happy hour: what to drink with thanksgiving leftovers

thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  i love how cozy my parents' house feels with fires in both fireplaces, the smell of turkey and other thanksgiving goodies wafting from the kitchen and family and friends all around.

and, if your family is anything like mine, we are sure to make plenty of extra so that we can enjoy thanksgiving leftovers all weekend long.

below you'll find my wine suggestions to pair with your bird & stuffing today...or tomorrow : )

whether you like red or white, you're in luck - both go great with thanksgiving food.  if you generally lean toward reds, try rex goliath free range red.  this friendly, approachable red isn't too heavy and drinks nicely with a hearty meal.  (bonus: this wine's a steal - only $7 per bottle!)

if you prefer white, try ménage à  trois white.  as you may have guessed, it's a blend of 3 grapes (hence "trois").  it's crisp without being sharp and has a full-bodied flavor, which again, works well with your thanksgiving spread.  (you'll find it for $12 per bottle.)

and remember the 20 minute rule for serving wines.  keep whites in the fridge and remove 20 minutes prior to drinking to let the temperature settle a bit.  for reds, keep them room temp and put in the fridge for 20 min prior to serving to drop the temperature ever so slightly.  simple and effective.

cheers!  here's to enjoying your leftovers every bit as much as you did the meal.

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thanksgiving weekend in review

our turkey : )

wow.  thanksgiving (weekend) has already come and gone.  it's hard to believe.  i look forward to this time of year so much, and it never fails to fly by.  quicker and quicker each year.

thanksgiving table

thanksgiving was spent at my parents' house.  my mom makes a killer thanksgiving dinner.  we began prepping the day before and continued our kitchen duties thanksgiving morning while the macy's parade was on.  and it snowed! 

snow...snow...snow...snow...SNOW!!!

i'm always in charge of the mashed potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce.  my sister made homemade bread and rolls.  and my mom prepared the turkey, stuffing and her traditional mushroom souffle.  the food was spectacular.

han's homemade rolls on baking sheets

the house felt "holidayish" and super cozy with fires blazing in both fireplaces.  we visited with family and enjoyed food, cocktails and company.  perfection.

fast-forward to saturday.  we spent the day helping my parents' decorate their house for the holidays.  generally we don't decorate for christmas quite so early, but they're hosting a baby shower for  my cousin next weekend and the house has to be christmasfied by then : )

the big tree

living room mantle

we got and put up and decorated both trees (one for their living room and one for the great room), rearranged furniture, cleaned and prepped for the holidays/baby shower.  it definitely got me in the holiday spirit.

small tree in living room

then saturday night my parents had a party to go to, so i hung out with my sis and we had a girls' night.  (craig was up with his family all weekend in ny.)  we made homemade pizza.  half with fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella, (delicious) chopped olives and thyme.  the other half had caramelized onions, bleu cheese, fresh mozzarella and rosemary.  omg.  they were so good!  we watched movies and enjoyed sister-time.



pizza pre-baking

pizza post-baking.  yum!

sunday craig headed back down, and we worked on our own decorations back at our place.  we got our tree situated in our family room and put lights on it and also decorated our barn with colorful strands of lights.  it looks adorable.  for dinner we enjoyed some thanksgiving leftovers my mom sent home with us : )

our cute baby tree

so, how was everyone's thanksgiving weekend?



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i can't stop this feeling...

picture credit {here}

i've been getting that "holiday feeling" lately. you know the one. it's that feeling you used to get when you were little and the holidays were soooo magical. now, i guess, it's more of a nostalgic feeling - remembering all those wonderful childhood christmas traditions. the feeling arrives sometimes unexpectedly, brought on by a christmas commercial, a holiday song or evergreen garlands around a door. other times you know it's coming. like this thursday when i'm helping my mom and sis in the kitchen getting the thanksgiving meal ready while the macy's thanksgiving day parade is on. just typing that, i got a glimmer of that holiday glow. like the kid in the polar express, i know that somewhere deep down, i'll always "believe". even when the jingle bell stops ringing for others' ears, i'll hear it. i know i will.

picture credit {here}

in order to "keep the jingle bell ringing", i think you have to work at it. and each year, i (nicely) enforce our holiday traditions. to keep them alive and to preserve them (so one day we can share them with our own children).

a few of my fave traditions (feel free to steal any that interest you!) :

-christmas ride. each year, we all pile into the car in our pjs with blankets, pillows and food and peruse nearby neighborhoods looking for the best decorated houses while listening to christmas songs.

-carolling. most years we host a carolling party. we enjoy cookies and hot cocoa before wrapping ourselves in red scarves and donning santa hats as we serenade the town. my recommendation: appoint a leader who can organize the singers and start songs so that they're on key.

-holiday specials. i make it my goal to watch as many holiday specials and christmas movies as humanly possible between thanksgiving and christmas. whether it's a sappy lifestime movie or a classic like "white christmas", i'm tuned in. hey...the holidays come but once a year!

picture credit {here}

those are just a few of the many, and i'm sure i'll be writing many more similar posts throughout the next month or so. i just couldn't resist sharing a few now!

so, what are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

happy thanksgiving : ).

falling for fall (are you a falloholic?)

pumpkins

hi, my name is cailen, and i'm a falloholic.  i love when the mornings get cooler, the days get shorter and the leaves begin to change.  when an unexpected warm, sunny day creeps in mid-september, it can put me in a bad mood. 

our thanksgiving table

i'm a fall chick.  i was born in november and love nothing better than sitting fireside, sipping hot cocoa (or sherry : ) and feeling that "fall" feeling.  you know the feeling.  that intangible splendor of crisp breezes, pumpkins on porches and golden corn stalks swaying in farmers' fields.  hay bales.  colorful maple leaves.  hearty soups.  crusty breads.  (i know, i always go to food...)  enjoying time with friends and family.  moving indoors and making home feel like it's supposed to.  warm, cozy, inviting and filled with wonderful memories. 

our driveway, fall 2009

i'm big on traditions, so this time of year fits me like a glove.  seeing kids go back to school, waiting for buses - it makes me reminisce (and dare i say miss?) the back-to-school ritual.  when school preparations fade, there's homecoming (go mules!), halloween, (my birthday and craig & my anniversary) followed closely by thanksgiving.  ahhh, thanksgiving.  it gave me that good "rush" of nostalgia just typing the word.

oh, fall.  you make me oh so happy.  here's to early dusk, hearth side gatherings and falling leaves.  cheers.

are you a sucker for sweaters, apple-picking and hot cider?  then you might be a falloholic too!  what do you love best about this time of year?

fall outfit (yay for sweaters & boots!)

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