Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving

We have greatly enjoyed reading all the blog posts about favorite Thanksgiving foods. Because food may be our favorite topic, this has inspired some enthusiastic discussion, particularly regarding stuffing. One of us likes moist stuffing, while the other prefers the stuffing that overflows out of the turkey and becomes crispy. And oyster stuffing? How did we not know about this at all? Cumulatively, our favorite Thanksgiving foods include appetizers of all sorts, homemade rolls, sweet potatoes, and wine. What are your favorites? Do you have specific requirements for traditional fare, ie, crispy stuffing?

(Above is an unflattering picture of me discovering that I had served myself an enormous portion of mashed turnips thinking they were sweet potatoes- ewwwwww!)

For Good Measure

How fun are these kitchsy measuring spoon sets from Anthropologie? They'd be great stocking stuffers!

Mod Measuring Set

Dining Room Measuring Spoons

Baker's Bliss Measuring Spoons

The Registry II

Since completing my registries, I've been really interested in looking at other people's registries, both for what they request and what they receive. This was taken to a whole new level today when I discovered that you can view Khloe Kardashian's registry online. If you watched "The Wedding: Keeping Up With the Kardashians" (this is what happens when one is unemployed and it's raining), you already know that her registry is surprisingly traditional (at her mother's insistence), and that Khloe was appropriately shocked by the cost of everything. Despite insisting that her friends could never afford to buy her a $700 silver place setting (I found that really likeable), she did end up receiving this $6,200 10" tiger :
I guess you never know.

Creative Gift Giving: Element Bars

Looking for a holiday gift for the hard-to-buy-for person in your life?
Try a gift card to Element Bars. This interactive website allows you to build your own energy bars, with a combination of countless ingredients. What an original, interactive gift for the health-conscious person your holiday list.

Wedding Wednesday: Diet Dilemma

Over the summer I was at a dinner party helping myself to a second piece of delicious coconut cake when the girl to my left pointedly asked how my wedding diet was going.

Um.

First of all, how rude is that?

Second of all, I did not plan to diet. I always said that I wouldn't be the girl who stopped eating 12 months before her wedding in order to drop two sizes. Unfortunately, my metabolism seems to have hit that late 20's slow down right around the six month countdown mark. Interestingly, women everywhere (including at the doctor's office in Manhattan, where strangers don't interact!) have started whispering that you magically lose five pounds in the last few weeks before your wedding, even if you don't try! Can this possibly be true? Did this happen to any of you?

Regardless, I am hedging my bets and eating five small meals per day. However, if I run into that girl at any more dinner parties, I am going to eat three pieces of cake and tell her that I just lost those five pounds because of good genes.

Lightened Up Fall Cooking

With cooler temps on the way, comfort food is on my mind.

This recipe for Greek Pasta with Meatballs from this month's Cooking Light did not disappoint. It was a savory, creative take on classic spaghetti and meatballs, and who does not love melted feta cheese (late night College Inn feta breadsticks, all you UVAers??)?

I made a few modifications, like subbing in reduced fat feta, but either way, it is worth a try! If lamb is not your thing, try making the meatballs with ground turkey or lean ground beef. The photos on Cooking Light's website are a little more appetizing than mine, but I promise it tasted, great!

While the meatballs were in the oven last night, I also whipped up a batch of White Bean Soup with Gremolata for lunches this week. It is a great option for a low-cal, low-fat lunch to take to work.

Enjoy!

Dream Door

When I lived in Cincinnati I loved to go to a store called Khakis in Hyde Park Square. Khakis had a wonderful Dutch door and I always thought the owners were lucky to be able to spend their working days in such a pleasant environment. I hadn't thought about that door much until today, when I saw this house tour featuring the picture above. A Dutch door is definitely back on my dream house wish list.

Birdseed Monogram

What a cute idea for an eco-friendly outdoor wedding or party!

Fall in Full Swing

Looking for an easy Fall dessert? I'd highly recommend these Real Simple pumpkin cupcakes featured over at le petite blog. They are SO easy to make! I used my own recipe for cream cheese frosting, but the one they recommend looks great, as well. We topped with candy corn for Halloween weekend, but these would be great through Thanksgiving with any festive topper you might like.

Enjoy!

Start Your Week Off Light

In the fall, when football dominates my social life, I like to eat lightly on Sunday nights. Tonight we had a chicken Caesar salad with this delicious dressing from Great Food Fast:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup reduced fact mayo
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 anchovy files, coarsely chopped
1 small garlic clove

I use regular mayo and add a little anchovy "juice" (from the can) to the mixture. The recipe says to combine all ingredients in a blender. If this isn't convenient, drop the garlic and just whisk the rest together. The result is a very thin but flavorful dressing.