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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thankfulness, Apple Pie, and Using Up Those Turkey Leftovers!

Ryan and I switch which family we spend Thanksgiving with each year and though the setting and the people change, one thing is sure: we are always surrounded by good food and family! This year we're cooking, laughing, and playing games (and watching our favorite Green Bay Packers!) in Chicago with my family.

I have much to be thankful for, which I've been reflecting on the past few weeks. It's very easy to get caught up in the day to day complaints, stressors, and frustrations...but when I take a step back and look at the big picture, there's no doubt that I am infinitely blessed.

I have a job that not only pays the bills, but that I genuinely enjoy. I go to work every day and find myself challenged and engaged.

I have a beautiful home in a neighborhood that I love, minutes away from some of my best friends, including my sister.

I have a hobby (this blog) that gets me excited in the kitchen and has led to fun opportunities and meeting some great people (virtually and not!).

I have a church family where I've not only found true community, but that also holds me accountable to the beliefs and values I proclaim.

I have a family full of people, both younger and older than me, that I truly cherish, love, and am daily inspired by.

I have a husband who brightens my life daily, encouraging me, flattering me, and cleaning up the kitchen after me!

....just a small snapshot of the many blessings filling my life! Another thing I'm thankful for? Apple pie.

I'll be eating apple pie, freshly made by my grandma, after dinner tonight. Recently, my grandma came to visit and, on a special request from my sister Julia and I, brought all of the supplies to give the two of us a lesson in her famous pie.

Though it's not a recipe I'll be sharing on the blog (family secrets!), it was a memory I will forever cherish. I am thankful for grandmas, shortening, and the way food brings people together!

I hope you, too, get the chance to stop today and reflect on the many blessings in your life...apple pie included!


For those of you wondering what to do with your extra turkey...I've got some uses for your leftover bird:
Check out my Chicken Recipes--many can sub turkey instead!