It's time for Leftover Thanksgiving Pizza

It is almost time for one of my favorite Thanksgiving family traditions. It's time to make my Leftover Thanksgiving Pizza.  We look forward to this pizza every year, a day or two after our Thanksgiving meal.  This year we are actually having two Thanksgiving meals, so we will have some leftovers to use. We will have a small family traditional Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving, and then a big family pot luck meal over the weekend where most likely there will not be a lot of leftovers. 

We love this pizza so much, I make three pizzas for only five people. I am getting hungry just thinking about it.  I wrote out the full recipe in a post from last year, so instead of redoing the entire post, I am going share a link to the full recipe here.

Here is a tip in case you plan on making some.  While buying your groceries for your Thanksgiving meal, pick up a few extra crescent rolls, boxes of stuffing, and cheese ahead of time, just in case you do not have enough leftover from the Thanksgiving meal. 

Enjoy! 

 

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Turkey Sandwich Snacks

Thanksgiving is just a little over a week away, so now is a good time to start thinking turkey. When my kids were younger I made these adorable turkey themed snack size sandwiches so they would start to be excited about celebrating Thanksgiving. 

Ten years ago I first shared this post as a guest post on another blog.  Even ten years later, these turkey sandwich snacks are fun to make and eat. 

 

What is great about these sandwiches is you do not actually have to use turkey.  You can use whatever filling you want. If you do use something like peanut butter and jelly though, you might not want to use sweet peppers for the feathers.  Pretzel sticks would be a tastier choice.   

 When my kids were young, they were not fans of crust.  Now that they are older they don't mind it, but I like the smaller size of the bread with no crush.  I used a circle shape cookie cutter to make the head.  At the time of this post I could not find my plain circle, so I used this one instead.  I just cut off the little piece that sticks out.  

Once you fill your bread with some kind of filling, some good choices are chicken salad, tuna, or turkey and cheese, you are going to need to add the feathers.  I sliced sweet peppers in orange, red and yellow into long strips, and then cut them in half. Place the peppers on top of the bottom slice of the sandwich and arrange them so that the will stick out of the sandwich like feathers. Once they are in place, add the top layer of the sandwich.   

Use a little bit more sandwich filling to the circle piece of bread and place it on top of the sandwich.  I used cranberries cut in half for the eyes, and attached them with a tiny bit of cream cheese. If you do not like cranberries that's okay, grapes or raisins would work too.  I cut a small triangle out of yellow pepper for the beak, and small slice of the red pepper for the snood.  

These sandwiches are fun to make and eat with the kids. 

 Another tradition that my kids and I used to do is make Thankful turkeys.  I would cut a turkey and feather shapes out of construction paper and then we would write what we were thankful for.  

In more recent years, I made a Thankful Turkey Craft Kit so others can easily make a Thankful Turkey too.  You can find them at this link here in my Etsy shop.  

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Countdown to Thanksgiving - Easy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

                 

Today I am going to share my favorite way to make homemade mashed potatoes.  They are easy to make, and a perfect addition to your holiday meal. 

Sorry the photos are so dark, I took these pictures years ago when I started making mashed potatoes this way.  I think I may need to take some new photos this Thanksgiving. :)) 

**this post contains affiliate links 

 When I made this batch, I used 6-7 small potatoes to make 4-6 servings.  I peeled the potatoes, cut them into smallish pieces, and then put them in my slow cooker.  Instead of cooking them in water, I cooked them in broth.  I set the slow cooker on high, and cooked them for 4 hours.  

At the end of the cooking time, the potatoes were super soft, tender and easy to mash. While mashing them I added in a little milk, butter, garlic and salt and pepper.

The kids LOVED them made this way, and requested I make them this way all the time.  It is so easy, and its the only way I make them now.  

If you in the market for a slow cooker, I found this one on Amazon that has dividers for cooking two things at once.  That would be really nice for when you cooking smaller portions.  It is highly rated, and a reasonable price.  

Here is another highly rated best seller from Amazon.  It is 7 qts, Crock Pot brand, and currently $20 off.  It looks like a great deal.  You can see the deal here.

