Gobble Gobble

Can you guys believe that next week is Thanksgiving? I literally cannot wrap my head around how quickly yet another month has passed us by! It feels like just yesterday I was bemoaning the end of August and 10 seconds ago I was picking out a Halloween costume... whoa. Thankfully, because my dining room table ("dining room" used interchangeably with "only food-eating-height" table) seats just four people, it is not my responsibility to host Turkey Day. I am one of the lucky ones that gets to sleep in, watch the parade on tv and then show up with a bottle of wine in hand and eat until I pass out on my cousin's couch (#murica) But this complete lack of responsibility hasn't stopped me from collecting a TON of awesome Thanksgiving recipes and ideas from around the web for all of you to enjoy... 

So, with 1 weekend left to shop, here's everything you need to be declared Queen of the Pilgrims at your Thanksgiving Feast.

Even though people love their classic Thanksgiving side dishes, if you think your crew is willing to live on the wild side (literally hehe), these 12 Classic Thanksgiving Sides with a Twist like Buttermilk Biscuit Stuffing, Fully Loaded Smashed Potatoes and Sriracha Green Beans with Candied Bacon (good lawd YES!) are sure to be a hit.

If you are ready to channel your inner baking Goddess this Thanksgiving, these Sweet Potato Pumpkin Rolls with adorable little "gratitude scrolls" inside are for you! The recipe sounds absolutely delicious, the finished product looks wonderful and when guests crack open their rolls to find a little parchment paper note of gratitude (or some other message... know your audience:) inside, everyone will be blown away by your craftiness for sure!

Nothing welcomes guests like a home that smells of holiday sweetness. Whip up some of this Thanksgiving Stovetop Potpourri if you've got a stovetop burner to spare next Thursday!

Holiday eating doesn't have to be horrible for your waist line to be delicious (they claim) which is why I was excited to stumble upon this collection of Ten Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes including that delicious looking Farro, Cranberry and Goat Cheese Salad or maybe a Pumpkin Cheesecake Bite is more your "healthy" style!?

Thanksgiving inspires a lot of great crafting ideas, from the food, to the colors to the theme of thankfulness. Click HERE for an awesome list of "Best Ever Thanksgiving DIYs" from Style Me Pretty Living (my personal favorites are the leftover pie slice printables and the gourd candles (above)) and click HERE for 30 table-decor specific ideas. 

Finally, pick one of the many takes on Turkey Cupcakes and wow your guests with an easy to make dessert that will be (almost) too adorable to eat. Options HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

My midday meal slump...

My lunch rarely looks this glam

What are you eating for lunch? I find myself eating the same half dozen or so lunches ad nauseam (hehe) out of a combination of habit, convenience and lack of creativity. I try to make lunch 4 of 5 days every week (though I'd say I average only 3 days) because my homemade lunches are healthier and eating out can be expensive ($8-15 per day adds up fast!!) You'd think that because I am the creator of my lunches, I'd get creative, but the reality is that I throw lunch together in a maximum of 10 minutes before I run out the door each morning (I have no interest in making tomorrow's lunch after making dinner each night) and when I buy lunch, I gravitate to the same handful of places where I order the same handful of foods. Here's what's on the menu:

Homemade: turkey sandwich (occasional variation of turkey type and condiment); tuna sandwich (both on "lite" bread with no lettuce or tomato - too soggy by 1pm); green salad w goat cheese and avocado; "sides" are almost always carrots and hummus, fruit, Popchips/Special K crisps and sugar free pudding snacks (might as well bring a lunchbox with a note from my mom right!?)

When I buy: udon soup; chicken salad sandwich; make your own salad (and I "make" the same exact salad 90% of the time!); veggie dumplings and egg drop soup

Perhaps for some this is a lot of variety, but after years of the same things, I'm looking to mix the routine up a bit. What are your favorite quick/easy/filling lunches? Healthy (specifically PointsPlus friendly) suggestions are welcome (leave a comment! share the tastiness! talk amongst yourselves my hungry, merry readers!) Plus, have you ever tried the "Wheel of Lunch"!?