happy thanksgiving!

I want to start this post by saying how thankful I am for all of the amazing things in my life this year.  This has been a huge year for Trevor and I - got engaged, got married, changed a career, and hopefully we will close on our first house in about two weeks.  I am so thankful for my wonderful husband and the best month and a half of marriage yet.  I am thankful for all of the family members I have been lucky to have my whole life, and for all of the family members I was lucky enough to gain this year.  And I am thankful to have a chance to follow a dream and to have the support of all these people, especially Trev, along the way.  To anyone who reads this blog, you have no idea how grateful I am for all of your support and encouragement.  And I can't forget Cane - the best kitty in the world and some really wonderful company on days when I get a little lonely so far from home.  

Part of our decision to stay here in Florida for Trevor's job meant we were pretty much giving up holidays with our families.  This was probably the hardest part for me, and I was really worried that I would have a really hard time sitting at home on Thanksgiving and Christmas while Trevor was at work and my family was 500 miles away celebrating.  We have committed to creating our own traditions, but I still knew it would be really hard, especially this first year.  So I was really excited to get an invitation to our friends' house in Tampa, a much shorter drive and one we can actually make once Trevor gets off work.  It also meant I could bake - since I can't really justify three pies for just the two of us. 

So enough of the sappy stuff, here's the fun stuff!  Wait, one more thing I am grateful for - recipes passed down from my Mom and Grandma.

Mini apple pies - this is Grandma's recipe, only smaller.  (I only have two pie pans, so I decided to take a little bit of a risk - only lost two trying to get them out of the muffin pan!) 

Pecan pie - this one is Mom's recipe, and my personal Thanksgiving favorite:

And finally, buttermilk pie.  This is something we never ate at my house, and that I actually tried for the first time with Trevor's family.  I loved it, so I searched for a recipe and finally settled on this one:

Alright, gotta get back in the kitchen and make the most important part of Thanksgiving - the homemade whipped cream!  My first and favorite job in my Mom's kitchen - and I can't stress how much better it is than the store-bought.  If you have never made homemade whipped cream, PLEASE try it - it is so easy and sooo worth it!  Have a wonderful holiday!