Our Thanksgiving Dinner

We have a nice and easy Thanksgiving tradition.(Ok, so the tradition part really started last year. But because it was so good we are doing it again this year!) We sleep in as late as we can. When we get up, I make biscuits and gravy and then we sit down to watch the DVR'd "Macy's Day Parade". We relax ALL DAY, maybe playing some board games, watching some football, hanging out. Then I cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It's important to Eli that we have a turkey on the table. He loves tradition. Then sometime that day we all snuggle up to watch "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". Oh, and he announced last night that he wants to have a play on Thanksgiving with him and daddy being indians and me and Brynne being pilgrims. Looks like I have some costumes to make today!

I've been planning our Thanksgiving dinner. And here is what we are having ..

Roasted Turkey using "Uncle Bill's Method for Cooking Turkey". No, it's not my Uncle Bill. I don't have an Uncle Bill. I have a dad named Bill, but I'm not using his method, either.

Party Potatoes using this recipe:

Boil 3 cups water, 2 tsp. salt, and a stick of margarine.

Take off heat and stir in 4 cups instant potato flakes.

Add 12 oz. cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups of sour cream.

(I just add an 8 oz. package of cream cheese and a 16 ounce tub of sour cream)

Stir in 2 cups of milk until smooth and creamy.

Add to 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Crock Pot Dressing courtesy of Lora at My Blessed Life.

Amish Egg Noodles. Yeah, I go lazy on this one. The noodles are cooked in turkey broth with salt and pepper.

Fresh Snapped Green Beans, cooked with onions, garlic and turkey bacon.

Easy Dinner Rolls. This will be my first time making homemade rolls. Eeeeekkkk!

Crock Pot Molten Chocolate Cake, using this recipe:

Mix 1 devil's food cake mix, 3 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, and 1 2/3 cup water.

Pour in crock pot.

In separate bowl mix 1 chocolate pudding box with 2 cups milk.

Pour on top of cake batter in crock pot.

Cover top with 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Bake on High for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

See, it's all pretty easy! It's about an hour of prep time and then slow cooking for everything except the potatoes (30 minutes), rolls, and green beans. That way I can relax, too, and just enjoy my blessings ...... my husband and children.

Have I told you that Rick is here with us for 10 DAYS over?? He got here on Friday evening and it has been SOOOOO great having him with us!! He brought Clifford, our 12 year old cat and he is getting acclimated to his new home.

On Thanksgiving evening my sister and I are doing the unthinkable ... we are going to Black Friday, that really starts on Thursday evening. Can we even call it Black Friday anymore? Well, since I will be pulling an all-nighter when I am used to being in my pj's by 6:00 p.m., it might end up feeling like a Black Friday after all. (Except that Eli's birthday party is that afternoon, so I'll have to "buck up" and be cheery despite my exhaustion.)

It's been a busy Thanksgiving break already, and there is definitely more fun to come. What traditions do you have? Having a traditional Thanksgiving meal? Chancing a Jerry Springer moment at the stores?