The winner of the Riley’s Organics Dog Treat Giveaway is J.D. from Oklahoma City! J.D. is a dog dad to three poodles! Hopefully, he will send a picture of the little angels enjoying their treats.
Didn’t win this one? Fear not! New giveaways start in December.
On this Thanksgiving, as I count my many blessing, I’m especially grateful for:
* The Lord – As we all know, everything good comes from Him.
* My sister, Jackie – The greatest assistant in the world. The blog would never be the same without her many contributions.
* My wonderful man – Hungry Bear, you’re the best.
* My cat, Pumpkin – A crazy critter that makes me laugh daily.
* Snow Plows – 7 inches of heavy, wet stuff are in my yard right now.
* Turkey & trimmings – I’m thankful to be well-fed, when so many in this world don’t have access to adequate nutrition.
* Coupons – Black Friday shopping, as much as I want, for pennies.
* America – The greatest country ever devised! Freedom for all, always. God bless this great nation.
And last, but never least, I am so thankful for my readers! Each and everyone one of you that reads this blog, comments, enters giveaways, or contributes in any way is an integral part of The Jewish Lady community. You bless my life every single day!
I wish each of you and your families a happy, healthy Thanksgiving.
Today’s topic for A Taste of Thanksgiving is decorating on a budget.
Like most ladies, I love to make my home look festive. At every grocery store, I’m enticed by enormous flowers arrangements, ceramic pilgrims, and chocolate turkeys. While these items are awesome, they’re also overpriced!
Is there a way to make things look nice for less? Definitely! If you’re the least bit creative—or have kids that are—try making rather than buying!
Flowers:
If nothing but flowers will do on your holiday table, search for economical options. A pretty vase filled with simple daisies or alstroemeria will be much less expensive than a dozen roses or a Thanksgiving-themed arrangement.
Food:
Another idea is to use various sizes and shapes of gourds, pumpkins, and Indian corn. These can be put into a basket, on a tray, or along a table runner.
Cornucopia:
Buy an empty cornucopia at Dollar Tree or Michael’s and fill it yourself with fruit or candy corn. The total cost should be less than $5.00!
Homemade Banner:
If you can sew, try making a banner. I’m not crafty enough for this one, but maybe you are!
What about totally free options? Try any of these printables:
Turkey Place Cards from Gwenny Penny
Table Decoration Kit from Paper Glitter
Thankful Dessert Tags from Pizzazzerie
Paper turkey Centerpieces from Martha Stewart
Thanksgiving Place Mats from Busy Bee Kids
Tons of coloring pages from Free Coloring Pages
Tons of worksheets from Enchanted Learning
There’s also a Huge Party Pack Kit from Dimple Prints.
I’ve always believed that cost doesn’t equate to enjoyment. By designing something myself and staying on budget, I get the best experience possible.
Do you decorate for Thanksgiving?
It’s time for another Taste of Thanksgiving!
This recipe is called World’s Greatest Cranberry Sauce and it truly lives up to its name. For those of you who’ve only eaten the horrid slime from a can, and don’t think you like cranberry sauce, try this! You will be pleasantly surprised, like Hungry Bear was during our first shared Thanksgiving. Having been accustomed to the commercial variety, he thought cranberries were “disgusting and nasty.” After much coaxing, he sampled mine and has been a cranberry lover ever since.
Though this is called a sauce, it’s actually more like a relish, since it has chunky fruit and spices. To make World’s Greatest Cranberry Sauce, you will need:
* 1 Bag fresh cranberries, 12 oz. (I bought Ocean Spray for only $0.24!)
* 1 Cup water
* 1.5 Cups Sugar or Splenda
* 1/2 of a fresh pineapple, diced
* 1 Orange, cut into segments
* 1/4 Tsp. cinnamon
* 1/4 Tsp. ground cloves
Rinse cranberries and look over, removing any bad ones. In a medium pot, bring water and sugar to a boil. Turn the heat down, then add the cranberries, cinnamon and cloves. Simmer until the berries begin to pop, stirring frequently. Total cook time will be approximately 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the pineapple and orange. Stir to blend. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
World’s Greatest Cranberry sauce can be made 2-3 days ahead, or frozen. (I prefer to stagger my cooking for Thanksgiving, so it’s not an all-day marathon.) This recipe makes 2 pints, which should be enough for most families. If you need more, simply double it. For those that have small families and end up with leftovers, cranberry sauce can be combined with shredded turkey for a very yummy dinner.
Want to see what else I’m serving for Thanksgiving? Check out my menu.
If you hate canned cranberry sauce, raise your hand! If you love it, and think I’m crazy, tell me!