Sweet Pennies from Heaven

4 Favorite Thanksgiving Traditions #MomsCheckIn

by 40 Comments

 

thanksgiving traditions

Our Favorite Thanksgiving Traditions

Do you have any family Thanksgiving traditions? Every family is different and we all have different traditions. Maybe you’re looking to start a new tradition! We have such a large family, and it seems that now as the kids and grandkids are getting older, the traditions start to change but a few will always remain. Our Moms Check In moms and I are sharing our own family Thanksgiving traditions. We’d love to hear yours too! You can learn more about Moms Check In and who we are below.

 

 

Amanda-626x1024“My son is THE pickiest eater. While everyone is excited for Thanksgiving to have turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie….he isn’t. Everyone fills their plate and he will put the tiniest bit of turkey and a roll. Dessert time comes and he doesn’t like any of it. So we have a Thanksgiving breakfast. It’s huge and filled with all of his favorites – cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon, pancakes … the works. We are usually still pretty stuffed by the time Thanksgiving dinner rolls around, but that just means more leftovers for us. :)”

– Amanda is the mom to Joshua and owns It’s a Fabulous Life. If you are looking for a one stop place for all things mom, It’s a Fabulous Life is it! Full of recipes, fashion, DIY projects, recipes and parenting articles it’s the place for all of Mom’s favorites to come together! Follow her on Twitter here!

 

 

Jenni-Eaves1-213x300

“My sisters and I stay up MOST of Thanksgiving Eve cooking – usually together. Our local school and their rival play their JV and varsity boys basketball game on Thanksgiving Eve too, so we always listen to it on the radio. It’s THE biggest high school basketball game of the year. For dinner, we always have both turkey and ham and we usually always have way more desserts than actual food. This year, we’re going to try a deep fried turkey! It’ll be our first.”

– Jenni is the mom of one and the author of Sweet Pennies From Heaven. A hearth and home website, Sweet Pennies From Heaven focuses on recipes, crafts and creating a comfortable home. Follow her on Twitter here!

 

 

LindsayHeadShot3Border-300x300“PIE! Okay, just food in general. We usually end up hosting at our house and there are some dishes my Mom always made for Thanksgiving every year that just have to be on the table. We start with the pie. Pumpkin, Pecan, and Chocolate Cream. Then we work backward to the actual meal: turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes of course. And we always have this yummy Cranberry Fluff Salad. I should share that recipe. It’s soooo good!”

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

 

 

stephanie“Because we don’t live near our families, we don’t always get to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. For the years we stay home, we have a sweet gathering with nearby friends. Everyone makes a favorite dish to share, which makes meal prep easier on everyone. The kids are busied with a craft idea and then while they have playtime, we adults do, too. We traditionally choose one game and have a lot of silly fun. I love the laughter! “

– Stephanie is the mom to Sam and the author of Spaceships and Laser Beams. If you ever need party ideas her site is the place to visit! Specializing in all things boy, it’s full of inspiration! Follow her on Twitter here!

 

 

moms-check-in-1 What is Moms Check In?

Who are the moms of Moms Check In? We’re 4 moms who are also professional bloggers. We chat about a new topic each week. We talk about things from dirty diapers to date night, and everything in between. Moms love to talk to other moms and let’s face it…MOMS know everything!! If you happen to be a blogger also, and want to be a guest host one week, please fill out this form. We’d love to have you join us!

Before you leave, let us know…

What are your favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

 

7 Tips on How to Save Money on Thanksgiving Dinner

by 27 Comments

This is a sponsored post in partner with IFOF. All opinions are my own.

 

how to save money on Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I know making that shopping list can be daunting! You don’t ever cook THAT much any other time through the year and it can end up costing a fortune. There are 7 ways that I’ve learned how to save money on Thanksgiving Dinner and I wanted to share them with you.

7  Tips on How to Save Money on Thanksgiving Dinner

1. Make a list and then find coupons to use on as many of the items as you can.

2. Shop at stores that you can combine store coupons with manufacturer coupons.

3. Price match. Walmart price matches, so take ads in and price match as many of the items on your list as you can.

4. Volunteer other family members or friends to help cook. This will take some of the burden off of you.

5. Shop around for prices on turkey or ham. Usually though, the week or 2 before Thanksgiving is the best time to buy. They’re on sale everywhere.

6. Scale back! Most times we end up having WAY too much food and there are usually 3 or 4 dishes that no one would even miss. Drop $15/$20 just by scaling back!

7. Buy frozen over fresh turkey. These are cheaper, however, you have to allow plenty of time to thaw. Here’s a post that gives turkey thawing instructions.

 

I have a few fantastic recipes that are thrifty and perfect for Thanksgiving dinner or as snacks. Just click on any of the links below to visit that recipe, and enjoy!! Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving Day with family and friends!

 

baked mac and cheeseEasy Baked Mac and Cheese

 

mashed potatoesEasy, Rich and Creamy Mashed Potatoes (The Pioneer Woman’s recipe!)

