Well gals, Thanksgiving is upon us! In just a few days, the table will be set with candles glowing…the savory fragrance of roasted turkey and stuffing swirling through each room of your home….cranberry relish sparkling like rubies…. whipped sweet potatoes, with it’s top-crust of hot ‘n’ crunchy brown sugar and pecans… pumpkin and apple pies, cookies and cakes, set aside for later, to enjoy with a cup hot tea or coffee by a warm fire….

…..the kitchen will be bustling with women-folk all aproned up, stirring and sampling gravy with worn wooden spoons, golden-brown rolls will be pulled hot out of the oven….little ones licking frosting from a rubber spatula….green beans, corn and mashed potatoes set out….ice-cold veggies ‘n’ dip for munching to quiet growling tummies…

Over the river and through the woods…

in homes all across America,

…. doorbells will be ringing….

…..and finally the words we have waited to hear all year long….

“Time to eat!
Everyone gather ’round….

find your place… let’s say grace…”

Heads will bow in excitement

as a prayer of thanksgiving is spoken…

“Dear Heavenly Father, our hearts are united as we offer up our praise and thankfulness for all of the many blessings you have bestowed upon us, your mercy and grace is wondrous….we thank you for your protection and your provision…thank you for family and friends…and for our America, thank you for the freedom we have to worship you…thank you for your Word that lights our pathway…thank you for your son Jesus, through whom we have peace, joy, salvation and hope for a glorious future…please bless and protect our troops as they continue to fight for our safety and freedom…bring them home soon…and Lord, please bless this food and the hands that prepared it…. bless this special day as we honor you and your goodness. In Jesus name Amen..”

The best way I know to make the most of this bountiful holiday is to stay thankful and be prepared. It is easy to become overwhelmed and frazzled, and that’s no fun! So, I am going to give you sweetie-pies some last minute tips to help you enjoy and be joyful, come Thanksgiving day.

1. Start by making a list of everything you need to do, pulling out your family recipes, purchasing all the ingredients, making the centerpiece, setting up extra tables and chairs, cleaning the house etc.

2. Do as much as you can ahead of time. Set the table a day or two before, put plates and goblets upside down to keep them dust free. Make as much of the food and desserts the day before. We do potluck, so everyone pitches in.

3. Gather the platters and bowls you will be serving in and write on a post-it note what goes in it (“mashed potatoes”, “cranberry sauce” etc..), stick it on that dish. This way, you will not be rummaging through your cabinets at the last minute in a flurry to find what dishes to use to serve your meal in (now where is that turkey platter?). The other benefit is, when guests come and ask how they can help, they will see what food goes where. Also gather serving utensils, ladles, gravy pitcher, salt and pepper shakers etc.

3. Set up a coffee and tea bar, with creamers, sugars, flavorings, cups, mugs, spoons.

4. Delegate. Make a short list for hubby, kids or friends to help with the preparations. Don’t wait for them to offer help, thinking that they can read your mind, that never works! Ask sweetly with a cherry on top!

5. Try to keep things simple and sweet, so you can enjoy the day and savor the memories for years to come.

Speaking of sweet…here is a yummy dessert….easier than pie!

It’s my Butter Crunch Pumpkin Bars!

Gather the ingredients…

Mix it in a mixer…

Pour it into a greased glass pan

Sprinkle on dry cake mix ( I use Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden)

Add pecans and melted butter…

Bake it…

Cool it….

Top it with real whipped cream and eat it! Oh my goodness, it is scrumptious! My friend tasted it a few years back, begged for the recipe, and said this dessert is so good it will change your life! There are a lot of versions of this recipe out there…this is mine..

Aunt Ruthie’s Butter-Crunch Pumpkin Bars

15 oz. can pumpkin

12 oz. can evaporated milk

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1 package yellow butter cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)

Garnish with fresh whipped cream

Mix the first six ingredients until creamy. Pour into greased 13×9 glass baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with dry cake mix. Then add pecans and drizzle butter. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Cool, then serve each piece with a dollop for fresh whipped cream.

Now before I head off to see my family in California…here is a sneak peak of my Christmas home……

May all of you be blessed this Thanksgiving day!

“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

Psalm 106:16

Thank you for stopping by for some Thanksgiving pie!

Hugs!

