I’m sure you’re all a bit tired of turkey, stuffing, and gravy.
I’ll be honest; I am too. Thanksgiving is not a vegetarian friendly holiday. On the flip side, I don’t need any special kind of detox plan for the aftermath of gorging myself on said items because it didn’t happen. Plus, seeing all my family more than makes up for the meat centric meals. Four families, four days, two states, and ♫ one mmmmeeeeee…NYC. Just got here this morning. Three bucks, two bags, one me. ♫ I’m sure I lost more than half of you with that one. Let’s just say, it might be time to brush up on your Broadway musicals.
So I trust my American counterparts survived the Thanksgiving holiday, and I’m assuming all the international bloggers are glad it’s finally behind us, so we can all get back to the same playing field. I understand, believe me I do, but I’m going to do a little Thanksgiving Edition anyway, even if it’s days old now. Things being past their prime certainly never stopped me before.
So instead of rambling today (too late), I’m going to wax poetic, which is really just another fancy term for rambling, about all the things I’m thankful for. Since Monday’s are typically a Week In Review post, I’m only going to encapsulate the things which went down in the last seven days, so it still fits the qualifications of the link up…sort of. What can I say? I am a rule bender, a rebel without a cause, and I sing snippets of Broadway musicals to the cats. They love it, most likely because they mistake my musical numbers for howling.
Let’s get listing, all the thankful things:
- I’m thankful for being able to celebrate the holidays with a family who not only knows how to handle leftovers, but actually plans ahead for it. This is on the Hubby’s side and let me tell you, as if you had a choice, they don’t mess around.
- I’m thankful for lists because they make me all warm and fuzzy. Not a week goes by without some kind of list from me and long holiday weekends certainly present unique lists: things to pack on extended road trips when I’m a passenger (snacks: check, iPad for blog reading: check) and things to pack on extended road trips when I’m the driver (snacks: check, Jillian Michael’s podcasts: check).
- I’m thankful for my two favorite local businesses: the Breadsmith and Nature’s Bin. The former provided me with a four pound loaf of French Peasant Bread in the shape of a turkey, and the latter was the only place I did my Black Friday shopping. I heart them.
- I’m thankful the weather cooperated since the Hubby and I spent lots of time together in cars. Not like that, not anymore: I’m too old for bucket seat shenanigans. See, and you thought I was immature.
- I’m thankful for cold, blustery runs with family. This is the first time these sneakers have been together since the Tough Mudder back in July. You know what they say. The family that competes in Tough Mudder’s together is insane.
- I’m thankful for dinner out at a fabulous restaurant. I don’t have any pictures because I was savoring every single bite and the lightning was really more about ambience and not picture taking…can you imagine? I will tell you my salad included fried leeks, which I am so doing with my next round of leeks, and my entrée was Trumpet Mushrooms and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Fried Artichoke Hearts and Pistachio-Sundried Tomato Pesto. It was divine. I would have licked the plate if it was appropriate. I even thought about it, but the Hubby with his magical mind reading powers pulled me back. After seventeen years, it’s pretty clear he knows me.
- In addition to over the top dinners, I’m thankful for simple snack plates for lunch and Black Cherry Hard Cider. My dad gets all the cool booze.
- I’m thankful for Advent Calendars, mainly and selfishly because I’m the lucky recipient of the family advent calendar this year, which means I get to open a small gift every day from now until December 25th.
- I’m thankful for beautiful morning sunrises. While it may be dark and desolate at 5 p.m., I do get to watch the sun come up every morning, and it’s beautiful.
- I’m thankful for my stockpiling ways, which runs counterintuitive to my clutter free self-diagnosed OCD tendencies, but when it comes to food I’ve been packing it away; literally. There will be more to come on this topic in a future post because I understand the excitement of food storing (cough, cough). How about this: my freezer gets all kinds of action on a weekly basis. Now that is one lucky appliance.
There you have it. The top ten things I’m thankful for this week.
Enough about me. Let’s hear from you.
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Interested in participating in the Week In Review?
The Week In Review is a list, in its purest form, not of the things you still need to do, but of all the things you have done in the past seven days. It’s an achievement list and one with the sole purpose of bringing pleasure. Want in? Grab the Week in Review button for your post, link back to Clean Eats, Fast Feets and get your list on. For more details, click here.
Link up and get your list on.
What are you thankful for this holiday season? Does your family have an Advent Calendar? Tell me about your favorite non-Thanksgiving meal from this past week? Are you excited to see what’s in my freezer? Should I show my goods? 😉
Great post, Meghan! I love the orderliness of those leftovers…what a concept. The sunrise photo is outstanding. I always judge how good something is by whether I would be licking the plate if I were at home! I knew we were kindred spirits! Thanks again for all of your support…you are the Best! Have a Great Day!!
I’m happy to be of service, and I appreciate your support as well, joining in the WIR every week. It means a lot to me. 🙂
I heart lists too!
Man I heard more than one person talk about how Thanksgiving is tough for a vegetarian…I think I would have to bring my own food!
