A Day for Thanks

First I want to start off by thanking so many of you who contacted me and commented on yesterday's post regarding my dad. He is doing absolutely fantastic and healing wonderfully. I ask that you continue the prayers - thanks so much again!

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I had planned on doing this post closer to Thanksgiving, but with this past weeks recent events I figured there was no better time than the present.

Kendra Thornton contacted me a month ago in regards to doing a Thanksgiving collaboration. She does not yet have a blog, but wanted to put into writing her thoughts on what Thanksgiving means to her. Here is what Kendra had to say...

It’s a Thornton Thanksgiving from Chicago!

I love it when the leaves start to fall in the autumn and the temperature drops. Although it means that winter is coming, it also means that the holidays are just around the corner. The holiday season is the most special time of the year for me. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. The thing I like the most about this holiday is the sentiment behind it. I love the fact that Thanksgiving is all about showing gratitude and giving back. It is one of the most loving of all the holidays. At the Thornton house here in Chicago, we are excited to have all of our relatives coming this Thanksgiving.

I have taken to Pinterest to gather some food ideas for this year’s Thanksgiving feast. My kids are old enough now to want to help out. However, I need to keep things fairly simple to keep the mess from becoming unmanageable when they “help.” I have been looking for some recipes that will be easy to make for the kids to help out with.

In my opinion, I don’t think it’s really Thanksgiving without a traditional turkey dinner. That means that at our house we must have turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes with gravy and stuffing. I enjoy these classic Thanksgiving dishes. My personal favorite is gravy-soaked mashed potatoes.

However, I also enjoy embracing new foods to bring to the Thanksgiving table. This year, I took inspiration from an article that I read on Gogobot about the dishes that luxury hotels prepare for their holiday guests on Thanksgiving. I thought that a number of them would be within my cooking skills, and so I decided to try my hand at some of these exotic dishes this year.

One of the dishes from the piece that I am most excited about is served at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando. It is a sumptuous pumpkin soup that has lobster added. I am planning to make it one of the opening dishes of the Thanksgiving meal. I can’t imagine a better way to start off the meal than by serving this perfectly decadent soup this Thanksgiving. I sure hope it turns out well. If I do prepare it right, I know my guests are going to absolutely love it. It is a dish that will warm the heart and the soul, setting the right tone for this important holiday meal.

I am so grateful for the many blessings that I am fortunate enough to have in my life. To give thanks for all of our many blessings at Thanksgiving, we have a tradition here at the Thornton house. Before we begin eating our Thanksgiving dinner, everyone at the table takes turns saying at least one thing they are thankful for this year. It is one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions, and I hope that you will think about adding our tradition to your Thanksgiving this year. Have a great Thanksgiving surrounded by your family. Enjoy eating all of the delicious foods and creating some wonderful memories!

Written By: Kendra Thornton

You can keep up with Kendra on Twitter

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I think that Kendra did a lovely job posting about what is important to her on Thanksgiving, spending time with family in whatever way you can. With my dad's recent health scare, life has truly been put into perspective for me, on how much we take it for granted and how quickly it can be taken away. Thank the good Lord he was not ready for my dad.

While sitting in the hospital we were discussing the upcoming holiday and started prepping our menu. I am beyond ready to wake up Thanksgiving morning, turn on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and listen to the commentary and music while baking my Chocolate Cream Pie, Baked Brussel Sprouts, Strawberry Trifle, and Pumpkin Bread.

My aunt, along with her two children (my cousins) are coming up from Florida...bring on the turkey, the family time and the memories we will forever make!

xo