Thanksgiving Friendship Gifts

The taste of the season...Sweet Potato Muffins!

These muffins are topped with a crunchy sugar topping and are scrumptious served at breakfast with coffee and heavenly served for supper with ham and green beans.  Add chopped pecans, walnuts, or raisins if you choose.  They are perfect anytime of the day.

The Sweet Potato Muffins are always a hit whenever I serve them and are the most popular food product that I offer!

I always try to have "Friendship Gifts" on hand to give to those people who visit my home or to take as small hostess gift.  I was trying to come up with something easy since right now I am visiting my Mama in Georgia.  I wanted something that I could take to her neighbors who are all so good to her and to have on hand for friends who might drop by.

A couple of years ago, I baked the muffins in mini-muffin pans and used these cute Thanksgiving-theme treat bags I found at Hobby Lobby.

  I thought I was over the chevron design fad but last week I found these cute bags at Hobby Lobby with the turkey-motif toppers and the presentation was appreciated by recipients!

Each box of Sweet Potato Muffins makes 12 muffins or 48 mini muffins and cost only $7.95/box.  Click here to order.

A wrapped muffin mix makes a great hostess gift...

You can visit my Taste of Gourmet site here to find these and more gourmet food products to stock your entertaining pantry.

Black Friday and Gray Thursday

That's right.  This shopaholic actually does have a limit.  I will not shop on Thanksgiving.  This has gone too far.  I have always loved the "Black Friday" shopping tradition. For many years, mama and I would wake up early and be at the stores by 6 a.m. in order to catch a good sale and to participate in the frenzy.  It was always a fun way to kick off the Christmas season. 

Every year the store opening times moved closer and closer to Thanksgiving Day.  This year, many big stores are opening on Thanksgiving...already being called "Gray Thursday."  These retailers have taken the fun out of the tradition.  Walmart, Toys "R" Us, Best Buy, Kohl's, Kmart, and Target are among those retailers who desperately want the sales. Shoppers are looking for bargains, so the greed has now moved into one of the last few holidays we have have left to spend with our families.  I understand there are people who are buying items for their children and need bargains, but boo hiss on the greedy retailers for offering the doorbuster sales on such a family day!  

Thanksgiving is a time to be with family and friends and reflect on our blessings...enjoying the Thanksgiving meal, football, and the Thanksgiving Day parade.

So yes, the thrill is gone for me now and I won't even be shopping on "Black Friday."  I'll do my shopping on Cyber Monday!

What do y'all think?  Will you shop on "Gray Thursday" or wait until "Black Friday" or stay away from the madness completely?

Thanksgiving Gratitude Tree

My Thanksgiving Gratitude Tree is up...it's the time of year to show our gratitude for all our many blessings.  This has been a tough year for us...with the loss of three friends and two faithful pets, we are still so blessed!

I started this tradition last year...I used little turkey-motif tags and decorated the the tree with burlap ribbon.  Husband and I both write out all the blessings that we are thankful for on the little tags.  You can read more about my tree here.

I hope that y'all are counting your blessings...naming them one by one!

Thanksgiving Season Friendship Gifts

Although I'm busy putting out Christmas decorations, I also have decorated for Thanksgiving...the cornucopia is up and the Thanksgiving tree is decorated on the front porch {I'll show y'all photos of the tree this week}.

I've had this cornucopia forever and I just love the colors!

I decided to make the ever-favorite Pinterest "Thanksgiving Blessing Mix" treats to give as my "Friendship Gifts" during November.

I found these cute little cups with the turkey-pilgrim motif at Target.  They were 20 for $1.  Score!

I added all the ingredients {bugles, pretzels, candy corn, nuts, and dried fruit} and wrapped in cello.  Then I attached this cute little tag that shows the meaning of each ingredient!

Tied it up with raffia.

These were very inexpensive to make and a great idea for this season of thankfulness!  I made tons of these...some to sell at my garage sale yesterday, some to sell at the Church Bazaar, and of course, some to give as "Friendship Gifts."

