Thanksgiving at the Cottage Homestead

Can you believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving already? It seems to happen quicker every year. Today I thought I would share what we are doing to prepare and share some tips and suggestions with you!

Let’s talk Thanksgiving prep!
Make all of your casserole dishes, cover and pop in the fridge! Bake tomorrow. Saves a lot of prep time tomorrow!

Make and bake your pies today. Stick the pumpkin pie in the fridge and take it out tomorrow morning-ish.

Do whatever you can do today to save yourself the time tomorrow. The more you can do today, the more you can enjoy tomorrow!

I have 7/10 dozen rolls rising for customers to pick up this afternoon.

Two of the ten are staying frozen as requested by the customer. And the final one will be picked up on Saturday.

After these are picked up I will be making our traditional fudge and Krispies treats and making my pies. Usually I will just do two pumpkin pies, but decided to switch it up and make one pumpkin and one pecan. I’ve never had a pecan pie, so I’m super excited!

I’ll be picking up some local homemade cranberry sauce that a local homestead made. Sure, I can do it, but I wanted to support our local farmers and homesteads. It’s super important to keep them running!

I’ll also be preparing our cinnamon rolls for the morning. As is tradition for us, we like to have our cinnamon rolls, coffee, and orange juice while we watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. I look forward to that every year.

Then tomorrow we will go to my mom’s and have dinner there.

We look forward to all the deliciousness that comes with tomorrow and the days after.

We have so much to be thankful for. We need to remember these things on the daily. We take so much for granted. I hope tomorrow you take the time to stop and reflect on all the blessings the LORD has bestowed upon you. His mercy and grace for starters! Thank Him for not giving you what you deserve. 🥴😬🫠

“And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29:13

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! May you all have a blessed holiday with friends and loved ones. 🦃

A Simple Saturday

I thought today would be more like, ahhh yes, crochet and TV.

It ended up being more like, AHHH, fidgeting with printing things, a little bit of crochet, slow cooking a chicken for the week, making chili for dinner, visiting with a lovely friend & talking all things homesteading, running to the store, eating dinner, cutting up said chicken, saving bones for chicken stock, baking a cake, making frosting, frosting said cake, and making pie dough for tomorrow’s birthday dinner for my dad. AND doing all the dishes.

I am exhausted and my back hurts. But I’m happy. I got to do ALL the things I love to do. Except dishes. Those I don’t love to do. But, it gives me time to think on things, say little prayers, and just be thankful that I had a reason to dirty those dishes in the first place.

All in all, today turned out just like I’d hoped it would. Feeling accomplished and thankful.

Birthday cake for my daddy. 😊

Sylvia’s Strawberries

It’s been a minute since I drank from this cup. This sweet, sweet little coffee cup. If my memory serves me correctly, and it often doesn’t, the last time I drank from this cup I was sitting at my grandparents’ kitchen table. They’ve been gone a long time now. Grandma Sylvia left us long before Gramps. She loved strawberries. Her whole kitchen was decked out in strawberries. Strawberry everything. Even her cabinets were painted red! Down to her Strawberry Shortcake trash can that sits next to my vanity to this day. I have the majority of Grandma’s strawberry collection. I cherish each piece. I didn’t really get to know her all that well due to distance. They lived in Illinois while I grew up in San Diego.

When I look at these dishes I am reminded of a simpler time. And I long for it.

Sylvia’s strawberries 🍓

Do you have a certain piece that takes you down memory lane? Please share with me! I’d love to hear about it. ❤️

Perpetual Christmas

I popped onto Pinterest to look for a recipe I was planning to make this week for Christmas. Does anyone ‘just pop onto Pinterest’? Asking for a friend.

But I digress…

When scrolling through my Merry & Bright board, I saw all the things I still want to do/make/create/experience. So I made a decision. I’m going to keep doing/making/creating/experiencing ALL THE THINGS until I get it the way I want it. This may take some time. I figure it will be done by the time Christmas rolls around again in 2021.

On that same thread, we went Christmas lights looking last night and came across the most festive subdivision I’ve ever seen. Talk about Merry & Bright! All the feels were had. I wish we could have Christmas lights all year long. So much joy and merriment in those lights. They just make my heart happy.

I think I just need to build a Christmas town. Whomever wishes to live there may do so. There is but one rule. You must love Christmas as much as we do and ache at the thought of taking all of the decorations and lights down enough that you want them up all year long.

By March I’ll probably be sick of it and pack it away. But I’m thinking I will definitely work on the doing/making/creating year long so that I will be ready for Christmas 2021 on November 1.

I just love ALL THE CHRISTMAS THINGS and feel shafted this year. We’re trying our best with what we have and the current circumstances. But it’s hard! This year has been hard. The true Spirit of Christmas lies in our hearts, yes. But part of the joy for me is shopping for that perfect gift, wrapping it thoughtfully and watching the recipient open it and love it. This year, it was all we could do to stay afloat and keep the lights on.

I’m making my son a stocking and I have one gift. I’m baking everyone else’s gifts. I wanted to make things for the whole family, but I had to fill that time with making things for other people to gift so that we could keep a roof over our heads. It’s what you do when you had to make the choice to save your mental health. Retail is not for the faint of heart, especially at Christmas time. Retail is definitely not for everyone. HA! Bless those that love it!

Making that choice left me no other option than to put everything into my makeup business. Crochet helps fill in the gaps. Despite the current and temporary struggles, I’m much happier and more at peace. And I think it shows.

So who’s down for Christmas Town?

Our Cozy Christmas Cottage 🎄

‘Twas the Day Before Thanksgiving

‘‘Twas the day before Thanksgiving when all was NOT quite and still. Even with a migraine, because Thanksgiving MUST go on!

Thanksgiving definitely looks different this year. Some family that normally comes over for a feast are opting to stay home. Now before anyone loses their heads about this, we are not in a metropolis that has a bajillion cases. So calm down, Karen.

Instead of two Thanksgivings this year, we will have one small one with my mon and step-dad. My son’s girlfriend will be joining us, too! Annnd I’m still single, so.

But it’s fine. I’m fine. EVERYTHING IS FINE.

Today consisted of prepping the dishes I’ll be taking to my mom’s. Including homemade fudge and Rice Krispies treats. I’m not sure of the latter will make it until tomorrow. 😬

This year, I made my fudge in my Grandma Jacobs’ pot. Grandma Jacobs had a strawberry themed kitchen. For a few years, I had a strawberry themed kitchen. I no longer do, but have a few favorite pieces here and there. Like my kettle. I still have all of her stuff that I was blessed with, because how can you part with it? No really. If you have any ideas let me know. I can’t seem to throw anything away.

We’re looking forward to Thanksgiving despite all the nonsense this year. Or maybe it’s BECAUSE of this nonsensical 2020 hand we’ve been dealt. Because truly, we have SO MUCH to be thankful for. Just look around you. Blessings are everywhere!

Each Thanksgiving we make cinnamon rolls (not homemade because I haven’t been that brave yet), serve up some coffee and oj and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. I plate up the fudge and Rice Krispies treats to graze on all day and we stay in our jammies until it’s time to head over to my mom’s. Then we stuff ourselves silly with no regerts! We watch whatever football is on and whatever Christmas movie marathon has started. Gosh! I just love Thanksgiving!

What does Thanksgiving look like for you? How will it be different this year? What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Feel free to comment below!