Thanksgiving Week In Photos {Florida Edition}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a great week we had! We had such fun doing all the tropical things, with a little Thanksgiving thrown in for good measure. We went to several different beaches; some for the day and some for just a bit of magical sunsets. We shopped at St. Armands Circle and in Venice, saw palm tress with Christmas lights for the first time and took a lot of group selfies. We bar hopped to all the waterfront places and as my daughter likes to say; did a pina colada tour.

It was so great to be together for the holiday and really just be together in general. In the last six months since we moved, the girls were here in July, I have been to Michigan twice and once to Pittsburgh, so while I'm happy with the amount of visiting, being together for the holiday made it all seem normal again. And, having Megan's fiance with us made it even more special.

Uprooting your life has an effect, no matter that you love your new surroundings now more than you ever thought possible. It was hard for us all to know how the holidays would be in this new normal and this was an important piece of the puzzle. Now, on to making new traditions at Christmas.

Happy Thursday!

 

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette {Pinterest Success 46}

 

 

 

No Thanksgiving week post yet, because we are still drinking pina coladas here, but Melissa left Monday and Megan and her fiancé leave tonight, so it will be back to normal soon. We have had so much fun and it will be hard to go back to quiet days, but Christmas is soon, including a trip to Michigan to celebrate, so it's not so painful saying goodbye.

I wanted to post a Pinterest recipe success for this Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad we made for Thanksgiving. It was in a word - delicious. The flavors were lovely and fresh and the perfect crunch to accompany the traditional Thanksgiving dishes on my menu. Besides the bacon (lol), it was a healthy addition too. I would make it again for Thanksgiving, or really for any dinner you need a special salad.

Happy Tuesday!

 

{ Linking with these friends}

A Stroll Thru Life

Savvy Southern Style

Have a Daily Cup

Between Naps on the Porch

21 Rosemary Lane

Stonegable

Rattlebridge Farm

My Thanksgiving Menu - Florida Style

 

 

 

This will be quite a different Thanksgiving this year. I usually am preparing for a big crowd of extended family with my table already set at this point, and preparations well underway. We will be celebrating our very first holiday at our new home in Florida and as I write this, one daughter is asleep in the guest room and another daughter and her fiancé will arrive tomorrow morning. It's really all I need to make it a wonderful day.

My menu will include all the traditional favorites and my daughters were very clear on keeping the menu that way. The amounts cooked will definately be smaller, but still enough, for plenty of leftovers. I usually try something new every year and it's usually the salad, since we have no traditional favorite. Everything else is tried and true; especially my mother's stuffing recipe. My menu is below, with links to some favorite and new recipes.

Breakfast

Egg Souffle

Fruit

Mimosa Bar

Appetizers

Hot Chili Cheese Dip

Procuitto Wrapped Aspargus

Brie/Bread/Grapes

Veggies and Spinach Dip

Spicy Garlic Shrimp

Main

Turkey

My Mother's Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes/Gravy

Green Bean Casserole

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Cranberry Apple and Ginger Chutney

Rolls

Dessert

Pumpkin Pie

Key Lime Pie

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

 

Lately

 

 

 

Exploring: A Sunday afternoon lunch date exploring downtown Sarasota, then a short drive to Lido Beach with the top down on the car. Beautiful fall day in southwest Florida.

 

 

 

 

 

Festivals: There are festivals in this area, of some sort, nearly every weekend. This past weekend was the Venice Chalk Festival and everyone told us we shouldn't miss it. We found it really interesting and many of the chalk artwork was very high quality, with artists from as far away as Italy and Germany. The downside for me was the location. It took place at the airport and while there was plenty of space for the artists, the atmosphere was lacking.

 

 

Reading: This book was on my Summer Reading List and I just got around to reading it a few weeks ago. It reintroduces an interesting character from The Widow and is the best book I have read in some time. Lots of twists and turns at the end, and I couldn't stop reading.

 

 

Golf: Really enjoying the cooler temperatures (no more 90's), especially for golf. I haven't been golfing as much as I like in the past few years, but now that year round golf is possible, I plan to change that.

Happy Wednesday!

 

Florida Decor - Living Room

 

 

 

My house in Michigan was a mixture of warm colors and dark wood, which fit the style of the house and the wooded lot. I knew when we moved to Florida, I wanted to go lighter, brighter and primarily a neutral, coastal feel, with pops of color. We found a great furniture store (Pamaro Shop in Sarasota) that had exactly what we were looking for. I didn't want tropical, but I wanted it to feel like a Florida house the minute you walked in. There is a seashell pattern on the chairs, but it's subtle. The two paintings are something we have owned for years (since Memphis), but I think they work really well in this room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of my favorites are the tv stand with its weathered finish and tourquoise accents, the starfish base lamps (also subtle) and the brightly colored rug (Wayfair) that picks up all the various shades of blue and green.

It's way out of our comfort zone, but I love how it turned out.

See adjacent kitchen and dining area for a complete picture of the open concept space.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Unstuffed Cabbage Soup

 

 

 

 

It's not really soup weather here in Florida, but I think my body clock knows it's fall and that is what I have been craving, regardless of the temperature outside. This recipe is one I have wanted to try for a long time, since stuffed cabbage (Galumpki) is one of my husband's favorites. However, they are rather labor intensive, so I usually only make them on holidays or for a birthday treat.

As you can see from the photo, this soup is very hearty and contains all the traditional stuffed cabbage ingredients; ground beef, tomatoes, rice and cabbage. I was skeptical that the flavor would be there as well, but it really was. This recipe makes a lot, so the second day left overs were even better. It really is a great alternative to traditional stuffed cabbage and all the work required. Of course, there is nothing like the real thing, but as a shortcut, this will be in my recipe repertoire for good.

 

Unstuffed Cabbage Soup

1 1/2 cups minute rice, prepared as per package directions

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 lbs ground beef

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce)

1 can tomato paste (6 ounce)

3 T Worcestershire sauce

32 ounces chicken broth plus 1 1/2 cups water

1 head cabbage, sliced into strips

Prepare rice and set aside. In a large soup pot, brown ground beef, onions and garlic. Add salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth and water and bring to a simmer. Add the cabbage, stir and cook on medium low for about 45 - 50 minutes or until cabbage is soft. Add prepared rice and a bit more water if needed. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Enjoy!

 

Book Club Month Two

 

 

 

I am still feeling my new book club out and have decided at this point to take it for what it is. I won't be sharing pretty photos of table settings and lovely meals as before. It's just a different vibe and I'm hoping that it will evolve into something a little more social. I am the new kid on the block and don't feel right suggesting too many changes yet. But, give me a few months and I'll be bringing a bottle of wine to share and see how it goes.

It was a really good book discussion and what made it even better was that the author's mother lives in our neighborhood and joined us to give great insight into her daughter's writing. I really enjoyed the book (All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg) and the writing style, while some did not. Interestingly, it was just named to a list of books to read if you enjoy This Is Us, because of all the timeline jumps and twists that occur. It is a rather dark book and what I would describe as a literary novel, rather than mainstream fiction, but as always, a book club is a great way to go out of your reading comfort zone and discover an enjoyable book you may not have otherwise chosen.

Next month we are reading Lisa See's lastest book, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, so that should be more of a crowd pleaser.

Happy Reading and have a wonderful weekend!