Inspired by Fall Favorites
When planning the same holiday year after year, how do you keep your celebration fresh and interesting while maintaining a sense of tradition? We asked our favorite bloggers and food people to share what's inspiring their Thanksgiving planning this year. From ancestor's recipes and falling leaves, to beautiful piles of ingredients and thoughtful home decor, there was no shortage of imagination. See what motivates some of the most creative minds we know, and then start planning your annual feast.
Thanksgiving happens during my most favorite time of year: autumn. During this marvelous season, I envision lots of cuddling, comfy cardigans, leaves changing and falling, cool evenings and winter squash-infused foods; I get a warm feeling just anticipating it all.
This Thanksgiving will be extra special because we will have the blessing of our newest little one joining us. But then again, every Thanksgiving is extraordinary because there are so many blessings to be thankful for all year round. My dream this Thanksgiving is for a simple turkey with all the traditional fixings and some yummy homemade pumpkin pie with extra whipped cream. Of course, instead of regular mashed potatoes, we opt for cauliflower mashed potatoes — yum!!! Being so busy with four little ones, simple is the best way to go. Nothing fancy, just some delectable food (cooked in the healthiest way possible) and loads of being together.
Of course, every autumn the kids and I work together to create a special fall garland, as you can see in our collection of images. We like to decorate the house with lots of Kraft paper and earth-toned colors. In little corners, we also make small vignettes to celebrate this time of year, be it some leaves from outside or pine cones — basically anything that reminds us of this season. It makes everything just perfectly cozy.
Our days will also consist of baking anything and everything with cinnamon: cinnamon doughnuts, cinnamon buns, cinnamon cupcakes, and even drinking oodles of pumpkin smoothies topped with cinnamon (we can never get enough of those). We also make sure to eat lots of root vegetables and different types of squash (and squash on pizza is extra yummy). Since this time of year is so special, it’s nice to bring out decor and foods that really mark this season. All our fall and Thanksgiving family traditions give us something to look forward to every year.
For more Thanksgiving ideas, visit our Thanksgiving Inspiration Board Gallery.
Rubyellen Bratcher is a mom who spends her days dreaming up things to make, play with and bake for her little girls. Her nights are spent cuddling with her husband, Ben, and any extra time she gets is spent treasure-hunting for pretty vintage things. She shares a snapshot of her life and loves on her blog at mycakies.blogspot.com.
