Brrrrr

Hello, Monday.  Nice to see ya.  Didn't know you were gonna bring all this frost with you, though.  You should know that I'm sitting here, dressed in flannel and fleece from the neck down, with no less than 3 blankets and 1 dog trying to get warm.  Also, I have a piping hot cup of coffee which tastes like heaven.  It's a whole bean coffee we purchased from a small roaster in Gatlinburg, Tn.  It's the 'Holiday Traditions' blend and it's got vanilla, nuts, and a little chocolate flavor.  You can see all of their blends here, but I'm not sure if they're available for online purchase.  I think you can order them over the phone.

So, Thanksgiving is in about 10 days.  We have yet to decide what we're going to do.  We made a declaration last year that we would not travel on Thanksgiving but that anyone and everyone is welcome at our house.  At that time, we lived about 7 hours from either side of the family.  Now, we live 2 hours from Justin's family and 11 from mine.  Needless to say, Christmas will be at my folks and Thanksgiving will be....?  Family dynamics during the holidays can be especially awkward.

To ease the awkwardness, I recommend making these Pumpkin Pie Bars.  They're like pie, but not.  They have a crust and they have a filling, so they're not all that different.  I'm pretty sure that you could serve these in place of pumpkin pie and no one would be mad.  Just put some homemade whipped cream on them and call it a day.  People don't usually complain about something that has whipped cream on it.  Normal people wouldn't complain.  And if you decide to ditch the family gathering and just have Thanksgiving with your husband, you don't have to share 'em. 

Enjoy!