thanksgiving wishes for everyone

I wish everyone in the U.S. Happy Thanksgiving and hope that f not 364 days out of the year, then perhaps just today to stop and take a moment to appreciate all that you have in your lives and find it in your hearts to dedicate some time during this holiday season to help those who are less fortunate.

thanksgiving day thanks from an american

Every year we begin with optimism and hope and set some goals for ourselves to stir up positive thinking. Yet as the year unfolds, we are faced with so many difficulties or challenges, that we not only forget the optimism and hope, but find ourselves constantly struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

However, although that may be the case, we should take a moment on Thanksgiving Day, if not at least once a week, to say thanks to our family members for being with us through thick and thin, for the soldiers who are abroad keeping us safe, for volunteers who dedicate their time in making someone happy, for organizations who truly support a good cause, for retailers who offer give back programs for the needy, for all those  who have become conscious about saving our beautiful planet and for all the amazing pets who keep us going, even when the going is tough.

Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving

thanksgiving table setting ideas

The countdown begins, in my opinion, since it is officially one week to Thanksgiving.  While I contemplate the menu for this year’s feast with family, I am also searching  for table setting inspiration.  I usually shift gears and turn to country themed settings because of the occasion and choose, probably like everyone else, autumn colors to set the right mood.

I found some ideas here that are pretty easy and not over the top, so I am going to draw my table setting from a combination of the photographs I have included below. What theme are you going with?

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happy thanksgiving from rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone. May your holiday be filled with joy and a sincere gathering with family and friends.  And remember, no matter how bad times are, please take a moment to be thankful for all the blessing you have received  in twenty-ten.

healthy thanksgiving recipes – pumpkin pie

I must admit, I am not a fan of pumpkin pie. I prefer more of a fruit based tart if I am forced to eat a pie like dessert. I say give me fresh fruit any day. But just for traditional sake, I always bake a pumpkin pie for my guests.

In light of trying to stay healthy and watching my family’s calorie intake, I, once again, have opted for the following recipe which I found here.

pumpkin coconut tart

INGREDIENTS

CRUST

• 1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (see Tip)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 4 tablespoons cold reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel)

FILLING

• 1 1/2 cups canned unseasoned pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup “lite” coconut milk

GARNISH

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut chips, (see Ingredient Note) or flaked coconut, toasted (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 11-inch round or 8-by-12-inch rectangular removable-bottom tart pan with cooking spray.
2. To prepare crust: Combine flour, almonds, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely ground. Add butter one piece at a time, and then cream cheese by the tablespoonful, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan (it will be crumbly), spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust.
3. Bake the crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
4. To prepare filling: Beat pumpkin, 3/4 cup sugar, rum, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in coconut milk. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and pour in the filling.
5. Bake the tart until the filling is just set (the center may still appear soft, but will become more solid as it cools), 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until chilled. Remove the pan sides before slicing. Garnish with coconut, if desired.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the crust (Step 2), wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Cover and refrigerate the cooled tart for up to 1 day. | Equipment: 11-inch round or 8-by-12-inch rectangular removable-bottom pan

• Ingredient note: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. Available in large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
• Tip: Place slivered almonds in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Ingredient note: Large thin flakes of dried coconut called coconut chips make attractive garnishes. Find them in the produce section of large supermarkets or at melissas.com.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 260 calories; 12 g fat (6 g sat, 3 g mono); 80 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 3g fiber; 168 mg sodium; 163 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (120% daily value), Iron (17% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 Carbohydrates (other), 2 fat

healthy thanksgiving recipes – stuffing

Not a shocker to anyone in the U.S. trying to make it through the holidays without over eating or avoiding eating things that are not good for you.

Although if you think about it, the Thanksgiving meal in itself is pretty healthy, based on today’s healthy eating standards.  But just in case you are thinking about how to add more to the healthy Turkey, Cranberry, sweet potato or green beans dishes, I have included a recipe for  stuffing which  I have found  here, that I plan to incorporate to my menu this year.

Pear, prosciutto and Hazelnut stuffing

INGREDIENTS

• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced, cut into ribbons
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 2 cups diced fennel bulb
• 1/4 cup minced shallot
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 8 cups stale baguette, preferably multi-grain (not sourdough), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 Bosc pears, ripe but firm, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
• 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto; cook, stirring, until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
3. Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, fennel and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add sage, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Transfer everything to a large bowl and gently stir in bread, pears, parsley, hazelnuts and the prosciutto. Add broth; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared baking dish; cover with foil.
4. Bake for 40 minutes; remove the foil and bake until the top is beginning to crisp, 25 to 30 minutes more.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3 and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

• Note: If you don’t have stale bread ready to use, spread the baguette cubes on a baking sheet and toast at 250°F until crisped and dry, about 15 minutes.
• Tip: To toast chopped nuts & seeds: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 176 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 6 g fiber; 489 mg sodium; 283 mg potassium.

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat

thanksgiving table setting ideas

Most Americans take great pride in setting up the dinner table for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Why not? After all it is probably the most and sometimes the only time a woman has the chance to gather her family and friends around the table to eat at the same time.

I am one of those individuals who take pride in setting up my Thanksgiving dinner table and would consider a different theme each year just for the fun of it. Since Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated during the  Fall, I have no trouble incorporating nature throughout the table decor.

Just in case you are wondering what I am  going to do this year and even if you are not , I am getting my table decor inspiration from the following photos and plan to include a bit of something from each suggestion to create an eclectic feel.  Let me know what you think?

thanksgiving decor with nature

There are two things I appreciate during the course of a year. Holidays and Nature themed decoration. Whether it be a dinner table centerpiece, a bouquet of flowers  on a side table or a wreath hung on the outside of the front door, how about a mantle displays or just a  platter full of fruits and nuts on the dessert table. I usually get a warm fuzzy feeling and even become teary eyed when I see the efforts people make in incorporating nature into their decoration.

In light of this subject matter and since Thanksgiving is based around a harvest festival, I have gathered some ideas from the internet which I think are very easy to make and beautiful to look at in any home during the Thanksgiving celebration. I hope you like and happy weekend while  planning your special Thanksgiving dinner get together.