I'm thankful that this toxic week is coming to a close.  Social media has been so full of negative messages about the election.  I'll admit that I'm disappointed with the outcome.  With the exception of one Presidential race and voting for a democrat boss, I've voted Republican since I became a registered voter.  All of us have issues that are important to us...Lord have mercy, even my husband and I don't agree for goodness sake!  However, there is no reason for hate.  

I wish that I could share with y'all some of the tacky and mean messages I have seen...from BOTH party supporters.  I will just say that I'm hoping that we all {moi included} start the new week off in prayer and good thoughts of hope for a better Amercia!

A Giveaway on All Saints Day

Today I'll be busy all day taking down the Halloween decorations and transforming the front porch tree into a Thanksgiving tree.  I'm also gonna have a little giveaway to celebrate All Saints Day...a day to celebrate all Christian saints, particularly those who have no special days of their own.

THE GIVEAWAY:  Cranberry Chutney!  What is Chutney you might ask?  Chutney is a relish originating in India made with fruit and spices.  The Chutney preserved the fruit itself so that it could be eaten out of Indian curries.

Taste of Gourmet's Cranberry Chutney is a sweet flavorful condiment filled with whole cranberries and spices to serve with roast turkey, chicken, or pork.  You can mix a little of the Chutney into chicken salad or spread it on sliced turkey/ham sandwiches.  A great party food treat:  Cover the top of Brie cheese with the Cranberry Chutney, wrap it in pastry, and bake until browned!

For a real treat, add some Cranberry Chutney Bagel Spread* to your bagel...it's one of my traditions on the "Day After Halloween!"

Recipe for Cranberry Chutney Bagel Spread:
2 to 3 tbsp Cranberry Chutney
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

Mix the Cranberry Chutney into softened cream cheese.  You can add a bit of milk or orange juice, if needed for softness.  Spread onto warm bagels and enjoy!  The spread will last in the frig for a week).

The Cranberry Chutney is the Taste of Gourmet "Product of the Month" during November.  Taste of Gourmet has a "Product of the Month" each month...a fundraising project to benefit the St. Jude Children's Hospital.  Purchasing the Cranberry Chutney during the month of November will generate a $1.00 donation to St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.  The hospital is devoted to research and treatment toward eliminating chronic childhood diseases like leukemia and is the only childhood cancer research center designated by the National Cancer Institute.

THE GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:
One winner will receive a jar of the Cranberry Chutney.  All you need to do to enter is leave a comment!  That's it...easy peasy!  I will announce the winner of this giveaway on Saturday morning, November 3, 2012.  The winner MUST contact me at:  Miss Janice {at} Miss Janice {dot} com no later than Monday morning, November 5, 2012 to claim your prize!  If not...I will redraw!!!!

Thanksgiving Gratitude Tree. Oh-So Thankful!

The rush is on...do you feel it? Lord have mercy! It's so easy to get caught up in all the hype of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday. I'm trying to...
Showing Gratitude. That is what Thanksgiving is all about. Thanking others. Counting our blessings. Helping Others.

Counting our blessings...We are all so blessed, right? I'm still not skipping Thanksgiving y'all and decided to put up a Gratitude Tree. I found some gratitude printables on Pinterest. You can print these and use them however, but I just cut them out, punched a hole at the top, and used twine to attach them to the tree. I asked my husband to fill out the tags and write down all the things he's grateful for. I thought he'd probably say "I don't have time to do that". Well, he was finished in a snap...One of his tags says "I'm grateful for the life I've led". Oh my! Here's my tree...Keeping it simple, I used burlap for a tree topper and the streamers.

These are the gratitude tags that I found on Pinterest...You can go HERE to make copies of them...they are perfect for the season.

Helping others...I'm participating in a food drive organized by my Church. For around $40, you can donate a grocery sack full of food that will feed a family of four. {A grocery gift card is attached for the turkey or other meat}
This is the list of the food products that we used and that you might like to buy and take to a family in need:
Giving back...You can also just make a monetary donation to your Church or the charity of your choice.
Being thankful...Send a note to someone thanking them for being there for you...My Thanksgiving cards are in the mail...we are so thankful for our family and friends!
Sharing...I made some "Friendship Gifts"...Taste of Gourmet Morning Muffins & Sweet Potato Muffins...mini style.
I found these festive bags and "Happy Thanksgiving" tags at Hobby Lobby...perfect for my mini muffins!

