Thanksgiving 2011

We had the privilege of having Tim's family over for Thanksgiving dinner.  It was a wonderful holiday where I cooked my third turkey ever and the rest of the family brought some side dishes.  I had fun setting up the table with these corn husk centerpieces and my grandmother's china.

Plus the two-seater "kid's table" in the corner of the dining room. 

I remember as a child having Thanksgiving at my Grandmother's house and we were always sequestered to the "kid's table" as there was not enough room at the main dining room table with the adults.  Since the kids can feel separated from the main table, I wanted to make sure they still felt special with their own centerpiece candle.  This two-seater could actually be a romantic dinner setting for two adults as well.

Tim had his niece read Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation of Thanksgiving.  I had not realized that it was Lincoln who declared the third Thursday of November our National Thanksgiving holiday during his presidency in 1863.  This proclamation was stated amidst the Civil War and more of a prayer with Lincoln's eloquence in honoring God above all.  This proclamation is worth the time to read if you click on the link above, but following is one quotation of many that I loved:

Here are some photos of the table decorations in celebration of so much to be thankful for.

Colorful leaves from the front yard we used as table decoration



Real and non-real pumpkins mixed together



We set the table three days before Thanksgiving to save time

Fall leaves mixed in with the centerpiece



The old and new mixed together



Place settings added to gold beaded fruit

Since the table was full with guests and not much extra space, we served the food buffet style rather than pass the food around the table.  Here's what I did for the buffet table and utilized an overflowing horn of plenty.

Horn of plenty with overflowing fruits and gourds



I love how pomegranates and artichokes add bountiful color

 

A cinderella pumpkin left over from Halloween was put to use



Cleaning up after dinner amidst glasses washed



As the guests left, we were very Thankful for family and friends and all of  God's daily blessings.

Thanksgiving Indian Corn Harvest Candle Centerpiece

I wanted to make a centerpiece that celebrated some of autumn's harvest and this is the result.

I found this idea from Eddie Ross a few years ago, and finally made it this year. 
All you need is:

• glass sconce or large vase
• dried indian corn
• jute twine
• floral clay or double-sided tape 
• optional - satin ribbon for a more formal look.
• candle

Tie the husks around the corn with jute twine to secure husks in place, making sure to tie each corn husk in an even height from the bottom, so you are able to hide this twine with the finishing ribbon or jute.

Align each corn husks around the glass sconce, keeping in place with either floral clay or double-sided tape.  It's OK if these adhesives fall off or don't stick too long, as it's just the initial setting to keep them in place while you tie the larger length of jute around all the husks as below.

You can either finish the centerpiece in a more natural look, leaving the jute twine as your ribbon, wrapping around the corn husks a dozen or so times.  For a more formal or finished look, use a wider satin ribbon as below.  This will hide the jute twine and a final bow adhered with double-sided tape gives it the finished look.

Make an Autumn Raffia Wreath

In getting ready for Thanksgiving, I saw this Fall raffia wreath tutorial on Stone Gable blog and wanted to make it.  I loved the simplicity of the monochromatic look and it truly was simple to make.

The detailed tutorial on Stone Gable's blog are perfect, but here is what you need:
MATERIALS
Straw wreath wrapped in plastic
Large bag raffia
U-Pins (approximately 65)
Glue gun
Scissors

With the plastic still on the wreath form, grab a small bunch of raffia.  Grab a bunch of raffia (I used approximately 6 to 10 strands for each miniature bundle), and pinch in the middle after wrapping in loops.


I forgot to take a progressive picture, but make 3 - 4 loops with the raffia (see Stone Gable blog for thorough tutorial pictures)

You pinch the raffia loops in the middle, slip the U-Pin around the middle and hot glue the ends of the U-Pin before pushing it into the middle of the top of the wreath.  Alternating a bunch of raffia horizontally with the next bunch vertical and so-on.  It is not an exact science, but it was key to pin each bunch closely to the previous bunch of raffia, to not have a lot of gaps in the end.  Also, DO cut the loops as you go.  I failed to do that and trying to cut all the loops "After" the wreath was quite tedious.

My sister and I each made a wreath Saturday afternoon while watching a college football game.  It was fun to make and I loved the free-style results!

A Fresh Variation on Potatoes

We just tried this recipe for dinner last night and LOVED it!  Of course it originated with Martha Stewart, but I discovered this variation on Stone Gable's blog.  Her version is fabulous because she added grilled onions, gruyere cheese and thyme. 
It is simple to prepare and only need to bake for 35 minutes.

Enjoy!