Almost Thanksgiving...Are You Ready?

I am, but that's because I have nothing to get ready for.  I feel so....guilty?  Or at least something close to that feeling.  I mean, I have made Thankgiving dinner for uber years and this is my first non-cooking dinner in a long time, but it's not just that...we're not even going to a Thanksgiving dinner.  Is that wrong?  Am I wrong to deprive my almost adult son of his last Thanksgiving dinner as a "child" of this house?  I think we'll be okay.  I was planning a fancy Italian meal...breaking the chains of conformity big time, but that boy balked.  He wants at least his cranberry relish and turkey on Thursday.  So, I relented.  I'll make him a turkey breast (Which he now wants deep fried???  Uh-uh.  No way.  Gotta draw the line somewhere!) and his relish along with the usual Thanksgiving trimmings.  But since it's just the three of us, it will be casual.  And I'm good with casual.  I've spent too many years obsessing over dishes, cleaning, etc and I'm thankful for a peaceful break.  We're hitting the trails that morning with friends and then headed home to make food and watch football.  The boy and I might head to the outlets for the fun of midnight shopping.  I don't really buy anything but it's just so different to be out and about at those hours with so many other people and that makes it fun.  I thought the boy was looking forward to his first midnight black friday outing before yesterday asking if I could just give him money to go stand in line at midnight at Finish Line with friends.  Priorities of a 17 year old.  So we'll see how that all ends up.

Last year at this time I was so sad.  My grandmother was in her final days and I didn't know how to handle it.  Now, it's a year later and I know you all know how much I still think of her and miss her.  But I know she wouldn't want me sad.  She'd want me to be thankful for each day I'm given and to be thankful for how many of those days were spent with her. I always will wish it was more but I think that's how it always feels.  No matter what, we still want more.  Right now, I feel that way about the hubby.  I am thankful his eye condition has given him almost 40 years of good sight but why couldn't it have been more?  Why did it have to appear at all?  I guess those aren't questions to know the answer too.  It's more of the "be thankful for all that you have been given" variety.  And I am.

This past week has been busy though!  I am in week 3 of P90X and Tony Horton is kicking my butt!!  I am struggling to work in my runs and keep that balance.  I am fighting a chest cold at the moment and my last p90X workout and my run yesterday both were super-hard for me to finish.  I kept pushing and managed it but paid for it last night when I just wanted to crash.  This morning is a struggle because all I want to do is sleep!

Some of what I've been making....and I apologize in advance because I have not been keeping recipes like I should.  More of a wing it type of week.

 

[caption id="attachment_1345" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Kale makes a pretty awesome salad![/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1346" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Mug cakes are an obsession!! How else can I make this coconut cake and make the hubby a peanut butter cake all in the same night?[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1347" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Chocolate Peanut Butter muffins for the daycare kiddos were a HUGE hit![/caption]

 

I also made my first Vegan Pumpkin Pie!! I was completely excited.  Nobody wanted to share :(  But that's okay, I loved it!!  I just used silken tofu, spices, pumpkin and a little sugar and put it in a pie crust.  It didn't make it to it's photo shoot but that's okay because it was tasty!! I will make that again.

I have a few new obsessions (besides mug cakes) to tell you about:

Cherry Chia Kombucha by Synergy - okay, so this is not really a new obsession but lately I can't get enough of this stuff!  And now I find out they make a grape chia flavor.  What?  I must find this!

Kale in all forms.  Not just cooked or sauteed.  I want to eat it all of the time!

Zevia soda.  Yes! A coke alternative when I've got a migraine.  I love this find!

So, what's your holiday plans?  Your new obsessions?