Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought I would share with you readers a few recipes that I make for my family during the holidays.  For those of you who don’t know me personally, I am a foodie.  I love to cook for my family, my friends and my colleagues.  I will be putting out more recipes as the weeks come near to the Holidays; a few are my own original creations and a few I have been given by friends over the years.  I hope you enjoy!

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. carmel ice cream topping, divided
1 graham cracker pie crust
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped pecans, divided
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) jello flavored instant pudding
1 cup of cold milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed and divided

Pour ¾ cup carmel topping into crust; sprinkle with ½ cup nuts.
Beat pudding mixes, milk, pumpkin and spices with whisk until blended.  Stir in 1½ cups Cool Whip and spoon into crust.
Refrigerate 1 hour and then top with remaining Cool Whip, carmel and nuts just before serving.

The day after Thanksgiving, I usually make a yummy Hashbrown Casserole for the next night’s dinner with the leftover turkey or ham, it’s really simple.

Leftover Turkey or Ham Hashbrown Casserole

Leftover ham or turkey cut or torn into pieces
1 package of frozen country hashbrowns
2 small 10 oz. cans of Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom (your
preference) soup.
2 8 oz. packages of Monterey Jack/Colby Cheese
1 small bag of mixed frozen vegetables

Directions

Combine hashbrowns, soup, vegetables and 2 cups of cheese together and place in a lightly sprayed 10×13 inch glass baking dish.  Cover with tin foil and bake for 45-50 minutes.  Uncover and cover with remaining cheese.  Place back in oven to melt cheese.  Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

Peace & Blessings,
Di

Making Memories and Building Traditions

As promised in my Changing Seasons post, I wanted to expand upon and give you readers some tips on making fun, meaningful family traditions.  Most of you probably already have your family traditions down pat, but for those of you who may be newly re/married or newly divorced single parents, making traditional memories and building bonds with your children is extremely important.  My parents were divorced when I was 6 years old.  My mom was pretty much a single mom for most of my life.  Even though she never had a lot of extra money, and we never took lavish vacations, she made sure we had plenty of memories.   A lot of our family traditions were derived from our own “made-up” games, holidays, etc. but we made them our own and made them fun. 

Traditions are usually handed down from generation to generation and are invaluable to our ability as parents to raise our children.  Through these traditions, I believe, families are strengthened and lasting memories are made.  Also, within the blended/step family, creating traditions promote unity and a sense of belonging.  As a mother, I always felt the need to create lasting traditions for my boys.  As a step-mother, I find it even more important to create new (and keep the old) traditions that involve my step-daughter and my husband, who is a step-father to my children. 

Here are some fun tips and some practical ideas to help you create your own meaningful memories and traditions:

1.  Make time for your spiritual traditions.  Pray together. 

2.  Help serve food at a homeless shelter during the holidays.

3.  Make crafts together.  (I do Christmas ornaments with my children every year — now my older boys are 20 and 21, when I look back to their crafts at 8 and 9, I am simply amazed).

4.  Cook together with your children.  Let them create!

5.  During Fall, have “leaf raking” parties.  Gather a few neighborhood kids, rake, order pizza and pop and jump in a big pile of leaves!

6.  Go apple picking together and bake with the yields of your labor.

7.  Attend sports events together.

8.  Make your children’s Halloween costumes.  (I did this last year and my little boy loved it!)

9.  Every year during the Fall, take a day trip with your children to a new city or town near where you live and discover new ground. 

10.  As you put up your Christmas tree and decorations, make it a family event with food, music and cheer.  This is great fun!

11.  Have your children write letters to Santa and take them to mail them off.  Then write a letter back to your children from Santa and put it in their stocking.  My youngest son loves this!!!

12.  Drive around neighborhoods on Christmas Eve to check out the lights.  My dad and step-mom did this with me and my boys!  I loved it — even as a young adult.

13.  Make homemade gifts for those closest to you.  You will never know how appreciative they will be.  Homemade gifts are the best gifts. 

Those are just a few of the things that you can do to make memories and build traditions with your children.    Remember, making memories with your children cultivates happiness and it most certainly builds lasting bonds.

Peace & Blessings,
Di