Category: 11 November

Thanksgiving Treats

This is the first Thanksgiving dinner that I have ever made. My family came for a visit from the west coast, so I had a lot of help 🙂 I also tried to make some fun Thanksgiving Treats to snack on during the beginning part of the day!

Carmel Apple Turkey

My boys LOVE carmel and apples so I made this little guy to snack on.

Thanksgiving Cornucopia

I used Pillsbury Crescent Dough to shape and bake the Cornucopia, then added the fruit that my family likes.

Fruit Dip

I also made my fruit dip that the boys LOVE! Mix one package of cream cheese with one jar of marshmallow cream!

Vegi Dip

Mix one tub of sour cream with one Ranch packet for the vegetables.

Turkey Cake

I made a turkey cake for a friend’s birthday on Thanksgiving day this year. I used Nutter Butter cookies, Candy Corn, and Fruit Roll-up to decorate the turkey cake.

Buttercream Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup Crisco
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon milk (if thick)

Directions:

  1. Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
  2. Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
  3. Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.

Cousins Thanksgiving Fun

My Thanksgiving tradition is to make Gingerbread houses; so I decided to build them with my nieces and nephews this year. It was so much fun, now there are 11 cousins and J is the oldest!

We used Graham Crackers and Waffle Cones for our Gingerbread Houses and Christmas Trees this year.

I used a pear for the Turkey’s body and then cut up fruit to place around the pear for the Turkey’s feathers. These cousins just LOVE fruit.

I read “The Night Before Thanksgiving” to the cousins before bed… It is a great book with cousins and other extended family members. These cousins just love reading too.

Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses -11

Our family Thanksgiving tradition is making Gingerbread Houses. This year we used graham crackers, we also tried chocolate graham crackers. I made buttercream icing to add the candies.

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup Crisco
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon milk (if thick)

Directions:

  1. Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
  2. Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
  3. Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.

Here are some of our past Gingerbread Houses.

Gingerbread House Tradition -09

My sister and I used to make gingerbread houses on Thanksgiving when we were younger, so I decided to start this tradition with my son.

We made gingerbread houses with his cousin on Thanksgiving Day! We used royal icing with a Mini Gingerbread House kit. Added all kinds of colorful Christmas candies and candy canes!

Toddler Fall Portraits

I love fall in the Midwest with all of the colored leaves. J is loving the weather too, since he likes playing outside so much! I followed him around trying to get some cute photos as he explored.

We took some fall pictures, he was much more cooperative than I thought he would be. He like’s trying to play with the trees, rocks, and leaves. He even posed by the tree with his hand on it for me, and sitting in front of it.

22 months old now.

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