pick some dried plants that will nicely complement the wood.
Place this as the centerpiece on your table or mantle.

Of course you can gather pine cones and dried gourds at your grocer and craft shop…place those around your centerpiece and throw some dried leaves as a muted yellow orange brown backdrop. The hydrangeas and marigolds, mums, asters can make a nice arrangement for your side tables.

Load this wonderful bowl with fruit and vegetables…acorn, butternut squash as a woodsy accompaniment to your natural décor. While you are out shopping make sure you pick up some fabulously fall fabric to drape over your windows as valances and across your mantle and buffet. Arrange some sheer material around your centerpieces to create an ethereal mist. Gather the grape vines and make some swags for your doorway or wreaths as door welcomes. Find a wonderful brass tray place some brown, pumpkin, cream, pillar candles. Your home can be sooo inviting…Want to make a quick but exciting change cheaply?

Throw around oriental runners and area rugs. I can't begin to tell you the wonder that lace curtains, scarfed valances from sheer fall colored material and fall colored runners and area rugs can do to your Thanksgiving atmosphere in your home for your guests.

And look at the prices here on ebay….Here is a beaut!

So you have the centerpieces, the candles, the swags, scarves, runners, rugs, fruited bowls… Now all you need is the food: Check out two great menus and recipes:
From The Stallion Store and
Lorrie Ann Danner's Complete Thanksgiving Dinner
Please remember to have somegrateful cider:
Caroline

Just remember …you don't have to use all these ideas. You don't want to have to take all this down to prepare for Christmas that's just around the corner.
Complete Thanksgiving Menu and Recipes by Lorrie Ann Danner http://www.amomslove.com/hg-recipes-thanksgiving.html

Decorate for Thanksgiving

Years of having to make do have turned me into a…"There must be someway I can do this cheaper type person."
My old new house needs total make over. We are thinking about moving into my MIL's house. So I am walking around looking and thinking, my goodness, this will be way too much to do and then the old, "There must be someway I can do this cheaper type person" kicks in and I think, yah, there must.
First curtains need to be put up on the windows. I will check all of Grandma's fabric…and she has tons, and see if some of it can be salvaged for window treatments. Gee, today all you really need is a nice wooden Venetian blind and a swag or scarf.
I am thinking about sticking with the umbers I see outside this time of year (November). I already bought my border for the kitchen at a B&B we went to a couple of weeks ago, and it kind of has a sultry tone to it. You can do the same thing with fabric. Just take a quick trip to Wal-mart's fabric Dept. They are always getting rid of material at bargain prices. If you are doing a dining room for Thanksgiving, do swags/scarf for the windows and a table cloth, placemats and napkins.
It really wouldn't take as long as you think. Put up some lace curtains and make a scarf from the fabric you use for your table cloth..or maybe you have a plain white table cloth already available. Just make a runner that matches your window scarves, napkins and placemats.

Now what about the centerpiece? I like this idea on about.com Just has some greens and Fall leaves, candles…well, take a look: About.com It's one where you can just remove the fall leaves and replace with berries for Christmas. Saving time is what it's all about. Put up some wreaths on the doors and over the mantle. A simple grape vine with dried flowers in fall tones is nice. Use some wire ribbon to make a bow.
Put up plain candlesticks with fall colored candles and don't forget the whole theme of Thanksgiving is giving thanks for our bounty. Use displays of fruit and gourds, pumpkins and mums. Get out an old watering can and fill it with leaves to place on the porch, any old galvanized buckets? Put wheat or tall dried grass display in your bucket. Don't forget the grapes. Take a nice glass pedestal compote and cascade different varieties.
If you have a garden, pile the day's garden harvest into a wheel barrow at the back door.
Just remember …you don't have to use all these ideas. You don't want to have to take all this down to prepare for Christmas that's just around the corner.
Complete Thanksgiving Menu and Recipes by Lorrie Ann Danner http://amomslove.com/hg-recipes-thanksgiving.html