Simple Saturday: Boozy Whipped Cream

It's post Thanksgiving and I bet most of us are already eating on leftovers (or leftovers of leftovers) from the big day.

Although a plate of goodies from a day or two ago can be just delightful, sometimes you want to give your dishes new life and spice it up a little.

And that's where this boozy whipped cream comes in. For when that slice of pie is looking a little sad and you want to give your guests something to talk about.

Thinking Thankful

This is a special day.

And not just because we'll all be enjoying a cornucopia of amazing food and restful naps after eating that food.

And not just because we'll be surrounded by a few or a roomful of loved ones and family.

And not just because it gives us an excuse to say thanks and count our blessings.

For me, it's all of those things combined.

Our Thanksgiving Menu

The week is upon us and maybe your Thanksgiving menu is set or maybe you're still looking for a few new ideas.

This year, my husband and I are spending T-giving with my parents and sister and brother-in-law in Oklahoma City. I can't wait to have our first holiday celebration in my sister's new house and I love her kitchen and can't wait to cook together there!

Random Acts of Foodness

Here's this week's dose of good news about food.

• This school's vegetarian menu sounds amazing!
• On a semi-un-food related note, these JOYN Christmas stockings are amazing, support artisans in India and are adorable. 
• These 10 beautiful coffee mugs all support a charity.
• Learn about Story Company and fancy up your (or a friend or family member's) house, kitchen or wardrobe with some items to support creativity in Africa.
• This list has some great Thanksgiving-related stories. Dive in!

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! I hope that this week (and every week) we can let food bring the people in our lives together and spread goodness around.

Simple Saturday: Wine and Cheese Party

Today, we're covering a simple idea for a friend, neighborhood or just because wine and cheese party.

I really like the idea of wine and cheese because...well what's there not to like.

It's really easy for people to mingle at a wine and cheese party, it caters to many tastes and allows you to showcase all of your cracker-buying, cheese-selecting and appetizer-making skills.

Trip to Tuscany

Let's all take a deep breath, forget about the stresses of life and take a quick trip to Italy, where olive trees abound and rustic food is king.

Also, let's go to Italy because they probably invented combining kale and Parmesan cheese!

In Italian cooking, it's not always bing bang boom to get the complex flavors you want. Sometimes that picture you have of Nonna standing over the stove all day to make something incredibly delicious is a picture of what it takes to make some great flavors.

Pie Time

Even though I just got back from a glorious seven days of relaxing in the tropics of Mexico (posts to come soon), I'm so ready to get into the Thanksgiving season!

I've been practicing my pies with my new-found Easy Pie Crust recipe.

Fruits, gourds, squashes...I relish in the fact that mostly everything inside a perfect crust tastes great.

Guest Post: Butternut Squash Gnocchi Sauce

Here's a guest post from my fabulous blogger friend Elsie over at Richly Rooted. We met each other while studying abroad in Oxford four years ago and we were even in a dinner group together! I am so excited that we are blogger friends now and I get to keep up with all of the healthy, inspiring meals, series and ideas that Elsie comes up with.

Back in August, Grace shared these fabulous Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts on my blog, Richly Rooted.

Since tomatoes are an iconic produce pick for August, I thought I'd share a recipe that showcases a fall favorite: squash!

Thinking Fruitful: Gift Giving

Today I'm beginning a new series "thinking fruitful" that will hopefully inspire you to look at things through a new lens and give you ideas to make the every day things shine! Today, we tackle gift giving.

Guess what season it is?

Yes, it's apple season, but also gift season!

Simple Saturday: Easy Pie Crust

About a year ago, I made a few sub-par homemade pie crusts and I just stopped making pies and quiches until a few weeks ago.

I knew I could buy a pre-made crust from the store, but I just felt like I was letting myself down.

My mom is like the pie queen and could make a crust in her sleep and I really thought I would inherit some of that magic.

Fruitful Travels: War Eagle Mill

We have a picture from about 15 years ago of my mom and my two sisters and me standing smiling on a bridge in front of a mill in Northwest Arkansas.

After living in NWA for the past 7 years, I finally got a chance to return to this place: War Eagle Mill.

We picked a nice fall day while the leaves were changing to their deep oranges, fiery reds and brightening yellows to drive to visit this historic mill.

Arkansas Black Apples

I've gotten really excited about apples lately.

For the past few months, when I go to the farmer's market the apple stand is one of the first places I go.

And I love hearing about the different types (when I'm not too scared to ask) and mixing it up each week and experiencing new tastes and crisp flavors.

Simple Saturday: Mexican Leftovers

I bet you have your favorite Mexican restaurant.

And when you go there, you have your favorite item with your favorite flavors and you pair it with chips and zesty salsa and maybe some glue-like but delicious cheese dip.

If you don't have your favorite place, you are in need of one!