Are you as excited as I am for Thanksgiving this week? All the cooking, family, friends, merriment, gratefulness. Food!!!

Or are you stressed out and overwhelmed?

I used to get that way every year. Then, I changed my mindset, made a plan and turned a stressful time into a joyful time.

You can, too. All you have to do is DECIDE that’s how it’s going to be.

We have no power over Aunt Freida’s mood or Grandpa’s constant complaining. If those things are going to happen, well, they’re going to happen.

But the things we CAN control – like the food! – we can make spectacular!

You still have time to plan out your Thanksgiving menu and bowl everyone over with the dining experience – even if they have to sit by Freida.

1. Purchase all your ingredients now. If you’re serving a turkey it needs to be thawing.
2. Create an order in which you will prepare the food. There’s nothing worse than cold yams that weren’t meant to be cold. Make a plan ahead of time to account for all these little details.
3. Think through your guest list. Is there enough food for this group and is there something everyone will like? (Remember Freida?)
4. Make at least one specialty item – a new recipe, something out of the ordinary, something memorable. You still want to provide all the old favorite Thanksgiving recipes but mix it up a bit. People will remember.
5. Think through your seating – both number of chairs and WHERE people will be seated. If Freida is annoyed by little children maybe she should be seated as far away from the little ones as possible. For YOUR sanity.
6. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself. This one seems like it would be a given, but it’s really not. Stop and be thankful for the day and the people who chose to spend it with YOU.

Now THAT’s something to be thankful for!

I like to grill all year long. It’s not just for summertime fun on the patio. Those days are in the rear view mirror now. It’s fall!

But no matter the season, there’s just something about tending to food on the fire that I absolutely love. You just might have to put on a jacket to do it.

Pair that passion for the grill with the holidays and that’s a winner for me.

Where is it written that all holiday meals must be prepared in the oven?

I mean, normally you’ve got your traditional Thanksgiving recipes with a turkey cooking in the oven on the main stage of this holiday show. But what if you changed up your Thanksgiving menu a bit and grilled up something amazing?

What if it WASN’T turkey???

This Grilled, Smoked Prime Rib recipe makes a GORGEOUS holiday meal. The flavors of cumin, oregano, paprika, sage and more create an absolutely delicious taste. And when grilled and smoked, this one really makes a memorable meal.

Serve it with something incredible like gourmet macaroni and cheese or even traditional dressing! This is YOUR Thanksgiving. Go crazy. Add cranberry sauce, yams and green beans. Or lima beans. You decide the menu and make it your own.

Or, try this Marinated and Grilled Tenderloin Roast recipe. It’s another fun twist on a traditional roast – it’s grilled!

Serve it with some delicious sweet potatoes and your favorite Thanksgiving dishes – or some new ones! – and you’ve got yourself a fantastic new tradition in the making.

These grilled recipes are slightly out of the ordinary. And I love the idea of putting your own stamp on this holiday!

So get out there and get grilling this Thanksgiving! You might find that this is how you want to celebrate EVERY Thanksgiving from now on!

I’m DREAMING of all the cooking this coming week will bring! I love it! This holiday could not be more exciting and fulfilling to me. It’s about family – and that doesn’t mean just blood relatives. The incredible aromas and the feeling of “home” and just being together is what Thanksgiving is all about to me.

And, of course, being thankful.

The meal prep has begun. And of all the Thanksgiving menu items people across the country are planning and prepping, none is more, shall we say, controversial than stuffing/dressing.

What should I call it? Are they two different things?

Let’s delve into this topic, shall we?

Some people would argue that the two terms DRESSING and STUFFING are interchangeable. Same thing, they say. But others insist that stuffing is actually cooked inside of the bird and dressing remains on the outside at all times.

The actual dish itself may contain the same ingredients, but WHERE it is cooked is the game changer – and the key to its name. If you’re in this camp, your Thanksgiving recipes for dressing might look exactly like your recipes for stuffing. It’s the placement that matters.

Still others voice the opinion that what it’s called is just a matter of what part of the country you reside in. Southerners prefer “dressing,” while northerners prefer “stuffing” – no matter where it’s cooked or how it’s served.

With or without celery. Crispy on top, or soft all the way through. It’s all good to me.

So what’s your take on the great “Dressing vs. Stuffing Debate?” Do you have a hard and fast rule about how it’s served and what it’s called?

As for me, all I know is it’s mighty tasty. I’ll take it anywhere it’s served and you can call it anything you want! I’m just really, really thankful it’s on my table.