Today's shopping tip is another amazing deal, that would also make a great Christmas gift.   For a limited time you can get a FREE 11x14  Canvas People  canvas print of your favorite photo. I have several Canvas People  canvases like this one of my kids at Christmas when they were younger.  Definitely go check out them out. 

Only one more day of our Thanksgiving countdown. See you tomorrow! 

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Countdown to Thanksgiving - Easy Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms

During the shutdown in the spring of 2020, I finally had some time on my hands to try out some new recipes. One our favorite recipes that we tried were these air fryer mushrooms.  They were so good, and I still make them often.  

If you are having company in the next few weeks, you might want to give them a try. I used an air fryer to make these, but they most likely could be cooked in the oven.

**this post contains affiliate links 

If you are in the market for an air fryer though, there are a few on Amazon that are similar to the one I use.  I bought mine a few years ago so I can not find the exact one. 

 

I have a Kalorik 3.5 qt air fryer  that is a bit more rounded, but this square Kalorik is pretty similar and a decent price with good ratings.  

I also think this one looks interesting is a  Instant Vortex 4 in 1 air fryer/oven combo.  It is 2 qts and by the makers of Instant Pot. It is also currently on sale! 

You will need a half brick of cream cheese, a handful of shredded cheese, and half bag bacon bits. ) I used Aldi bacon bits which is a small bag) 

When mixing the ingredients together I decided to add some of the dice mushroom stems as well.  It is optional if you add any or not.  

I generously stuff the mushroom with the mixture which stuff about a dozen mushrooms.

I cooked them at 360 degrees for 10 minutes in my air fryer.  The time may vary depending on what you are using to bake them so check after 5-6 minutes or so.  

The finished mushrooms are so delicious and take only a few minutes to throw together.  They are perfect for almost any kind of get together.  

While looking through my old blog posts to share the craft that I planned on sharing today, the post seems to be missing.  It may be that it was something we made, but I did not actually post about. When I was looking, I went down a rabbit hole. (I tend to go down rabbit holes often)  For the last hour I scrolled  through several years of blog posts.  Even though I d did not find what I was looking for, I am excited about what I did find.  I now have many more posts to share for next few weeks.  See you in the next post. 

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Countdown to Thanksgiving - Make Ahead French Toast

 

If you are expecting gifts this Thanksgiving, Christmas, or really any time, then the recipe I am sharing today will be a game changer. 

I started making Make Ahead French Toast the night before a holiday years ago, and still make it several times a year.  It doesn't take long to prepare, and but then next morning all you need to do is put it in the oven.  Since I made it several times over the years, some of these pictures are of slight variations and versions I have made. 

For this recipe you will need

bread (any kind, white, wheat, raisin, specialty) 

4 -6 eggs

1/2 cup of milk 

vanilla 

cinnamon sugar mix (if desired) 

cream cheese (any kind) 

If you are making for more than 6 people you may need to double the recipe. 

You will need two pieces of bread per person.  You may want to make a few extras though.  Lay your bread pieces in the bottom of a casserole pan.  (or pans based on how many you make) 

Spread cream cheese on each of the bottom pieces.  I have used regular cream cheese and strawberry cream cheese on different types of bread.   My favorite bread to use is cinnamon raisin bread. 

Once the cream cheese is spread place another piece of bread on top.  If you only have plain bread but want to add cinnamon sugar, this is when yo would sprinkle it over the bread pieces. 

In the photo in the bottom, I cut the bread in half to so more would fit in my pan. 

In a bowl mix your eggs and milk mixture and then pour it over the bread.  

Cover the casserole dish with foil and place in the fridge over night.  

The next morning allow the dish sit for a few minutes so it does not go in the over cold.   Preheat the over to 350 degrees.     Bake for 30 minutes with foil on and for 10-15 more with foil off.  

I love to add some sliced strawberries on top of the French Toast and add some syrup.  What is really nice about this recipe it is extremely easy to adapt it.  It is also nice, because you can serve a delicious filling breakfast with ease, and it doesn't take time away from your guests. 

