Thanksgiving Leftovers :: The Day After

Happy (Day After) Thanksgiving fellow peaches! How was your holiday? I love a traditional Thanksgiving at home but we decided to shake things up this year and escape to the South Carolina coast with family. We're enjoying the downtime and the boys are having a blast playing with their cousins everyday. We have been so busy on the home front lately, so this time away has been great for us. Looking forward to writing more in the weeks to come regarding some exciting changes for our family. In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying leftovers and the long holiday weekend! 

*styling and photography by Amy Mikkelsen

How to Be Completely Thankful

May all our thankful words turn into acts of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving fellow peaches!  I'm spending the day with family and you can bet your bottom dollar that I'm indulging in lots of carbs, lots of turkey and my fair share of gravy.  Wishing you lots of happy hearts today and always.

Your Southern Peach,

Amy

Pecan Pie Truffles on Style Bluprint

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I'm looking forward to indulging in some Thanksgiving favorites.  Last week, my pecan pie truffles were featured on Style Bluprint.  I consider these little gems a nice alternative to a huge piece of pie.  You still get all the flavors of pecan pie, a southern favorite, but in bite size portions.  You can also make them ahead of time and freeze them before the big day.  For the recipe click over to Style Bluprint and say hello!

Thanksgiving Photos

Welcome back fellow peaches! Are you recovered from your turkey hangover?

We finally finished off the leftovers yesterday and did quite a bit of decorating for Christmas this past weekend.  My husband and father-in-law have made it tradition to always get the trees the day after Thanksgiving which is both exciting and hectic.  Sometimes I feel like I haven't even digested my apple pie before there's a Christmas tree shoved into my living room, but I'm grateful...I really am.

So before Christmas completely consumes us, I want to share some of our Thanksgiving photos with y'all.  We had a wonderful meal with plenty of food.  I set the table the night before with my mom and put together these flower arrangements made with roses, carnations and wheat grass.  We had fun staying up late working on the pies together and making final preparations.

We also made these last minute name cards out of construction paper glued to wheat grass.  I like the simplicity of them.

Here's an overhead shot of the entire table set for nine.

And the extension table set for four.  We also had a table for the three older kids off to the side.

Anyone else have this famous couple at Thanksgiving?  Love them.

Southern libations and cold Coca-Colas.

My preserved fall leaves were set out as simple side table arrangements.

Nothing like a little brotherly competition when it comes to turkey carving!

And here's a good action shot of me warming sides at the last minute.  Isn't that the hardest part about a big meal?  You can also just barely see my aunt behind me fixing the mashed potatoes.  I think my mom was keeping the children out of the kitchen.  My mother-in-law and father-in-law, who prepared one of the turkeys, are looking on in anticipation too.

I hope y'all had a wonderful time with family and friends too.  I'm gonna be a pretty busy lady this week between preparing for my son's fifth birthday party and finishing the Christmas decor.  I just hope no one drops in at my house anytime soon because there are little projects spread out everywhere!   However, I do hope you'll visit me here at the blog a lot this month so I can share these projects with you. 

Tell me how you are!  Leave me a comment about your Thanksgiving meal or any Christmas traditions you're looking forward to.

Happy Thanksgiving

etsy

Happy Thanksgiving fellow peaches!  Are you knee deep in the pumpkin pie yet?

Have I ever told you how grateful I am that you read my sweet little blog and leave me kind comments?  

Well I am!  Y'all make this blog so much fun for me.

I'm thankful for that and a whole lot more today.

Preserving Fall Leaves

Do you remember as a kid preserving leaves in between the pages of your encyclopedias?  My sisters and I would stick all kinds of things in those pages only to discover them months or years later!

Well now that I'm older, I'm not quite that patient.  I want that instant gratification when it comes to my crafting projects so I was quite happy when I discovered this method for preserving fall leaves. Last week, while the kids and I played outside, I gathered these gorgeous leaves from the yard to use on my Thanksgiving table.  I love using plants, flowers and just about anything I can gather from my yard because it's free of charge and nothing captures the beauty of the season like mother nature.

To preserve these leaves, I used the following steps:

1.  Gather some pretty leaves that have just fallen.  Make sure they are still soft and supple.  Avoid leaves that are already dry.

2.  Lay about 5 leaves flat, in between two paper towels.  Place them on a microwave safe dish and set them inside the microwave.

3.  Microwave the leaves at 30 second intervals until they begin to dry out. You will feel the paper towels begin to absorb the moisture from the leaves.

CAUTION: Leaves can catch fire in the microwave so please keep a close eye on this project and only heat in intervals.  Do not allow the leaves to become scorched or crisp.

4.  Once the leaves have dried, spray them with an acrylic spray on both sides and allow to dry.

These leaves will maintain their color but will still be quite fragile. I plan to use them scattered on the table or possibly as name place cards.  

Hope y'all had a lovely weekend!

Shiny & New

Hi fellow peaches!  If you're reading this post via a reader, I urge you to click over because my sweet blog has undergone a little makeover.  Who doesn't love a good makeover?  It's been in the works for a while now and I couldn't be happier with the changes made by this lovely lady.   I kept my old peachy logo as it's near and dear to my heart but Kelly added the nav bar and social media icons to streamline the look and hopefully make it easier for y'all to find your way around and connect with me.  There are still a few kinks that need to be worked out but it's getting there!

In other "shiny and new" news, I spent Saturday polishing some silver which was long, long overdue.  You can see my son staring at the tea set with complete adoration in the photo above.

This large oval tray also got a makeover and is ready to house some Thanksgiving beverages and wines.

Are any of y'all hosting Thanksgiving this year at your house?  Are you already in the preparation phase or is it still too far out for you?

