My Thanksgiving Holiday With Price Chopper #HolidayAdvantEdge

Disclosure:

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. #CollectiveBias #HolidayAdvantEdge 

All opinions are mine alone.

Here we are, it's already November.  You know what that means... Holiday Entertaining is right around the corner.  

This year I'm doing Thanksgiving at my house.  Normally we go to my sister's in New York, but it's been a tough year for my husband and his mother with losing both my father-in-law and brother-in-law in February.   I decided we need to just stay put and keep it somewhat low key.  My mother will come up to be with us, so that'll be helpful to me (both mentally and physically.)  

I've cooked a whole Thanksgiving dinner before just never on the actual holiday.  So to say I feel a little pressure, would be an understatement!     

I know it's going to be stressful but I'm going to do the best I can and try to enjoy the day in my own home for a change.

I've already been searching Pinterest for table settings, centerpieces and recipes. I'm probably more about the decorating then the food.  I want to try to make this holiday a little more fun.  My grandson Tyler is going to be here so he'll be welcome distraction from any sadness.   

Heading out to Price Chopper is what I need to do first.   I know I'll find great ideas and sales with my AdvantEdge savings card.   Plus there is the always the Fuel AdvantEdge points that add up every time I shop.  (that never hurts, especially this time of year)

First thing I always do when walking in the door, is scan my AdvantEdge card at the kiosk.   You never know what kind of great coupons will print out.

   

 

Price Chopper has everything you need for Thanksgiving dinner.  We stick to the traditional holiday foods, turkey, stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole,  Pillsbury crescent rolls (to scoop up any gravy left on the plate), of course some fall beer and lots of pies for dessert.   

The floral department always catches my eye.  I'm a sucker for pretty fall flowers and all the displays of plants and arrangements.     I love the orange "Rose Of The Month" for November, those would look gorgeous in a centerpiece on my table.  

Onto the rest of my groceries.... I'm picking up crescent rolls (reduced fat, because I'm trying to be somewhat good on my diet these days.)  I have a few different things I want to  make with them. Besides having them in a basket on the table with dinner, I had an idea for edible place cards and for turkey "leftovers" the next day. 

I know you must be thinking she's crazy with all those weird ingredients but just wait... it's going to a be cute, yummy and different way to serve turkey leftovers.   

But first I'm going to make edible place cards for the table settings.    Using the crescent rolls and holiday cookie cutters.   It's fun and super easy, I could even have Tyler help me.  

I just rolled the crescent out onto wax paper and pinched together the seams.    Each can comes with 8 rolls so combining 2 makes 4 squares of dough.  This way it's easy to get two shapes out off each square.  Which works perfect for me since there will be 8 of us for dinner.

Cut out each shape and place on a foil lined baking sheet.   Next I used a toothpick to sort of carve each family member's initial into the dough, then baked at 375 degrees for about 10 mins.   *Remember you're not making rolled up crescent shapes like the package, so these cook much quicker then the instructions.  I suggest you stay close to the stove and check on them every so often.

Then when they came out of the oven I used an edible pen to fill in each letter so they would show up better against the napkin.

I have old drapery rod rings with clips that I reused into napkin rings.  I had hot glued some acorns to make them more festive for the season.   Just carefully clipped the crescent place card onto each one and there ya have it.   Easy, Edible and Cute!      

   

Now I have a bonus recipe I would like to share.   I make a chicken salad that my family goes nuts over.  I normally make it with a rotisserie chicken you buy at Price Chopper but I figured it'll be even better with the leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  

Now here's the fun part,  I saw somewhere on Pinterest a mini cornucopia using crescent rolls.  I thought to myself "how perfect and cute for leftover turkey salad sandwiches." 

Using sugar cones as the form for the cornucopia...  cover them in foil.  

Then roll out the Pillsbury crescent dough (you could buy the kind that rolls out into one sheet but it's just as easy to pinch together the seams on the regular kind.) 

Then using a pizza cutter, I made six strips of the dough.   

Then wrapped each piece around the cone to form the cornucopia shape.
Baked at 375 for about 13-15 minutes.   They came out golden brown and the cone just slips right out from the crescent dough.  (You could either save the cones wrapped in foil for another project or I guess you could just put them in a ziplock back and save the pantry for ice cream!)

For the turkey salad you'll need 

*shredded or cut up turkey 

*half an apple, diced. (I leave the skin on for color)

*chopped walnuts

*diced Lindsay olives 

*2-3 tablespoons of mayo 

I just go by eye and taste, depending on how much meat I'm using

For more holiday decorating, entertaining ideas, recipes and savings check out PriceChopper.com , Facebook, Twitter  Pinterest and Instagram. 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!  "Gobble til ya Wobble" 

The Struggle IS Real #WeightWatchers

Today marks 9 weeks since I started Weight Watchers (for the 100th time) and at tonight's weigh-in I FINALLY hit my first 10 lb goal.     Actually I lost 1.6 lbs for a total of 11.2 lbs.  At last week's weigh-in I was .4 shy of that 10 pounds and I can't tell you how unbelievably frustrating it was.

That was the hardest 11.2 pounds I've ever lost!

I'm not saying that I'm not proud or happy to have that weight off, but in my past attempts at WW it's never taken that long to lose 10 lbs.   I used to be able to lose that much weight in just a month's time, maybe even quicker.  

I'll admit that I'm not perfect with my portion controls, food choices or tracking.  But this time around I have tried harder to be better at all those things and have even adding walking regularly to my routine.    That is what has been the most frustrating!

I am aware that this time around I have more stress, health challenges, sleep issues and of course AGE working against me.

I'm not giving up.  I am going to keep pushing along.

I've decided to set goals/challenges for myself.   I'm just trying to make sure they are realistic and to somehow make them fun.   Maybe make a creative, cute board to hang over my desk?  Something like that. Something I will see every day to remind me to not give up.
I've seen on Instagram where someone had made themselves a challenge chart to run 100 miles by a certain date.   She has a board with 1-100 and she crosses off each mile she runs.   I love the idea of doing something like that.

Do you have any creative ways to help you reach a goal?   I'd love to get some ideas.    

Til next Wed..........