Postcard Friendship Friday - Thanksgiving Greetings

Postcard Friendship Friday is brought to us by our lovely postmistress, Marie.


Many years ago (20+), the Lillian Vernon Corporation
sold reproduction vintage postcards for the holidays.

This is one from Thanksgiving that I hadn't sent on its way.

Thanksgiving Greetings
A Turkey I bring you for Thanksgiving Day,
With wishes that plenty may e'er with you stay.

(The back is marked with "printed in Hong Kong exclusively for Lillian Vernon Corp". No date.)

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with delight.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Be sure to stop by Postcard Friendship Friday to see more postcards
and visit with the lovely, Marie.

Gratitude

Why Gratitude Makes You Happy and Wealthy
by Christine Kane

Gratitude is more than being thankful one day a year. Gratitude is a practice. For some, it's a way of life.

Why do some people swear by the practice of gratitude? Why do these people have joy-filled and abundant lives?

In other words, why does gratitude make you happy and wealthy?

• Because gratitude is about presence.

It's about waking up in this moment and being here - really being here - and noticing what's around you. Most people are so busy thinking about the next thing, or about their horrid past, that they don't wake up and look around at their present moment - the only moment there is.

• Because gratitude is about honoring YOUR precious life.

Do you ever compare your life with someone else's? Do you ever wish your life were better and more like [insert famous person's name here]? Sometimes we can lose ourselves in wondering how we "measure up" to some standard set by our families or by the media. Comparison is the mind killer. The antidote is gratitude.

Gratitude requires that you validate your own life. (And you really don't have any other life, do
you?) It forces you to say YES to the gift that is you. The choices you've made and the changes you've gone through - they have brought you here. Even if here is a place that needs a little adjustment, that's okay. There are always gifts in any present moment.

• Because gratitude is about attracting.

It's difficult to attract abundance and joy if you are constantly saying "no" to what IS. You say "no" each time you focus on the future or past, or when you criticize something that is in your present moment.

Attraction is about saying Yes. When you say Yes, you shift.

Gratitude says, "Yes, I love this!" And then more of this is attracted, because the this is what you're focusing on.

• Because gratitude is about choice.

How you translate any situation is the situation. What you choose to see is the truth (for you).

This isn't proposing that you live in denial or phoniness. It's reminding you that your translation of any life situation is your choice. We've all heard stories of people who have ignored others' translations of their talent, their projects, their art, their looks, their lives. These people chose their own translations and succeeded. You always have a choice when it comes to how you look at things. Choose to choose gratitude.

• Because gratitude is about wisdom.

I think people believe they're being smart if they criticize, complain, and focus on the problems of the world around them.

Smart? Maybe.

Clever? Sure.

But not wise.

It is wise to look for and find the knowing place in your heart. It is wise to choose joy. It is wise to honor your riches. It is wise to focus on and grow the blessings of your life.

• Because gratitude is about recognition.

Use your power of focus to hone in on beauty and on what makes your heart sing. Recognize the spirit in your life. It's all around you waiting to be noticed. In the words of Franz Kafka, "It will roll in ecstasy at your feet."

• Because gratitude is about receptivity.

Gratitude makes you receptive. It makes you a vessel, waiting to be filled.

I carry a tiny notebook with me everywhere I go. In it, I write down song ideas. I write down quotes I hear. I write down ideas for stage stories. As I do that, I become more receptive, and more ideas and songs come to me. It's a tool that says to my subconscious, "Send more my way!" And the subconscious always responds.

Gratitude is the same way. It says, "I am receptive! Send more!" And more arrives.

• Because gratitude is about creativity.

Creativity is really all about attention. (So is genius.)

When I write a song, I build a relationship with that song. I spend time with it. I get to know it. I pay attention to it. Artists do the same thing with drawings. They spend time in rapt attention, and the drawing is born.

Gratitude is how we Live Creative. It is a creative act to notice and pay attention to the moments of your life. Some days it's an enormous act of creativity to find things for which to be thankful.

Start today.

And have a Thanksgiving of presence, creativity, and gratitude!

---

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 8,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.

Some Last Minute Goodies for You!

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Glaze

Makes 3 dozen

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking sheets.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.

