Thanksgiving Prep

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Get ready, folks. Thanksgiving is upon us and it is time to check that grocery list and check it twice to ensure that you have everything you need—no one wants to spend the last minute in the grocery store. We are hosting the meal this year and I am taking charge of the turkey, stuffing, and the best pumpkin pie (ever). I am the kind of person who likes to have her ducks all in a row ahead of time so as to lessen the chance of something going wrong. I mean something can always go wrong...I just like to make it less likely. :)

Here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes and hosting tips to help take some of the stress off of you on Turkey Day:

• The Best Way to A Roast Bird: There's a lot of debate about turkey prep and I know I won't be following this to a T. However, there are a lot of great tips in this post and the author wrote with such confidence that I can't help but put a lot of trust in it.
• Hosting Checklist: The Food Network has provided a handy little graphic detailing how far ahead you should start your meal prep—from defrosting the turkey to cheating and making side dishes a day in advanced.
• Cranberry Sauced-Up: I know a lot of people aren't the biggest fans of cranberry sauce. I don't understand these people, but I acknowledge they exist. Perhaps in lieu of the sauce, go a different route and serve up some pre-dinner cranberry cocktails, like these Cranberry Moscow Mules! Or if you want to be friendly to all ages, try this slow cooker cranberry apple cider.
• Additionally, after watching a few episodes of Rachel Ray leading up to the holiday, I understand that she suggests going into the kitchen armed with a glass of wine. Depending on what your Thanksgiving Day schedule is this may be of some use to you. We are eating early and I'm not sure how much grandma will approve of me uncorking a bottle at 10 a.m.

I hope that you find success in your holiday hosting duties. Be sure to reward yourself for the good work by hitting up the stores for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. Maybe even take part in Cyber Monday? 

<3 Ashley

What are your best Thanksgiving tips and recipes?

Fall Flavors & Favorite Recipes

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There are many reasons that I love fall. The season brings about change in a number of different areas: fashion, beauty, activity, and best of all—and our focus today—food. There is not much better than the bold spices and rich flavors that grace dinner menus during this season. While on my most recent trip, I was thrilled to see the squash varieties lined up and the apples colorfully arranged. My mind started spinning with all of the possibilities: soups, sauces, and desserts are my favorite cooking categories during the fall. Here are a few recipes that I look forward to incorporating into my autumn cooking:

- Pumpkin Chipotle Soup: This is a recipe I shared about two years ago on here. I had bought an immersion blender for myself and committed to whipping up homemade soups and putting pride in something that did not come out of a can just to be heated up. This soup has a wonderful pumpkin flavor with a chipotle kick that will hit you right away, but fade off the palette shortly after—which I like. Spice is good, but after awhile it can be a bit overwhelming.

- Pumpkin Pancakes: This is actually just a small adjustment from the single serving pancakes recipe that I've shared before. I did not feel like going out of my way to find a whole new pancake recipe when I had one that I was perfectly content with. Instead, I kept the recipe and simply added a few fall spices and a few tablespoons of pumpkin puree. You can adjust amounts to your personal taste.

- Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara: This is a recipe that I have been wanting to try since I first spotted it on Pinterest, my home planet. My friend and I had a full on fall day once last year and picked up a jar of butternut pasta sauce and were absolutely in love. I would love to try my hand at making the sauce from scratch. I will update with the imminent success story. #confident

<3 Ashley

What are your favorite fall recipes? What ingredients do you use the most during the season?