Thanksgiving Menu and a few recipes!

I am so excited that the holidays are upon us!!! My family will be traveling to the Dallas area to spend Thanksgiving with my in-laws. I am looking forward to see everyone but honestly I am most excited about the food and more specifically the cooking!! My mother-in-law is working Thanksgiving day so we will celebrate with the traditional feast on Friday. On Turkey Day we are going to Alan's dad's house. He lives on a little farm south of Fort Worth. We always love visiting his house because the girls get to ride horses and run and play and enjoy the open fields. It's a lot of fun. Since I will be the only "woman" at the house that day, I am taking over all food and cooking duties!! Since the day will consist of relaxing, watching football, and riding horses, I wanted make easy, comforting foods that we can enjoy all day long. So here's the menu:

Chili (it's my dad's recipe, and it's fantastic!)

Cornbread

Jalapeno Poppers

Chips and Guacamole

Pumpkin Squares (got this new recipe from my cousin, Angie!)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Apple Cider

Hot Chocolate

On Friday, we will have the traditional Thanksgiving meal with all of Alan's family including my new sister-in-law! Alan's oldest brother, Steven is getting married TODAY!! It is just a ceremony at the Justice of the Peace in Plano, but on the Saturday following Thanksgiving we are having a family barbecue and reception for them. It is going to be three days full of food, family, and fun!

I have one more "project" planned for Thanksgiving. Any guesses??? You're right, cupcakes!!! At Friday's dinner there will be 13 kids there!! We are going to decorate cupcakes and I have two really cute ideas. One is a Turkey that I found in Hello Cupcake! The other idea is to do a Cornucopia with little "fruit" and acorns in it. I think it will turn out cute and give the kids something to do for a while. I PROMISE to take pictures and I'll post them after Thanksgiving!!

In the hustle and bustle of this busy season, as much as I love the food and festivities, I try to stay focused on what really matters, spending time with my family. I am so blessed not just with a great husband and kids, but my entire extended family is a blessing to my life. I am truly rich because of all of them. I am so thankful to be a part of such a wonderful family! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Chili recipe:

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground sausage

2 packages Williams Chili Seasoning (according to my dad, this is the best, so I always use it)

2 cans tomato sauce

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans black beans (drained)

2 cans pinto beans (drained)

1/2 cup brown sugar

Brown the ground beef and sausage. Combine all ingredients except brown sugar in a large stock pot. Simmer and add brown sugar about 5-10 minutes before serving. Tastes great with cornbread or with Fritos and cheese (my personal favorite!). Enjoy!!