Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up

This Thanksgiving I am grateful for many things -- my beautiful, healthy family; our messy but cozy home; my hectic but challenging-in-a-good way job; this healthy pregnancy and the baby doing somersaults in my stomach as I type; and the fact that I do not have to host Thanksgiving.  :)

I am very thankful for Mom and Belinda -- the two women who keep our families together, fed and happy on every major holiday. They open their doors to a huge group of people and organize delicious feasts for all who come. Thank you for your energy, your time, your expense and your love of family and friends!

So, as I do not have to clean and cook for a huge crowd this week, it's the least I can do make a few side dishes and a dessert for the two Thanksgivings we'll be attending. Both of our side dishes for each event will be brussel sprouts. I really do love those little cabbages! If you're not a fan, give them a try this year. You won't regret it!

Here are the two recipes we'll be using:

For Thursday's Thanksgiving in Nevada, we'll take Brussel Sprouts with Portabella Mushrooms.

And on Saturday for Thanksgiving at the farm, we'll take Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta. Also on Saturday, we will take one of our signature desserts, Caramel Apple Bundt Cake. It is truly a delicious dessert and one that's easy to make dairy-free by substituting coconut milk for cream and sour cream. I'm looking forward to making it Friday.

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Rumor has it that my work will be letting us leave early tomorrow, like noonish! I have lunch plans with a couple of dear coworkers, then off to Graziano's Italian Deli to pick up the pancetta for Saturday, then pick up my boys and then off to Ankeny to meet Shawn for a much-needed haircut for Mazy! Five fun days ahead and I'm excited!

Once Thanksgiving is over, Mazy's 7th birthday is right around the corner. We're having a small party Thanksgiving night with Shawn's family, and then on his birthday weekend we're heading to Kansas City for birthday fun with my sister and her family. I'm really looking forward to seeing their house decorated for Christmas and spending a couple of days with them. We're going to surprise the boys and pick them up at noon on Friday, Dec. 9 -- that will get us to KC just before dinner with plenty of time for the cousins to run wild and reacquaint themselves.

Shawn and I were talking that we can't believe Mazian Drake has been a part of our lives for nearly 7 years now! It just doesn't seem possible. I can't imagine my life without my oldest son. He's so funny, interesting, goofy, loving and wonderful! I thought you'd enjoy these photos of Mazy's first December back in 2004. Look how little he was! Look how short my hair was! And look what a cute, little kissable chubby bubby he was!!