For Glaze:

Combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding With Brown Sugar-Yogurt Sauce

Makes 15 servings

12 slices cracked or wholewheat bread, cut into cubes (12 cups)
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
2 cans (12 fluid ounces each) Nestle Carnation Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
1 can (15 ounces) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup refrigerated egg substitute or 4 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Bread Pudding:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Combine bread and cranberries in large bowl. Combine evaporated milk, pumpkin, egg substitute, sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture; stir. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish; let stand for 10 minutes.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm with Brown Sugar-Yogurt Sauce.

For Brown Sugar Yogurt Sauce:

Combine 2 containers (6 ounces each) or 1 1/2 cups nonfat plain yogurt and 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar in small bowl.

(These recipes are from our little local neighborhood newspaper. More pumpkin recipes can be found at The Very Best Baking.)

***

Get cozy with cranberries. The cranberry is an herb—but you already knew that, didn't you? For the latest word on the medicinal qualities of this favorite holiday fruit, check out the Encyclopedia of Herbs. And for some berry good cranberry recipes, there's Cranberry Cooking for All Seasons, featuring such delectables as Cranberry Maple Syrup, Cranberry Tangerine Loaf Cakes, Shaker Cranberry Pie, and (oh my goodness!) Nantucket Roast Loin of Pork with Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing. ( Cranberry information from All About Thyme: A Weekly Calendar of Times and Seasonings by Susan Wittig Albert.)

My World - Happy Thanksgiving!

Visit My World to see more of our world or to participate yourself!

I thought I'd take you on a walk around our neighborhood
and look at the Thanksgiving and Autumn decorations.

And, finally, Home Sweet Home!

From Twisty Lane to you,
this brings a wish for happiness-
Joy and laughter, warmth and cheer -
and peace and plenty through the year!

Thanksgiving is Coming!

My crochet blogging buddy, Christina, over at Crafty Christina, found this Thanksgiving Meme. I liked it so much, I decided I wanted to play too.


1. Which do you like better: Cooking at your house, or going elsewhere?
I like cooking at home best. I enjoy the special holiday dinner at home with my honey.

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird?
The last couple of years we’ve gotten a fresh heirloom turkey. The first year it was really good and last year we were a little disappointed and they are really expensive. So, this year we are going back to frozen -- thinking a cajun smoked turkey sounds delicious.

3. What kind of stuffing?
Cornbread stuffing like Granny’s. Although, I saw a recipe recently with apples I’d like to try. Wonder where I put it? !!!!

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie?
How about pumpkin cheesecake?!!!

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing?
I love turkey leftovers. I'll eat them for days until they're all done.

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu?
Bourbon sweet potatoes

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock?
You bet!

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier?
I think after all these years, I’ve got it figured out! I don’t need anything.

9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour?
We usually eat mid afternoon. I’m normally not a crack of dawn person. I’m not fixing a huge turkey either and the smoked turkey really only needs a good warming.

10. If you go to somebody else's house, what's your favorite dish to bring?
Pumpkin cheesecake or apple pie

11. What do you wish one of your guests wouldn't bring to your house?
I’m always pleased that folks are thoughtful enough to bring a little something even if it isn’t eatable!

12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you're happy to see?
A group I’m happy to see.

13. What's your absolute favorite thing on the menu?
The turkey!

14. What are you thankful for this year?
I’m thankful that the love of my life, my best friend is sharing Thanksgiving with me. I’m thankful for my sista’s (love you Lucy and Mar). I’m thankful for another day on Mother Earth.

***

I found the recipe I mentioned above. It is from an email I received from Gooseberry Patch. It sounded good to me, so I thought I'd share. (I'm not a fan of bouillon -- too salty and would probably try some good chicken broth instead).

Granny's Apple Dressing
(From Gooseberry Patch Cookbook Autumn With Family & Friends)

1 1/2 c. onion, chopped
2 c. celery, sliced
1/2 c. butter
1 3/4 c. water
3 cubes chicken bouillon
12 c. dried bread cubes
3 c. tart apples, cored, peeled and coarsely chopped
Optional: 1 c. toasted slivered almonds
2 t. poultry seasoning
1 t. dried parsley
1/4 t. dried sage

In a skillet over medium heat, cook onion and celery in butter until tender. Add water and bouillon, cook until boiling and bouillon dissolves. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl; add onion mixture and mix well. Place in a greased 4-quart casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Makes about 2 1/2 quarts or 8 to 10 servings.

