I am grateful to have met so many wonderful friends
through It's a Wonderful LifeStyle!
You all have welcomed me with your sweet comments and emails. I am so Thankful!!!
Each of you have a special place in my heart
and I pray this Thanksgiving & Christmas season you
are abundantly blessed!
I love Thanksgiving... the time spent in the kitchen cooking & baking with my Momma & Sister. My Daddy carving the turkey and He & my Brother leading us in prayer. What sweet moments. I also remember going to my Ma-Ma's(grandmother) house, and seeing all the loved ones that came home to celebrate together. The house was full, not just because we have a large family, but it was full of love. Those sweet times with my precious aunts & uncles and the excitement of time with my cousins - playing and laughing together...
I so wish I could go back!!!
There was always a warm feeling at my Ma-Ma's house - an indescribable feeling of Love and Joy.
My Ma-Ma made every holiday so special, I miss her very much and so so grateful for those precious memories. We now make several of her recipes each year, so in a way it feels like she is here with us.
Here is my Ma-Ma's(grandmother) Cornbread Dressing Recipe... it is so delicious!!!
(She usually always made this without a recipe and my Momma does the same, but here is the recipe my Momma has put together just so others in the family can make it.)
6-8 cups of cornbread
1/2 cup turkey broth
1 onion finely chopped
1 celery bunch finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoon of rubbed sage
Saute chopped onions and celery in 1/2 stick of butter until transparent.
In a Large mixing bowl combine 6-8 cups of crumbled cornbread.
Add 1/2 cup of turkey broth (or enough to pack and make a patty), then add sautéed onions and celery, 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage(or more to taste...you can taste test this since everything is cooked) Mix Well. Make into patties - Place on baking sheet and Bake at 400 until golden brown 15-25 minutes...depends on your oven.
I am so grateful that I will be with all my precious family this Thanksgiving...gathering around the table and seeing all those sweet faces, for a delicious feast and sharing the joy of simply being together and giving thanks to the Lord for another wonderful year, and God always being with us & the Christmas to come!!! What Precious Memories!!!
Our family always enjoys playing games together on thanksgiving as well! Here are a few games that
you can play with your family, that always leads
to laughter and fun for everyone.
*Mad Libs are a great Thanksgiving game because the whole family can participate. Have everyone take turns calling out words until the whole sheet is filled, then read what is sure to be a funny (and at least somewhat festive) story aloud.
Click Here...for some Thanksgiving Mad Libs you can print out and share with your family!
*Charades is always a fun party game for all ages, but you can make it extra fun on Thanksgiving by using words and phrases that are seasonal and festive. Acting out "cranberry sauce" and "pumpkin pie" might be a little bit of a challenge, but hey, that's part of the fun!
So, when you think of Thanksgiving, you think of cooking, right? Well, here is a game for all ages, that uses oven mitts to make it more challenging but a lot of fun!
*Oven Mitt Unwrap is a game where you have to unwrap the gift/prize using oven mitts.
You will need-Two oven mitts, one wrapped gift, two dice
Set Up:
Wrap the gift with as much tape as you wish. The more tape you use, the harder it is to unwrap and the longer it takes to play the game.
How to Play:
Have the participants sit in a circle. Hand the two dice to one of the players. Hand the oven mitts and wrapped gift to the player on the right of the player who has the dice. The game begins when the player with the dice starts rolling. The player with the gift must put the oven mitts on and then try to open the gift. As soon as the player with the dice rolls a double, then they pass the dice to their left and take the gift and oven mitts from the player on their right. This new player tries to open the gift before the player with the dice rolls a double. Play continues until someone with the mitts on actually opens/unwraps the gift completely.
As the host of the game, you may suggest further rules such as:
ONLY the mitts can touch the gift, which means you can not use your teeth or feet or anything else.
You may not POUND or HIT the gift with force.
Winner:
The player that opens the gift fully ... wins the game and keeps the gift as a prize.
These are just a few games, that will bring some joy to your family and make wonderful memories.
Also, if you need to entertain your guests this week, don't forget to watch the Hallmark Channel. They are celebrating with their traditional 7 night Thanksgiving event! There will be Christmas movies all day and new movies premiering every night. Be sure to check out the full schedule on my Sweet Sister's Website...It's A Wonderful Movie *CLICK HERE* She has everything you need to know about Christmas Movies and more!
Here are just a few Classics I will be watching this week.
*It's A Wonderful Life - a True Classic Christmas Movie, airs Saturday, November 30th at 8pm/7c. on NBC
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving-Available at Amazon
*A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - the beloved classic with all the Peanuts Gang, airs Wednesday, November 27th at 9pm/8c. on ABC.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving and gather with family & friends...let us be thankful for one another, enjoy one another, love on one another, have fun with one another...and let us always be grateful for the One that saved us all...Jesus...the abundance of God, and may His love fill your heart this holiday season!
Blessings for the Day to Encourage
your Life and Bring You Joy!
I pray you all have a
Blessed, Happy, & Joyous Thanksgiving, Each and Everyone!!!