Corn Pudding

This is a dish that has become a staple at our holiday meals.  My husband's aunt began making corn pudding for us several years ago and we've been hooked ever since.  

I went to make corn pudding a few weeks ago and didn't have her recipe on hand so I found this one from The Red Apple Inn that uses fresh corn and what a difference it makes!  I also added a bit of thyme for more depth of flavor and cooked it to perfection in my cast iron skillet.  

Do you have any side dishes that always make appearances at the holidays?

1.  tablespoons unsalted butter
2. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3. 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 1 3/4 cups whole milk
6. 4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 8 medium ears of corn)
7. 3 large eggs
8. 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons of the butter. Add the flour, sugar and salt and cook over moderately high heat for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook over moderately high heat, whisking, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the corn and cook over moderately high heat until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually whisk in the hot white sauce. Add the corn and fresh thyme.
4. Lightly grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet and heat on the stovetop. Pour in the corn mixture and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the pudding is cooked through and golden. Let cool slightly.

MAKE AHEAD The corn pudding can be baked earlier in the day and reheated in a 325° oven.

A Southern Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I must say this years dinner was one of the best I've ever had!  My in-laws can cook some food and entertain some folks no doubt.  They had about fifteen people at dinner and the menu included two turkeys (one smoked on the Green Egg and one oven roasted), a ham, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, green bean casserole, two types of sweet potato casserole, cornbread dressing, three cranberry salads, homemade gravy and rolls from here.  And let me just say that these rolls are absolutely the most heavenly rolls you will ever eat!  The dessert table included apple, pumpkin and pecan pies...a southern delight!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  Let's continue to realize our blessings throughout this holiday season and carry our gratitude into 2011.  A grateful heart is a happy heart!

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

- Marcel Proust

Southern Cornbread Dressing

I had pretty much let myself off the hook for cooking this Thanksgiving but I just couldn't let the day take place without a homemade dressing. It's one of the highlights of my meal! So I scurried about today making some dressing with a little help from my son who has a new obsession with cracking eggs.

Anyway, my mom always stuffed her turkeys, therefore we always referred to it as stuffing when we were little. However, down South, most folks call it dressing, which I prefer just for the sound of it. Who really wants to consume something called stuffing in large quantities anyways? So let's just stick to dressing okay?

A few years back I tried some "fancy" dressing recipe with cut biscuits and it turned out a big sloppy mess. So this year, I opted for a simple and classic Southern Cornbread Dressing and I must say it turned out quite tasty.  I know this already because I had to do quality control of course.  All I can hope is that they prefer it over the Stovetop that will be served.  A travesty, I know...I know...I know.  That's why I HAD to make it.

What are your "must have" side dishes for Thanksgiving? 

100th Post!

I cannot believe I'm making my100th post! And how fitting that it comes just before Thanksgiving. I'm so grateful for all of you who love and support me and for those of you who have stopped by to read or comment at "Your Southern Peach." It really means so much to me.

When I started "Your Southern Peach" earlier this summer, I intended for it to be a simple creative outlet for me to play around with. In the short life of this sweet little blog, it's encouraged me to acknowledge, explore and discover so much more of my everyday life.  

My daily life is busier than Atlanta traffic at rush hour but finding time for this blog has been easy because I really enjoy it! It's a place to call my own. A place for my  thoughts, ideas, inspiration and creativity. But really, it would be nothing without all of you reading and encouraging me so thank you, thank you, thank you!  I hope you always find time to do the things that make you happy.

Thanksgiving Inspiration

I love when I come up in the rotation for hosting Thanksgiving. I look forward to it for months. But this year, my mother-in-law has graciously offered to host everyone at her house. All the fixin's will be the same with Southern favorites like sweet potato casserole, cornbread pudding and green bean casserole but I'll still miss the preparation and decorating.

Anytime I set the table, particularly for special occasions like Thanksgiving, I think of it as my gift to the family. Sometimes the meal doesn't turn out a perfect 10 but the table will always be beautiful and set with love.

Here are a few photos from last year's humble Thanksgiving feast at my house. Of course, mom helped me with the turkey and everyone brought their favorite side dish. (Thank goodness! You can see in the picture I was very pregnant!) The kids each had a personalized pilgrim with their own photo.  We also used Grandmother Lorene's  glassware to remember her sweet soul. 

Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house this year?  If so, enjoy these lovely inspiration photos.  May your days be filled with blessings and your heart be filled with gratitude.

Silverware Display

Green Goblets

Ghourd and Floral Centerpiece

Blue Goblets and Lattice Tablecloth 

Nut Centerpieces

Country Living

Gumball Placecards

Simple Candle Centerpiece

Kid's Table

Whimsical Placecards

My favorite holiday

I'm gonna go ahead and say this.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Yes, I enjoy Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July but the simplicity of Thanksgiving is so unassuming and lovely.  There's no Santa, Easter Bunny, gifts, office parties or fireworks.  All Thanksgiving requires is a grateful heart, friends, family and a HUGE delicious meal.

The tradition of Thanksgiving dates back to a feast held among the Pilgrims and the Native Americans where they celebrated the bounty of their harvest.  These days, people just march into the nearest Publix and take for granted all the items so readily available to them.  Of course much of my own Thanksgiving celebration is indeed centered around "the meal" but when I step back and reflect on all the sweet blessings in my life, I begin to truly enjoy "Thanksgiving."

Now, in late October we begin to see retailers displaying Christmas decor and such.  I admit that sometimes I too am tempted to jump right into the Christmas season because it is such an exciting time of year!  However, I really try to make a point of fully recognizing and appreciating Thanksgiving before I even think about Christmas.  Doing this allows my heart to be fully open to the season of "Giving" and helps get me in a good state of mind as Christmas approaches.

Wishing you a full and happy Thanksgiving season filled with a million reasons to give thanks!