Happy Thanksgiving

From the West Coast, we would like to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am so happy that my little family is together this Thanksgiving. Last year, Pat was deployed and we didn't know Ryder was going to be Ryder yet. Even though we are apart from our individual family of origins (yes-I just pulled out some verbage from Family Studies. Aren't you proud Trish? lol) we are very thankful that we are with each other and that we will see our families over Christmas.
Poor Baby Bear has been sick for 2 weeks with a runny nose. On Tuesday night, he started to cough, and this morning it seemed as though the cough was moving more into his chest and there was a lot of mucus coming up with it. Ryder smiles even through his discomfort. I know he feels miserable but he is such a trooper and my little angel.
Here are some pictures of our 1st Thanksgiving together....Ryder is taking a nap right now so I will have to post more pictures of him later.

All the fixings ready to be warmed up

Green Been Casserole and Cornbread

Ryder playing while mommy cooks

Daddy waiting on his Thanksgiving lunch

 Can I get a smile?

 There's a smile!!!

 Getting the table set up

 Daddy cutting the turkey

 "This Guy's Awesome"

 Mashed potatoes donated to us from Operation Homefront-THANK YOU

 Sweet Corn Pudding

 Homemade Banana Pudding with from scratch pudding and whip cream-YUMMO

 Our "Lunch for 2" haha

 Sweet Potato Casserole

We received a FREE Thanksgiving Dinner from Operation Homefront and our local grocery store. I just want to send a HUGE thank you to everyone who donated to help out military families this season. Your generosity has not gone unnoticed.
*Click on the link above to watch the local news coverage about it*

Sugar FREE Cinnamon Sugar Swil Bread

So...I am trying out different recipes to make for Thanksgiving Breakfast. Right now I am making a sugar free version of a Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Bread... here is the recipe...(to make it sugar free just replace the sugar with granulated Splenda)

Ingredients

1/3 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix.

3.Add egg, milk and oil to the mix and stir until it is just moistened throughout

4.Pour half of the batter into greased loaf pan.

5. Mix 1/3 cup of sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. (You can add some brown sugar if you wish) and generously sprinkle over batter

6. Layer the rest of the batter over cinnamon and sugar.

7. You can sprinkle more cinnamon/sugar over the top of the batter.

8. Bake 45-50 min (until a toothpick comes out clean)

9. Let cool 10 min in pan and then remove and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.

10. Wrap in foil and let sit overnight. (I'm slicing some off for Pat to taste today)