Don't forget your host...the one who is slaving away in the kitchen to make your holiday special! My hostess gift for Thanksgiving night...ready to go. A bottle of wine wrapped in burlap fabric and tied with a brown grosgrain ribbon. The "Thanksgiving 2011" tag can be downloaded at Semi Homemade Magazine HERE.
Making it memorable...Thanksgiving 2011
Remember the shut-ins...When I think of Thanksgiving, I always think of turkey and dressing...but, don't forget the pie!
I'm gonna bake a Southern Pecan Pie and take it to an elderly couple that I know...showing a little Southern hospitality!
Using my leftovers box idea, I'll probably wrap the pie in a box filled with shred and tie it up with the raffia and a turkey tag! Well, I can't just take it to someone with tin foil on top!
I hope that you enjoy your Thanksgiving Day...whether you are having a meal with family and friends, working at your job, or just sitting in front of the television watching the parade & games with a TV dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to all y'all!
Be truly thankful! Remember to practice good dining etiquette on the big day. Most meals will start with...Saying Grace.

"Asking the Blessing" or "Saying Grace" is a short prayer of thanks given before a meal, generally after guests are seated and before even the napkin is touched. To show respect for the host, when Grace is said, the head is bowed, regardless of one's beliefs.

A nice blessing~
For what we are about to receive
May the Lord make us truly thankful.

Amen.

I'm Not Skipping Thanksgiving

No Ma'am...I'm not skipping Thanksgiving this year! I've spent the last few days bringing out my Thanksgiving decos and will keep them out until the weekend after Thanksgiving. That probably means I'll be half-dead by that weekend, with the Thanksgiving Feast, early morning Charity Turkey Trot 5k race, Thanksgiving Day parades, Black Friday marathon shopping, et cetera....then, taking down all the turkey decos and putting up the Christmas decos. Lord have mercy, I'm already exhausted just thinking about it all! Actually, I plan to spend some time at my Mama's between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I'm not going all out on the Christmas decorations this year...yes ma'am, that's the plan!

This morning I went to Church and since it was All Saint's Day, the names of departed souls were printed in the Church bulletin. It always makes me sad to see my daddy's name there...still can't believe he's gone! I lifted up prayers for several close friends who are ill, my family members, close friends, and several social network friends, whom I've never even met.

"HERE'S WHAT I WORE"

Boucle Dress Suit: Talbots...long time ago.

The flower pin is from Stein Mart...long time ago.
Accessories:
Pocketbook: Chanel
Shoes: 'Vara' pumps, by Ferragamo
Cologne: Ferragamo
Hair bow: I actually didn't wear the gold barrette, but wore a tan grosgrain ribbon bow.
Lipstick: 'Talisman' by Chanel
Earrings: Pearls
Wedding Band: 'Eternity' by Cartier
"The Roost" is ready for Thanksgiving...
Autumn wreath is on the front door...
The tree is decorated with turkeys...
Old glory on the tree top...
Faith, Family, Friends...

Little feathered turkeys all over the tree!
This afternoon, I'm actually doing some planning for Thanksgiving...favors, treats, Thanksgiving Feast menu, et cetera...
The cornacopia is out...
Love my cornacopia!
Jazzed up the mirror with this feathered wreath...
I'll probably give out more of these gifts for Thanksgiving...Turkey Spice Rub!
I'm very OCD...organized to the hilt. Plan. Plan. Plan.
Organizing the platters, dinnerware, and serveware.
The kitchen is set up with some Thanksgiving decos...
Kitchen table...
Mums...Lord, I've already killed about 5 mums this season!
Thanksgiving dessert on the sideboard a few years back.
Thanksgiving tablescape...pilgrims and turkeys.
Most definitely will have the same leftover plan...white gift box, autumn tone shred, plastic plate, with the leftovers to take home.
Leftovers...ready to go...raffia and cute Thanksgiving tag!

Are you skipping over Thanksgiving this year? Is your home already decorated for Christmas? Don't be ashamed! Lord, in years past, I've been known to already have ten Christmas trees up and decorated by this date!