Give Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. My family always has such a good time, and over the years, we have made tons of happy memories together on Thanksgiving! Most of them, are happy memories, but I do seem to recall a time where my dad accidentally spilled a whole pot of hot oil ALL over my Auntie's tile floor! That made quite the mess to clean up!!! 

Today, I'm going to give you a peek into our Thanksgivings on Winds of Faith! (I might even share a Thanksgiving recipe with you lucky ducks!)

The meal is one of the most important parts of Thanksgiving. *winks* Most of our meal is made up of recipe's that are our family traditions. We usually have fried gluten in place of turkey (in case you don't already know this about me, I'm vegetarian. I have never eaten meat...) This year, we are trying something a little bit different. We ordered a stuffed vegan "turkey" roll from a place called The Herbivorous Butcher. I'm crossing my fingers that it is good.

Other dishes we will have is my Mom's famous green bean casserole, dinner rolls (my Mom is just a flat out good cook!), stuffing, mashed potatoes (made with love, by Nannie), cranberry sauce (my cousin's specialty), cranberry relish (my younger cousin's specialty), roasted brussel sprouts, crock pot mac and cheese, and a broccoli rice and cheese dish (Auntie's family recipe!).

For dessert, we are having pumpkin pie (Fun fact about me: I don't like pumpkin pie, I'm weird), cherry pie (now I love cherry pie), pecan pie, and blueberry pie (no sugar added!)

Wow! Writing all that delicious food down makes me hungry! I can't wait to eat it all tomorrow! Today, I get to be apart of the baking!!! 

Some other things we do on thanksgiving is each person will write down some things they are thankful for on little pieces of paper and they are hung around the room until after we eat, then they are passed out around the room to be read aloud. 

We like to decorate the table for thanksgiving, and by the time we are through, it is a masterpiece! 

The day after Thanksgiving, my Auntie (she's awesome!) puts on a scavenger hunt/escape room type activity. We go all over the property finding and solving clues along the way! The prize at the end is a shopping trip into town for Tractor Supply Co.! Last time I bought a pocket knife! :)

The night after Thanksgiving, we've made it a tradition to camp out up in the woods! Camping out is so much fun, even if it is a little chilly outside. Last time we camped, we heard owls that sounded like a bunch of monkeys! We might not camp this year, due to the weather, we'll see. 

Thanksgiving is such a time of giving and thankfulness. I am very blessed and thankful to be able to celebrate it with my amazing family! Thanksgiving is also a time to remember the pilgrims who first came to America. All of their struggles they suffered, facing so many hardships. I can only imagine how truly thankful they felt on that first Thanksgiving after the harvest in October 1621. Their feast lasted three whole days! There were 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims who first celebrated Thanksgiving. (Just a little trivia for ya!)

We have so much to be thankful for. Every day is a precious gift, one that we should continue to thank God for. Just like God brought the pilgrims through so many trials when they first came to the New World, He is still working like that in our lives and in the trials we face today. Thank Him.

Now, out of all of the recipe's, there are so many to choose from, but I wanted to share one with y'all. The one I chose is this very yummy blueberry pie! With no sugar added! This is a recipe from the cookbook Incredible Edibles by Erin Hullquist, but my Auntie adapted this recipe, making it even better! 

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Blueberry pie

1 can (12oz.) white grape concentrate 

12oz. water

4 Tablespoons Minute Tapioca 

5 Tablespoons cornstarch 

1 can (15oz.) crushed pineapple (we use Dole brand) (Don't drain the pineapple juice)

4 cups (16oz.) blueberries 

2 frozen pie crusts

-In a saucepan, mix white grape juice concentrate, water, Minute Tapioca, and cornstarch.

-Let sit for 10-15 minutes 

-Add blueberries and crushed pineapple, then heat up over medium high heat. Stir frequently until thickened

-Spoon into curst and bake on 325 for 30-40 minutes

-Serve at room temperature with whipped topping

-Enjoy! 

Psalm 136:1

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What can you thank God for today? Are you going to try the blueberry pie recipe? Comment below if you liked reading this post!