A day to stop and reflect...

Thanksgiving is like the calm before the chaos of Christmas in today's world.  Thanksgiving is a day with family and friends and I love that it is a day to stop and reflect on what God has done in our lives.  We don't have to buy anything but food.  And I love setting a beautiful table with amazing food for everyone to enjoy, whether it is just four people or a whole table full, plus some.

Last Thanksgiving was a precious time with family.  We had buried Dad the day before and a sister-in-law and her daughter-in-law put together a feast for us all.  It was a sweet family time as we all had the painful shared experience of losing the patriarch of our family. There were lots of hugs and loving conversations.  And we laughed and played together, as well. 

My honey and I are having Thanksgiving with our "adopted" son, his wife and daughter.  We will miss the rest of our family, but I'm sure we will have a wonderful day of fellowship as we stop and reflect on our blessings and enjoy the yummy gluten free food.  My favorite Thanksgiving recipes (which are gluten free) will be posted the rest of this week and the first three days next week.

Decorating the Table
I learned this little trick from a friend: layer dried beans, peas and lentils in a large glass vase or apothecary jar for an inexpensive base for a pillar candle. I found these orange pods a couple of years ago that look like tiny little pumpkins.  They're so cute!

I purchased a beautiful fall wreath from Hobby Lobby on clearance two years ago to put around the base of the vase (which I got for very little because of a nick in the glass) and placed them both on a fall table runner that I have had for many years. A sprig of faux cattails was tucked under the wreath on each side between the turkeys. The little turkeys are salt and pepper shakers that I also purchased quite a few years ago on clearance. (see the above photo) I'm thinking of adding pheasants or squirrels to the tablescape this year - they are on sale right now at Hobby Lobby. Hmm...

Next week: a family tradition for the Thanksgiving table.  It involves kernels of corn...

Today's Recipe - Moist Pumpkin Muffins

15 oz can organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup half & half
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (opt)
2 1/2 cups flour (use Pamela's Baking Mix if making GF)
Mix all ingredients together and spoon into greased muffin tins.  Sprinkle muffins with raw sugar. Bake at 350 degrees.

48 mini muffins - bake for 15 minutes
12 regular muffins - bake for 18-20 minutes

After baking and cooling:  decorate each muffin with a rosette of cream cheese frosting and a pecan half.