Fun Fall Holidays!

Halloween is this Saturday! The kiddos are so excited for the school parties which will take place this Friday. They will be super energized and bursting with excitement this year since Halloween happens to fall on the weekend. There will be countless questions all day on "what time is it?" and "is it time to put on our costumes?" and "when can we start trick or treating?" A pot of chili will be simmering on the stove all afternoon and everyone will have a bowlful before we set out on our evening trick or treat adventure. Traditionally, Halloween evening ends with a bonfire for family and friends. We have a weenie roast and even though our bags are overflowing with candies we still make s'mores. In my book, you just can't have a bonfire without s'mores! The good news this year is that Halloween is also the last day of daylight savings. It officially ends in our Central Time Zone at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 1st. So that means we will set our clocks back one hour before we turn in for the night. Yes! That extra hour of sleep will definitely help when arousing the gang in the morning for Sunday church services!

Soon Halloween 2015 will just be a memory and we will move on to the Thanksgiving celebration. I love Thanksgiving! The evening before the holiday is busy, busy, busy! I like to set my holiday table and also prepare some of the dishes the night before so as to relieve some of the stress getting everything ready for the Thanksgiving meal. So by the time I turn in for the night on Wednesday the cheesy mashed potatoes, Swiss cheese vegetable medley, sweet potato casserole, and pumpkin and pecan pies have all been made and just need to be warmed prior to serving. In the early morning on Thanksgiving Day the turkey is placed in the roaster oven on the counter so there will be plenty of oven space to cook the side dishes before our feast. Also, in the morning the sage herb dressing is made and put in a slow cooker on a low setting for the day. Salad and dinner rolls are prepared just prior to serving. Besides the family togetherness on Thanksgiving Day, I especially love the aromas flowing from the kitchen into the family room while I sip coffee and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! My heart is full of thanks!