RuthAnn

100 Comments   Add a Comment

And Now….The winner of my One Year Of Blogging Anniversary Give-away is……………Miss Stacey from The Blessed Nest! Congratulations Stacey!

My goodness gracious there were a lot of entries! Over 430! Thanks to all of you for entering this give-away, and for sharing your favorite Holiday Traditions! What a treat to read them all! Truly, I was absolutely blessed and overwhelmed by all of your creative and encouraging comments!

I can’t believe that Turkey Time is just around the corner! My family and I will be flying back to California to spend this bountiful Holiday with my parents, siblings, and my extended Big Fat Italian family! So, I have already started decorating for Christmas! That way, when I get back I will have the whole month of December to enjoy all that glitters and sparkles! I will be sure to share my “Christmas Home” with you soon! But for now….make yourself something yummy to drink, put your slippers on, relax and enjoy the beauty of Autumn in the Ozark Mountains……….

My front porch view.


The country road I take almost everyday into town.

It just makes my heart sing when I experience the quaintness of small town life here in southern Missouri. I love the homey-ness of it all…..it’s so Mayberry! This is where I went to vote last Tuesday. How adorable is this little, cute-as-a-button, community center …established in 1906! Oh Honey!

And would you look at this sign out front…..how stinkin’ cute is that?! A Turkey, Ham ‘n’ Dressing Potluck supper….can’t you just imagine Aunt Bee, Clara and a few other apron-ed gals bustling about in the kitchen, serving up a nourishing, home-cooked meat’n’potatoes meal to the towns-folk, sharing recipes and the latest town news!

Well, lookie here…. indeed, Aunt Bee and the gals were busy last Tuesday mornin’…dear hubby and I walked from the brisk fall air and into the gathering hall to vote and were welcomed by the warm aroma of hot, out-of-the-oven blueberry muffins. Sturdy jars of blushing-pink canned Rhubarb gathered in neat little rows nearby. Sure enough, there were three rosey-cheeked, white-haired grandmas sitting behind a long table, collecting I D’s, checking names off the list and passing out ballots. Where else, but small town America, could you cast your vote for President of the United States just a few feet from this homespun, slice-of-life scene? Ya gotta love it!

me and my girls

My daughter Ashley and her husband Glen, came home for a few days, we lit the first fire of the season…roasted marshmallows, made s’mores, sipped hot chocolate and warmed our hearts as we watched home movies….

There’s a horse stable just a few miles from our home so we decided to hit the trials…You can take the girl out of the Old West, but you can’t take the Old West out of the girl! Me and my love for cowboy boots go way back! Rootin’ Tootin’ Ruthie! It was the most breathtaking fall day…the air was crisp and sweet…the sun was glowing gold, and the cozy scent of wood-smoke put everyone in a glorious mood.

Me and “Maggie”

Cowboy Bob.

Ashley and Glen down by Bear Creek.

My two red-heads with “cinnamon sprinkles” on their noses!

Dear hubby and me.

This is the guy that makes me laugh everyday.

I want to thank my sweet blog-friend Vee from A Haven for Vee for this very special award. Kari and Kijsa are two amazingly creative sisters, who designed this award.
This is how the sisters describe it….

….”and that is our goal and purpose behind this blog…to inspire others to join us on the exciting, thrilling journey ahead. We want to succeed in sparking creativity in the lives of others for that is how we measure our success. In short…we try to each and every minute of every wonderful day be “Designing for Life.” And so…in the spirit of design uniqueness and creativity…we wanted to honor some truly special and wonderful blogs that we felt represented this philosophy to the fullest extent…feel free to share your award with two other blogs who you feel are truly “Designing for Life.”

The two I would like to pick are:

1. My sister Sherry from Prairie Home….so very creative…has a style all her own….so sparkling chic….has a positive attitude…dreams up stuff that always make me say “why didn’t I think of that?”

2. My fabulous, adorable, outrageously fun, next-door neighbor from back in the day….Catiena from The Vintage Housewife. She really is as delightful and sassy and vintage as she seems…she is the real deal. Always encouraging! She has a zest for life because she loves the Lord!

Both of theses gals are an inspiration in my life!

Thanks for stopping by for some “Autumn in the Ozarks” pie!

Hugs!

RuthAnn

69 Comments   Add a Comment