In Thanksgiving - and my cranberry sauce recipe

Thanksgiving recently has moved up on my list of favorite holidays. I truly enjoy hosting for my family – something I have done for several years now. We can share a meal, spend time together and not have to worry about anything other than making memories and being present.

My girls make place cards every year. Inside, they write why they are thankful for that person – an idea my wonderful and amazing mom-friend who blogs here gave me many years ago. I am excited that now at least one of my girls is old enough to do this by herself. The littlest still needs some help, but I enjoy hearing what she is thankful for and writing it for her.

All week long we prepare the table, work on recipes and decorate our home with cornucopias, dried Indian corn, crafts and pumpkins. Together we read stories of the Pilgrims, how they fled their homeland, coming here to protect both their children and their faith, and we talk about how thankful we are to live in this country. 

Some of my favorite books:

~Balloons Over Broadway, Melissa Sweet - This is a fantastic book depicting the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as well as how and why the balloons were originally developed. 

~Sarah Morton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl, Kate Waters, and Samuel Eaton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy, also by Kate Waters – Written in traditional dialect, the text could be difficult to understand for the little ones, but the pictures give such a beautiful historical context as a backdrop for any Thanksgiving unit, I use it every year.

~The Very First Thanksgiving Day, Rhonda Gowler Greene and Susan Gaber – Another great historical story for children.

~Five Silly Turkeys, Salina Yoon – This is typical Yoon with bright pictures, rhyming and a lot of silliness. It is a great book for preschoolers. 

~Thanksgiving Is For Giving Thanks, Margaret Sutherland and Sonja Lamut – A book about being thankful for all the blessings in life.

~Cranberry Thanksgiving, Wende and Harry Devlin – This is a delightful classic from 1971. The message is so sweet. It isn’t historical, but the message – about opening up your table to others – is beautiful. There also is a recipe for “Grandmother’s Secret Cranberry Bread” on the back of the book. It is a book that both little ones and older ones continue to enjoy.

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Thanksgiving affords us time to contemplate our blessings. When my children and I read about and talk about why that very first Thanksgiving was so special, we can discuss all we have to be thankful for - including our continued freedom of religion.

Last Thanksgiving my sister-in-law was ill and it was a scary time for our entire family. We have been blessed beyond belief as she is healthy, beautiful and thriving now - we are so incredibly thankful for her recovery.

We are thankful for the family we have, the friends we have – both old and new, the jobs we have and the food we have.

Thankfulness finds its roots in contentedness. I admit, that is something that I struggle with. But I am thankful for those in my life who model humility, generosity and kindness. They help shape me and teach me to be a better person.

My favorite (and really easy) fresh cranberry sauce recipe:

Two bags (approximately 6 cups) fresh cranberries
3/4 cups water
1 3/4 c sugar (or less, based on taste. I start with 1 1/4 C and then add more if it needs it)

Mix and bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. 

Easy!

~Happy Thanksgiving!