 

Pumpkin PieLight Pumpkin Pie

 

pumpkin pie puppy chowPumpkin Pie Puppy Chow

 

 

Affordable Food Tips (1)

I am an IFOF (Indiana Family of Farmers) Ambassador for the Affordable Food Tips For Your Family, From Our Family Series. I have written a few other posts in this series. You can find them below.

Week’s Meal Plan Under $50 Plus One Pan Pasta with Chicken Recipe

 Everything in Moderation | What I Learned at the Grocery Store

13 Guaranteed Ways to Stick to Your Grocery Budget

 

Pumpkin Pie Recipe (Light Version)

by 554 Comments

Pumpkin Pie

It’s that time of year…time for Pumpkin Pie! The leaves are changing and for me, that means it’s time for the kitchen to start smelling delicious with spicy pumpkin scents! Here’s an easy and light version of Pumpkin Pie that you can make and enjoy this season! It’s easy and it’s super YUM!

With this light version you don’t have to feel guilty when you enjoy it ;)! It’s a great one to make for Thanksgiving or any other fall/winter get together! Ohh, and for those cool mornings try these Nutty Pumpkin Waffles! These ROCK!

Estimated Times:
Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cooking Time: 40 minutes   Cooling Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 unbaked 9-inch (4 cup volume) deep dish pie shell
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 can (15 oz) LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
  • 1 can (12 fl. oz) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Fat Free Milk
  • Light Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
MIX sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger and salt in small bowl. Beat egg whites lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F.; bake for additional 30 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Garnish with light whipped cream, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause filling to separate from crust.)

 

If you liked this recipe, visit my Recipe Box for more fun and tasty treats! Leave a comment below 🙂

This recipe and images brought to you by Nestle, Walmart, and Lunchbox as part of Nestle’s Winter Favorites.

Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Challenge – Week 5 (Last Minute Checklist and Turkey Thaw Times)

by 485 Comments

Thanksgiving

This is Week 5, the last week, of our Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Series & Challenge!  If you’ve missed the other posts, check them out below to get “in the loop” and hop aboard if you’d like to get prepared early as well.

I can smell the wonderful scents of all the yummy baked goods coming out of your ovens!! Through our previous week’s challenges, we’ve cleaned inside and out, donated some unused items along the way, organized our cabinets, made our shopping lists (that was last week, in case you missed it), and most have already bought all their groceries.

This week, I want to go over a checklist of sorts.  This will basically be your Homework assignment. We’ve accomplished alot over the last few weeks and I hope it all did help you in preparing for your holiday company. Our goal was to make things LESS hectic, so I hope you’re feeling good and LESS stressed!

Your checklist:

Thaw that Turkey! Most of you should already have it in your refrigerator anyway so it’s already started thawing or may have been thawing for a few days.

Refrigerator Thawing Times (via USDA website)
Whole turkey:

  •  4 to 12 pounds ……  1 to 3 days
  • 12 to 16 pounds …… 3 to 4 days
  • 16 to 20 pounds …… 4 to 5 days
  • 20 to 24 pounds …… 5 to 6 days

 

  • Clean out your refrigerator and make room
  • Double check your recipes to make sure you have everything you need (don’t forget the extras like seasonings, plenty of milk, butter, oil, eggs, etc.)
  • Grab some printable coupons for all of your dinner extras that you need to buy!
  • Make sure your camera is charged or has batteries for fun family photos
  • Don’t forget the Reynold’s Wrap & Foil!
  • Eat lots of turkey and ham, enjoy time with your friends and family!

(photo credit, crosswalk.com)

Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Series – Week 3 – Kitchen Inventory

by 95 Comments

This is Week 3 of our Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Series & Challenge!  If you’ve missed the other posts, check them out below to get “in the loop” and hop aboard if you’d like to get prepared early as well.

Last week was dedicated to cleaning up outdoors in preparation for Holiday company.  This week, I want to concentrate on Organizing our Kitchens.  That is where all of our time is spent preparing Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, afterall.  Nothing is worse than trying to get dinner ready and you can’t find your hand mixer, or the biggest mixing bowl.  If you’re like me, you can’t find it because you loaned it out or it’s shoved way back at the back of that black hole of a corner cabinet!

So, let’s go through our cabinets to make sure we have everything we need and GET RID of everything that we don’t ever use!!  Go grab your mixing bowls from your sister, your roaster pan from your aunt, and your measuring spoons….oh dear, where did those go???  Mine could be out in the back yard for all I know! You know…kids and sand boxes or dirt piles!

Here is a list of the most used items needed for preparation of Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner.  Some recipes call for special utensils.  Just make sure that you have those when you’re ready to make that recipe.

If you’re needing any of those items listed but can’t afford to shop for them new, consider going to the Goodwill to find them.  Buying new can be expensive and I’ve found every single item mentioned above at the Goodwill before.  Don’t be afraid.  There’s nothing a little bleach and hot water won’t kill ;)!