If you need something to do with your guests, I have several Thanksgiving Activities and Games currently in my Etsy Shop

I have printable games for both kids and adults in my shop The Thanksgiving Trivia Game was a lot of fun to make. I learned so much new info making it.   I plan on using the Thanksgiving Parade Scavenger Hunt while watching the parade this year.  If you have younger kids who need to keep busy, they might like to play the Thanksgiving Matching Game, Thankgiving Riddle Me This, or Thanksgiving Would Your Rather

Tomorrow I have an easy craft for kids, and an original Christmas gift idea to share with you.  See you then! 

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Countdown to Thanksgiving- Turkey Candy Dish

In today's Countdown to Thanksgiving post, I am going to share another useful turkey craft.  I made this sweet guy using basic crafting supplies, and serving dish I bought at the Dollar Tree.

He is simple to make, and could be turned into a project that you do with your kids. I made the turkey's head by folding over three brown pipe cleaners and wrapping them about halfway down with a half of pipe cleaner.   I then hot glued on two small google eyes. 

** this post contains affiliate links 

I then added tear drop shaped orange craft foam beak, and a tiny piece of red felt for the wattle. 

I finished up the bowl by attaching the head to the front of the bowl, and several feathers to the back.  That's all there is to it.  The dish is so simple, but looks so cute sitting out for your guests filled with candy.  

I am not sure this particular bowl is still available as I bought it awhile back, but there are a few other Dollar Tree alternatives that would work.  

The 4 ct crystal cut plastic salad bowls look to be the perfect size, just a little bit deeper than my original dish.  They are also available online at Dollartree.com as one of their smaller quantities items.  

The plastic cut edge oval bowl also looks very similar to my original dish, but I think it is a little bit bigger.  On the website, they are 1.25 each, but you can buy them in a minimum of four.  

Remember if you order items from the website, including the Dollar Tree Plus items they now sell online, in many cases  you can have them shipped for free to your local store so you will not have to pay shipping costs. 

Savings tips of the day  

I found about a few new shopping deals this morning.  

If you buy online and use Rakuten, they are currently offering triple cash back for many of their online retailers.  They are also now offering cash back on many IN STORE purchases at several retailers.   It is so easy to get money back on what you are already buying so it's definitely worth checking out.  If you do not have Rakuten yet, you can sign up here.

If you are hungry you will like this second deal. Subway restaurants currently have a deal where they have 2 footlongs for $12.99 if you order online or through the app through Nov 21st.   Depending on which subs you order, you should be able to save a few dollars off of lunch. 

I think I posted this deal last week, but Oriental  Trading currently has FREE Shipping on any order.   I love buying my party supplies for my parties.   Here are a few of my a favorites which were an   Elf Themed Cookie Party, Woodland Buffalo Plaid Christmas and Gingerbread House Party

Tomorrow I will be sharing one of my favorite holiday recipes that you can use when family is visiting any time of the year..  Hope to see you then! 

 

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Countdown to Thanksgiving - Pilgrim Hats and Turkey Sandwiches

Today's Countdown to Thanksgiving Craft is a simple one, but might be something you may not thought of making before.  A few years back I was low on time before Thanksgiving, but wanted to make some sort of centerpiece for my table.  I realized I had a new unused clay pot on hand. I also had some styrofoam cups. I decided to pull out my craft paint and turn them into pilgrim hats. I painted both the pot and cups black, and then let them dry. While they were drying, I cut white paper strips for the hat band, and buckles out of gold cardstock.   Once the paint was dry, I put the bands and buckles on the hats with a little glue.  That's all there was to it. I told you it was simple.  I filled the pot with mini gourds I had on hand, and placed it in the middle of the table.  I added some names on the cup hats, and used them as place cards.  Hmm.. I might have to check my Thanksgiving boxes and put them back out again this year.

The recipe I am going to share with you today is also pretty simple, but my kids loved them when they were younger.  We used to eat turkey sandwiches that were actual turkeys. 