***

I want to let you know that I will be hitting and missing in Blogland for awhile. Mr. Dragon has some very serious medical problems that we will begin to deal with in the coming days. Please know that visiting you is a great comfort to me and a nice break from all that is going on now for us. I think of my blog friends often and appreciate you more than you know. Please keep us in mind in your prayers and good thoughts. I'll try to blog as much as I can. Promise.

Meanwhile, Joy To You!

I hope this weekend is a beautiful one for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Twilight of Thanksgiving

The day has lengthened into eve,
And over all the meadows
The Twilight's silent shuttles weave
Their sombre web of shadows;
With northern lights the cloudless skies
Are faintly phosphorescent,
And just above yon wooded rise
The new moon shows her crescent.

Before the evening lamps are lit,
While day and night commingle,
The sire and matron come and sit
Beside the cozy ingle;
And softly speak of the delight
Within their bosoms swelling,
Because beneath their roof to-night
Their dear ones all are dwelling.

And when around the cheerful blaze
The young folks take their places,
What blissful dreams of other days
Light up their aged faces!
The past returns with all its joys,
And they again are living
The years in which, as girls and boys,
Their children kept Thanksgiving.

The stalwart son recalls the time
When, urged to the endeavor,
He tried the well-greased pole to climb,
And failed of fame forever.
The daughter tells of her emprise
When, as a new beginner,
She helped her mother make the pies
For the Thanksgiving dinner.

And thus with laugh and jest and song,
And tender recollections,
Love speeds the happy hours along,
And fosters fond affections;
While Fancy, listening to the mirth,
And dreaming pleasant fictions,
Imagines through the winds on earth
That heaven breathes benedictions.

~William D. Kelley (1814-1890)

Thanksgiving Countdown Continued!

We are another day closer to Thanksgiving. Do you have sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving? How do you prepare them? Here's a recipe I cut out of the Houston Chronicle years ago. I made it the first time to take to a Holiday pot luck.

Cranberry Apple Sweet Potatoes

• 1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
• 2 (18 ounce) cans sweet potatoes, drained and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 (8 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade

Spread pie filling in 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish; arrange sweet potatoes atop filling. Mix cranberry sauce, preserves and marmalade. Spoon over potatoes. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven 20 to 25 minutes. (Original recipe from Chronicle reader Mary Nita Wing)

You'd guess correctly if you figured I've made some adjustments to the recipe over the years. I put it in a much larger baking dish (I guess can sizes change). I also mix the sweet potatoes with a little brown sugar and a 1/4 cup of bourbon (you could use rum) to give the recipe a little more zing. It makes a pretty dish and has all those wonderful autumn colors and foods I think of when I think Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Countdown

I thought I'd start a Thanksgiving Countdown and offer you a few recipes for the coming holiday. The first is Butternut Squash-Apple Soup (you know I love soup). Apples are the perfect autumn food and Butternut Squash is the perfect color for autumn. When I was growing up in New Mexico one of my favorite things was to drive to Pena Blanca and the Dixon apple orchard and buy apples and cider. The orchard is north of Albuquerque in a beautiful valley. Wonderful place for a picnic. Nice memories for me. Back to the soup! This recipe is a combination of a couple of recipes I found - one in Bon Appetit and the other in the Witch in the Kitchen cookbook by Cait Johnson.

Butternut Squash-Apple Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (about 6 cups) (I buy one large butternut squash and let it go at that!)
  
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
  
• 2-3 cups (or more) vegetable broth
• 2 cups filtered apple cider or apple juice
• 1/4 cup apple brandy
• Freshly grated nutmeg and ginger
• salt and pepper to taste and perhaps a little fresh thyme

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and add the minced garlic and chopped onion. Saute the onion and garlic until golden then add the vegetable broth, apple cider or apple juice, brandy, diced squash, sweet potato, and apple. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until squash, potato and apple are tender. Add spices. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. In small batches, carefully puree the soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth. (I prefer a little chunky.) Watch the amount of liquid. You can always add more juice/cider/or broth at the end if you want to thin the soup.

Ina Garten has Butternut Squash and Apple Soup that is very similar. She uses more squash (2 large) and more apples (about 4) and less liquid (2 cups of water to cook and adds 2 cups of apple juice or cider at the end after the soup has been pureed -- again with the idea that you can add liquid at the end to make it the consistency you want). Also, she adds 2 tablespoons of mild curry to the soup.

You get the idea! It is a beautiful and tasty soup for the Thanksgiving season.