Now for this week’s assignements:

  1. Make sure you have all of these items + extra items that special recipes call for.
  2. Gather 1 box or trashbag of unused kitchen items that you don’t use and donate to Goodwill or family in need.
  3. Gather any or all kitchen/utensil items that family/friends have borrowed so you don’t have to hunt them down later.
  4. After you’ve boxed or bagged up your unused kitchen items to donate, re-organize your cabinets with the things listed above so that you’ll easily find them when Thanksgiving Eve approaches.
  5. Last but not least, spend 10 minutes on each Hotspot from Week 1.  If it’s nice weather in your neck of the woods spend some time outdoor cleaning from Week 2.
  6. As always, come over and comment below this post here and let us know how you’re doing on your assignments!  I’d love to hear your progress!

Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Series – Week 2

by 29 Comments

This is Week 2 of our Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Series & Challenge!  If you’ve missed the other posts, check them out below to get “in the loop” and hop aboard if you’d like to get prepared early as well.

Last week we talked out cleaning indoors and hitting the hotspots that get us down!  I also had previously mentioned that staying on top of those will make getting ready for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas so much easier when it comes to getting things nice and neat for company. So, on top of this weeks challenge, I’ll also add some extra homework to keep up with the work we’ve already done so that things don’t get out of whack!

This week, we’re chiming in on outdoor cleaning!  I don’t know what kind of messes YOU have, but for me…I have cobwebs that need knocked down on the front and back porch.  We also have trees all around our house so we get tons of leaves that I have to keep at bay. Most end up all over my patio that I have to sweep off every day or every other day.  Thank goodness for leaf blowers…that’s all I gotta say!

Then there are those things out there that need to be put up for the winter.  Extra chairs, bug spray bottles, in my case…lots of hubby’s odd and end things.  Right now as I look out my dining room window I see fishing line, a drinking glass filled with nails and screws, and a pair of work gloves on the well-box.  I also have some rugs that I washed and hung over chairs to dry that needs to come back in.

What kinds of things do you need to get done outside to prepare for holiday company??  Below is a list of “homework” assignments that you can do over the weekend just to get started!

Homework for this week:

  • Sweep cobwebs
  • Dust off outside furniture
  • Clean Outside Windows
  • Pick up and put away summer things (extra lawn chairs, etc.)
  • Clean up flowerbeds
  • Use a powerwasher on anything that needs a good cleaning (we usually need to powerwash our patio this time of year)
  • Rake leaves

In addition to this weeks assignments, I wanted to give you a few things to do to stay on top of the work you did last week.  So here are a few things to add to the list above.

  • Spend 10 minutes on each hotspot that you cleaned last week.
  • Clean up 1 more hotspot in addition to those.
  • Get Laundry caught up.
  • Regular dusting, sweeping/vacuuming, and mopping.

Let us know how you’re doing….just leave a comment below.  We’re a week closer to Thanksgiving and I’m excited that I won’t be killing myself the night before getting ready for company!!  It’ll all be done beforehand ;)!

Let’s Prepare for the Holidays – 5 Week Series & Challenge

by 208 Comments

So, it seems like the leaves have changed color overnight.  Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were splashing around in our swimming pools and cooking chicken on the grill?  We’ve already had chili twice in the last month – and we only fix that during cold weather ;)!

I know that I’m the worst when it comes to hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner at my house.  I’m up ALL night cleaning, dusting, looking for cobwebs, vacuuming up dog hair, all while I should be worried about the turkey and ham!!

I decided to start a 5 week series that you and I could work on together…a challenge if you will!  I know there are many out there who are just like me and wait to do everything last minute to make the home suitable for holiday company (even if it IS just family and friends who see your dirty house all the time anyway!) 😉  I want to do everything on a weekly basis since we ONLY have a few weeks until Thanksgiving is here! This same challenge will work for you in time for Christmas guests as well.

Over the next 5 weeks we’ll cover cleaning up the hotspots indoors and outdoors, doing an inventory of the kitchen and organizing, cleaning out that yucky fridge, discussing frugal decor, and more!

The bases that I want to cover over the next 5 weeks are:

  • Cleaning Indoors
  • Cleaning Outdoors
  • Organizing
  • Kitchen Inventory
  • Last Minute Check List

This 5 week challenge will keep us all accountable and by the end we’ll be prepared so that all we have to do is worry about making that turkey and ham perfect instead of running around like chickens with our heads cut off!  Who’s with me??!!  If you’d like to do this challenge with us, leave a comment in the comment section below!

To get started, below are all weeks of the series in case you get a jump start and can’t stop!! haha!

(photo credit:  bonappetit)

the chick behind this blog! I'm your ordinary, everyday wife and mom to an incredible pair of stinky guys! I am a self diagnosed coffee addict with a ginormous sweet tooth, preferably baked goods!! My hope is to help you, teach you, and entertain you on your way to a more thrifty and frugal lifestyle! Along the way, you'll find awesome recipes, great tips, and tons of randomness! We have loads of fun, so ya'll come back now, ya hear?!

Quick Links