You should add this thankful list to my link-up! –> http://www.semihealthyblog.com/2013/11/the-grand-thankful-thursday-link-up-2013.html
Yes lists are some of my favorite things. We’re kindred spirits.
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll link up now.
omg they do NOT mess around! I love a family that prepares for leftovers. Does the Hubs have a brother??!
He does. He has an older and younger brother. They’re both taken though.
Well, another sign we’re soul sisters in a non-creepy way. My family always brings their own Tupperware to holiday gatherings. After years of trying to finagle leftovers in foil, they finally learned. Also, Thanksgiving is even less friendly when you’re the only vegan or vegetarian in your family, but we only had a small thing at my mom’s this year so I just ate my own stuff.
Lists are my bitch and that turkey bread is way too cute. The end.
I’m glad to hear you make lists your bitch too. Way to get it down.
So many lovely things to be thankful for. 🙂 Thank YOU for sharing!
That is a CRAZY amount of food in those first couple of pictures. Holy moley.
We used to do Advent calendars when my brother and I were younger. They were always so much fun. I miss being a kid sometimes!
I know I was floored when I first walked into the kitchen and saw all the food, neatly packaged and ready to go to their new home. Talk about impressive.
I don’t mind Thanksgiving food at all…when I cook it. 🙂 Tell me about it, being the only vegetarian in a meat world. I’m just glad my guys are understanding and the turkey is definitely NOT the focus here. I sadly just ate the last dressing muffin…
Sounds like you had an amazing weekend full of family, friends and good times! I’m so impresses with your husband’s family and their leftover packing abilities! That is impressive!!!
I need to come to your Thanksgiving then and excuse me while I just invite myself to your home, even though you don’t really know me. I have boundary issue. 😉
Those leftovers are INSANE!!!
I love this list of gratitude, you can never have enough of that going around 🙂
The new header is beautiful!
Where on earth did you find black cherry cider? I want some… like right now!
And now I feel dumb because the page re-loaded and it was gone… but for like 2 minutes I swear there was a different header picture on the top of your page…
You’re not crazy. I was switching themes so there was preloaded header there for a couple of minutes. Good catch!!
My dad had the Black Cherry cider, and I have no idea where he got it, but I really liked it. It kinda put the apple to shame.
Duuudddeee I MAKE Thanksgiving a vegan friendly holiday. Aside from the turkey, every thing can be totally vegetarian (and vegan for me!) Screw the bird…who needs that shiat! I had an amazing meal..with a ton of seasonal and delicious veggies!! WHOOO For running with your family, so awesome.
Your meal sounds delicious and right up my alley.
My dad and brother are runners so I try to join them when I go back home for a visit. This run killed my knee though. I’m thinking my running days might be done. 🙁 Boo.
You’ve given me the best excuse to come gate crash your family’s Thanksgiving festivities next year- To be meatcentric on your behalf 😉
That tupperware….. I don’t even know where to begin. I’m also Thankful for the Breadsmith for giving me bread envy. I bought yeast the other day- I’m going to attempt a pesto and garlic style cheese twist thing. How’s that for a description. I bought an Advent calendar (chocolate one) and if you looked at it now, you’d think it was December 15th…it was December 10th this morning. 😛
Since they mock me for my vegetarian ways, they would love you.
You had me at pesto and garlic. I’m salivating. Thank god, I’m making a pizza tonight with pesto and caramelized onions. I’m going to be fragrant. 😉
i’m not a fan of turkey, but i’ll eat some of it, ya know? So funny story, my husband got the flu right after thanksgiving. We haven’t had meat in our house since then because he cannot stand the look of any it. Eggs and fish are it. Which makes me thankful because now i am saving money, haha. Is that wrong?
love that sunrises!
You can save money by skipping the meat! It’s true although I do hope you man is feeling better now.
Holy LEFTOVERS, Batman!!! Now THAT is what I’m talking about! I’ll take one of each…please and thank you! That restaurant dinner sounds INSANE!! Seriously, I could get on board with a pasta dish with trumpet mushrooms, goat cheese, artichoke hearts, and mouthgasm pesto for sure! 😉
I’ve never done the whole advent calendar thing. We don’t really have many holiday traditions when it comes to my family…except that every year for Christmas Eve, we get new PJ’s! 🙂
Favorite non-Thanksgiving meal? Hmmm, does my recent fascination with mug cakes count? I totally got the sister in on the love too as we both had one for “dessert” Thursday night! Today, the picky-eating sibling, tomorrow, THE WORLLLLLLLD!!!!
Christmas PJ’s are a tradition; a good one I might add. I don’t have enough PJ’s so I hope you don’t mind if and when I crash your Christmas.
I need you to hook up with my picky eating sibling next. He’ll give you a run for your money though.
fried leeks–Kristy from Gastronomical Sovereignty has a recipe that I wanna try whenever I get creative with the last of the farm share leeks.
Yep, fried leeks and I just so happen to have leeks in the fridge at this very moment. I’m so making a salad tonight with fried leeks and to pair with my roasted red pepper alfredo pasta. I’m salivating just thinking about it.