Our Budget Friendly Thanksgiving Menu Plan...

As I was sitting here, thinking about the up coming holidays, my mind turned to the yummy dishes people make to share with friends and family. I thought it would be fun to share my family's menu plan for Thanksgiving and maybe you all could share your family favorites in the comments below. 

Sounds like fun right? 

Now I'm well aware that our menu is a smidge...OK a lot...carb heavy..and I'm OK with that. Turkey day is our day to eat our favorites. I try to let everyone pick a favorite side dish. This is how our menu has panned out this year :)

We'll start with the turkey. Turkey is one thing I love/hate to cook. I hate cleaning the turkey and I REALLY HATE pulling out the neck and gizzards. It totally gives me the heepie jeebies (not sure about that spelling??) I love a turkey though because they're so many ways to cook it and it truly is one of my favorite proteins!

When you cook a turkey, you can do one of two things.... You can either freeze all the leftovers and use them in all sorts of recipes months later or you can binge on turkey for the following days. Growing up, we did the latter. I have many fond memories of turkey day leftover munching sessions. We'd watch Christmas movies and enjoy all the delicious leftovers.

Now that I have a family of my own, we do a mix of both options. I try to get the biggest turkey I can. We pull off as much meat as we can. We eat as much turkey as we want the first night, afterwards I bag up all the leftovers. I leave some in the fridge for turkey day leftovers and the rest is labeled and put in the freezer.

This year I'll be making my turkey like I did in the video above. It's my go to turkey recipe :) I'll stuff the turkey as well with my favorite stuffing...basically two boxes of turkey stuffing, 2 apples chopped, celery, and craisins. I throw it all together and try to keep it on the dry side, that way it'll soak up some juice from the turkey. It is dang good!

Next we'll have a Wagasky staple of green bean casserole. I follow the recipe on the can. The only thing I do differently is add 5-6 fresh mushrooms chopped, a handfull of cheddar cheese, and lots of pepper. Yum!!

Corn..because well it's my daddy's favorite. I make it straight from the can because it's tradition and I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it. ::wink wink::

Mashed potatoes... Oh how I love me some mashed potatoes and gravy. I'll be using this recipe. I cook my potatoes in the pressure cooker and whip them with my mixer. I keep the skin on my potatoes to add some rustic charm.

Macaroni and cheese. This is a new addition this year and was picked by the kids. Right now I'm not sure what recipe to use...any suggestions? I usually use Velveeta, but I haven't decided yet.

Candied Yams. Another request from the red heads. I haven't made this one in years, so I'm looking forward to making this treat. I use two cans of yams, sprinkle with brown sugar, and top with marshmallows. Bake till marshmallows turn golden.

Lots of cranberry sauce, which I snagged for 75 cents each at Winco last week. Woot!! Woot!!

I'll also be making my dinner rolls, seen in this video. We can't have a family dinner without them :) Served with butter and honey.....Nom! Nom!

To drink, we'll be having soda. The kids are going to pick their favorites. They're excited for some Rootbeer and Mnt Dew. I think this mama will need some cream soda :)

And last, but certainly not least, dessert... 

Because somehow we'll find a way to have pie after eating everything else. We'll be enjoying a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie from Costco. You get your biggest bang for your buck and I haven't mastered the pie crust yet. It's on my list.

Now I want to know what's on your turkey day menu. Let's share some tips, tricks, and recipes lovelies.

XO Danielle

13 Tasty Condiments to Try On Your Burger

Summer typically presents many burger eating opportunities. By mid summer you may be sick of burgers, ketchup, and mustard. Before you give up on eating more burgers this summer, consider spicing things up with new condiments. A splash of flavor can go a long way when it comes to adding new life to ordinary burgers. Check out the 13 great condiment suggestions below to try out at your next barbecue.

1. Sriracha Ketchup

Sriracha ketchup is just one new condiment this year that is part of the sriracha hot sauce flavor craze. If you are a little gun shy about adding heat to your burger, try sampling a small amount with mayo before you cover your entire bun.

2. Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

If you are game for a spicy kick, skip sriracha ketchup and head straight for the undiluted flavor. You can find this hot sauce in the Asian food section of the grocery store.

3. Zippy Mayo

Instead of spreading ordinary mayo on your burger, whip up some zippy mayo! Just add BBQ sauce or teriyaki sauce in equal parts to the mayo. Or try adding steak sauce or sriracha (here it is again) in small amounts, tasting as you go. For a citrus kick, consider adding a few drops of orange, lime, or lemon juice to your mayo.

4. Whipped Cream Cheese & Jam

With so many savory burger condiment options, why not try something sweet and fruity instead? Spread some whipped cream cheese on your bun. (Regular cream cheese will work too, although whipped is much easier to spread on a bun.) Next, add your favorite fruit jam or preserves. For example, try strawberry, apricot, or pineapple.

5. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter on a burger? You bet. Just spread some creamy peanut butter on your bun. Consider adding some grilled onions to create a new gourmet burger.  

6. Marinara Sauce

Do you have some leftover spaghetti sauce in the fridge? Why not add it to your burger? Or consider grabbing a jar of marinara sauce before your next cook out. Just add some sliced mozzarella cheese and a shake of Italian seasoning for a delicious twist.

7. Fry Sauce

Sure fry sauce is intended to complement fries, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add it to your burger! If you can’t find fry sauce at your local market, you can easily make this condiment at home. Just combine equal parts of mayo and ketchup. Then add 2-3 drops of yellow mustard.

8. Plum Sauce

Head to the Asian section of your grocery store and grab a small bottle of plum sauce. You can enjoy this delicious and unique sauce in place of any burger condiment. If coleslaw is available, add this salad directly to your burger as a great complement to the plum sauce. And you certainly can’t go wrong when you include grilled fresh pineapple too.

9. Garlic Butter

Add some garlic salt and parsley to softened butter. This condiment can be spread on any bun; however, adding garlic butter to a toasted bun is especially delicious.

10. Avocado Mayo

If you love avocado, you really should try this condiment. Take a ripe avocado and mash the fruit with a fork in a bowl. Combine with an equal amount of mayo. Add a dash of garlic powder and seasoned salt. (This is one condiment that you will want to serve immediately after preparing.)

11. BBQ Sauce

BBQ sauce is certainly no stranger to the burger scene; however, this summer is the perfect time to branch out and try different varieties of this condiment. For example, give honey mustard barbecue sauce or sweet chipotle barbecue sauce a chance. You can check out a sampling of the many varieties of barbecue sauce available here.   

12. Ranch

Ranch is another relatively common condiment; however, this classic flavor often ends up on your salad instead of on your burger. Switch things up and try a new variation of ranch dressing by exploring bacon ranch, cucumber ranch, southwest ranch, or three cheese ranch. If you want to keep experimenting with the sriracha flavor craze, just add some to your ranch for a delicious combination.

13. Salsa

Salsa is a classic multipurpose condiment; however, most varieties are often too wet to work well on a bun. You can fix this problem by making your own chunky salsa at home or by purchasing chunky salsa varieties (such as mango salsa) from the store. Another quick solution is to coat your bun with a layer of cream cheese so that the salsa juice gets absorbed, instead of making your bun soggy.

Use the guide above and get ready to mix up your condiments. With all of these new possibilities, you may find yourself craving burgers throughout the summer and even into the fall.

XO Whitney Hollingshead