Feeling Thankful + Fall Pinterest Party

Well hello there, day before Thanksgiving. Where did you come from?

I didn’t plan to take almost an entire month off from blogging, but the semi-break has been helpful in finding time to cross off at least some of the to-dos in the four months we have left as a family of two. Baby Bender’s nursery is starting to look pretty spiffy, and I am starting to look like I’m basting my own Thanksgiving turkey. 🙂 But I am loving every minute – the bigger my belly gets, the more I get to feel our little dude practicing his karate. At this rate, he’ll be a black belt by Christmas.

We’re looking forward to a Thanksgiving similar to those we’ve been enjoying over the past several years, with an abundance of family, food and feelings of gratitude for the many people and things we have to be thankful for. If you’re celebrating tomorrow, I hope you enjoy every minute.

And just in case your menu isn’t quite set in stone, I thought it would be timely to share the results of our fall Pinterest party, which happened during my trip to Chicago last month. It was amazing to have the chance to plan and prep with Lauren, Kelli and Monica (who flew in from her new home in California!) at least once more before any pint-sized additions are added to our group.

I would recommend any of the dishes and drinks we made for your table tomorrow.

Fa-la-la-la Fall Pinterest Party Menu

Beverages: Apple-Pie Spiced Cider and Mock Champagne (pinned here and here)

Appetizer: Apple and Cheddar Cheese Soup (pinned here)

Main Course: Pumpkin and Ricotta Stuffed Shells (pinned here)

Side Dish: Baked Tomatoes, Squash and Potatoes (pinned here)

Dessert: Apple Pie Pull-Apart Bread with Vanilla Glaze (pinned here)

Note: The majority of the delicious food pictures below are courtesy of Monica.

As usual, we divided the tasks and responsibilities. I started out by chopping up the ingredients for our Apple and Cheddar Cheese Soup.

This soup was truly awesome – my favorite part was the blending at the end.

While Lauren was cooking the soup’s onions and carrots, Kelli was hard at work on our first drink: the Apple-Pie Spiced Cider.

It was a perfect blend of sugar and spice. We skipped the brandy, but I bet that’d add a real kick.

As our true culinary professional, Monica helped with a little of everything, including prep for the Baked Tomatoes, Squash and Potatoes, which Lauren then artfully placed in the pan (her favorite job).

Monica also got the Pumpkin and Ricotta Stuffed Shells ready for Lauren to stuff. Check out the master hard at work. Such an intense look of concentration.

Annnnd she sliced the apples and biscuits for our Apple Pie Pull-Apart Bread with Vanilla Glaze!

Finally, all that was left was to fill our mason jar glasses with Mock Champagne…

…and set the table for a fall-themed feast.

So, how did it all turn out, you ask?

I’d say Pinterest perfect. 🙂 The mocktails were deliciously fruity and the soup, shells and baked tomatoes, squash and potatoes were the right amount of flavor and heartiness for an autumn day.

But the pull-apart bread…oh, the pull-apart bread.

I made another batch as soon as I got back to Arizona. It was quick, easy and amazing!

Big thanks to Kelli for hosting, to Monica for flying all the way from California and to Lauren for just being herself (and hosting me!). I miss you ladies already, but am grateful that we’ve created an abundance of tasty memories to treasure forever – and now a party for every season!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Abrazos,