I cut the crust off the edges of the bread, but it is not necessary.  I also used a circle cookie cutter to cut out the turkey's head.  You can use whatever bread you would like, but I found wheat bread or whole grain bread gives it more of a turkey color. 

I cut colored peppers into slices to make the turkey feathers.  I also cut out a small triangle for he beaks, and small slice of red for the  wattle. 

Make the sandwiches with the ingredients of your choice.  For the best flavor, you would probably want something that goes well with peppers like chicken salad, turkey, cheese, or tuna. 

Once you choose your filling, add the feathers by placing one of the ends in between the two pieces of bread.  I used small cranberries for the eyes, but you can use raisins, grapes, anything small and round.  I attached the face pieces to the head with a tiny dab of cream cheese. 

They make cute appetizers, or a kid's snack. 

Savings tip of the day... 

If you are looking for a good deal on a Christmas Tree,  Michaels currently has 50% off ALL of their trees while supplies last.  They call this sale The Big Tree Spree.  

If you are not yet a Michaels rewards member you currently can sign up, and get $5 in rewards when you spend $25.  There is also a 30% off coupon on their website, that you can print and use.  When I go shopping at craft stores, I use a coupon every time I go. 

Another great deal going on right now is Oriental Trading Company currently 

has free shipping on any order for a limited time (though some restrictions apply according to the website. 

Use the code PS544 for the free shipping.  

 

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Countdown to Thanksgiving - Turkey Napkin Rings

One of my favorite Thanksgiving crafts that I think I have ever made and shared are my Turkey Napkin Rings.  They are a lot of fun to make and really brighten up the table.  I used cardboard paper towel tubes to make the rings, just in case you are wondering. 

I painted the tube dark brown, and then once it was dry cut it into 6 pieces for an inch and a half each.  I used cardstock in fall colors for the rest of the turkey. 

I used circle punch to make the head. I free hand cut a diamond for a beak, and a comma like shape for the wattle. For the feathers I cute bigger longer diamond shapes with rounded sides for the feathers. I used five feathers for each ring. 

I used hot glue to put the turkey together.  You can leave the feathers plain, or draw around the outside with black marker like this one. 

 

The width of the paper towel is the perfect size for a rolled up napkin.  

In today's Countdown to the Thanksgiving, I have a BONUS CRAFT 

We had a Thanksgiving tradition in our house. When the kids were younger we make Thankful Turkeys.  I would cut out a turkey shape and feathers.  They entire family would write on the feathers what they were thankful for that year, and then I would display them around the house.  I still have many of those turkeys in our memory boxes.  

If you would love to do this tradition but do not want to have to cut out the turkeys, I have a premade kit in my Etsy Shop.  

In addition to the Thankful Turkey Craft Kit , you may  also be interested in the  printable Thanksgiving Games that I have in my shop that the entire family can play. 

** this post contains affiliate links 

Money Earning and Savings Tips of the Day 

My favorite way to earn extra money for the holiday season is by selling my printables on Etsy.  If  you have been trying a side hustle like selling your own printables,  I love the course I took by Gold City Ventures.  You get so much out of this course including free templates, a wonderful Facebook group (which I am still a part of) and so much more.  Their course is open through midnight tonight. If you would to like more without committing to the course, they have two FREE resources.  The first is a Free Ebook about seasonable printables, and the other is a Free Workshop. If you have questions about this course, or making printables, drop me a message.  

Today's Saving Money Tip is in another area that I love... Making Crafts.  

I received an email from Michaels.com.  They have several FREE holiday workshops and courses going on in the next few weeks both online and in person.   They are currently in the middle of the 12 Days of Making Holiday Cards (Nov 1-12), but will also have the 12 Days of  Kid Club Winter Workshops (kid's crafts for age 6+)  Online they have two classes coming up.  How to make a luxe Christmas tree, (11/8 at 3 pm CT) and a wood burning class (11/15)  If you are interested in any of their free and paid classes check their website.    One of my favorite gifts I received from my daughter was a beautiful painting she made me in a Michael painting class. It has been hanging on the wall for many years.  

I have more Thanksgiving crafts and holiday tips coming tomorrow.  Hope to see you there! 

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