Saturday MeanderingsHappy Saturday to you! I’m a little late getting out today’spost but all for good reasons. My son and girlfriend are intown visiting for a wedding, so the latter part of this weekis full of those celebrations. Since this will be the firsttime in 26 years that our son hasn’t been home forThanksgiving, we are having an early turkey day on Sunday. Soit’s time to share all the good things happening this week onSaturday Meanderings!

Quick and attractive hostess gifts

Costco

If you are going to someone else’s home for Thanksgiving or adinner party, check out these two very pretty and affordablehostess gifts. My friend, Connie, who is the mother of thegroom this week, found these very attractive flowerarrangements at Costco. Fortunately Costco had 14 of them in

stock and she was able to use them for centerpieces at therehearsal dinner. The wooden box is dovetailed and presents sonicely with the colorful seasonal flowers. Only $20 each!

Trader Joes

Our local Trader Joe’s has fresh potted herb gardens with allthe flavors you need in your holiday stuffing. Rosemary, thyme

and sage are happily growing in this very attractive eco-friendly bamboo container. The plants are a good size andaromatic. And for under $15.00 at $14.99! And if you don’twant to part with it, put it in your kitchen in a sunny windowor transplant out in your garden. Such a useful and prettygift!

Two New Recipes

Medjool dates from Bar

Each week (or so) I try to make a new recipe as I tend to getstuck making the same things over and over again. My son’sfriend, Alex, came by with 2 large boxes of whole medjooldates from his family farm in Yuma, Arizona. What a generousgift! Did you know that dates impart sweetness without

producing significant spikes in blood sugar levels? Dates arealso a good source of potassium, magnesium, iron and sixessential B Vitamins.

Date Nut loaf bread

I have fond memories of my mother always making date nutbread, something I rarely bake. So with a googled recipe from

King Arthur, I made this delicious loaf. Even though Ifollowed all the instructions, and pulled a clean woodenskewer out of the middle, the loaf was under baked in thecenter. Not sure what happened but if you make this, be awareof that. It looked perfectly baked and I even double checkedwith my handy laser thermometer (can’t live without thiskitchen tool ). Nonetheless, it is a very delicious loaf andwonderful flavors for this time of year.

Lasagna, but not really

Lots of vegetables in this recipe

Ambitious Kitchen is another of my go-to places for newhealthy recipes. This Cozy Roasted Vegetable Butternut SquashLasagna is easy to make, but a bit time consuming. Filled witha colorful range of roasted vegetables it is a new spin on atraditional lasagna. Here is Monique’s description of this

recipe: Wonderfully cozy roasted vegetable butternut squashlasagna packed with a rainbow of veggies and the perfectbalance of sweet & savory flavor. This vegetarian butternutsquash lasagna recipe is easy to make and filled with warmingspices. Don’t forget those incredible layers of melted cheesein every bite! Comfort food at its finest.

Image from Ambitious Kitchen

This is a good recipe to get all your veggies in! Click herefor the link.

An Early ThanksgivingAs I mentioned earlier, we are all gathering tomorrow for afamily Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s a sneak peek of mycenterpiece. Next week I will be sharing more Thanksgivingtable ideas, but I love a centerpiece I can continue to useafter the dinner.

Plants from Whitfill Nursery

As much as I love flowers, they don’t last long. A few yearsago, I started making my centerpieces with plants, herbs andother items I can use in the garden or yard. Lamb’s ears,fresh mint, succulents, ornamental cabbages, and floweringground cover will make up the bulk of the centerpiece, with

small bouquets of roses and pomegranates tucked in between.

2021 Thanksgiving table

I set the table yesterday and cannot wait to share it with younext week.

Polishing Shoes

Freshly shined shoes

Every Saturday night, my father would polish his shoes forchurch the following morning. I have such fond memories, as achild, waiting to help buff his shoes to a mirror finish with

his bristled brush. Though we didn’t have a lot growing up, myDad would invest in a good pair of shoes and then take care ofthem for decades. He valued the few things he had and alwaysmade sure his shoes were clean and shiny.

Since my son is in the wedding party this week, he asked me tohelp get his shoes in top condition. Busy with his weddingparty responsibilities I volunteered to shine his shoes. Ididn’t realize how this task would take me down memory lane.So for a good hour, I happily saddle soaped and polished andshined, knowing my Dad is smiling fondly from heaven. It’sfunny how certain smells, sounds and tasks can triggermemories from long ago.

Ironing

Our cat, Donovan

If polishing shoes reminds me of my Dad, then ironing remindsme of my mother. I never really understood why she loved toiron. Yesterday, it finally came to me. Raising 5 children herlife must have been filled with a bit of chaos. And ironing isa slow, deliberate task. After spending quite a bit of time

ironing the tablecloth for the dining room table, I realizedthe emotional benefits of ironing.

My ironing helper

You start with something wrinkled and with patience and time,you end up with a neatly pressed product. And there must besomething good about it, because it attracts my cat. He loves

to sit on the ironing board and stays close the entire time Iam ironing.

Loving this plant

Tiger Eye Flowering Maple

Last spring, we purchased two Tiger Eye Flowering Mapleplants. And surprisingly, they are thriving and blooming now.I am marveling over the exquisite red veined flowers whichhang like lanterns on the branches.

This plant grows in USDA zones 9-11. Such a beauty!

Fun Things on the Internet

Adding Snow from The Ponds Farmhouse

I have always wanted a flocked Christmas tree, but can’tjustify adding another tree to my holiday stash. My sweetfriend, Rachel from the Ponds Farmhouse, has a great tutorialon How to Add Fake Snow to your holiday decor. You can see ithere. Might be a fun project soon?

Holiday Decor for your Mailbox from Celebrate and Decorate

Here is another project I would love to tackle. Who decoratestheir mailbox for the holidays? Chloe, from Celebrate andDecorate gives step-by-step directions on how to make yourmailbox festive. You can see it here. If you recall, myfriend, Chloe lives in Celebration, Florida and I would love

to see her neighborhood during the holidays!

No Bake Salt Ornaments from Design Morsels

If you are looking for a holiday project with children, checkout this one from Design Morsels. Andrea shows how to make NoBake Salt Dough ornaments! All you need is a few ingredientsand some holiday cookie-cutters. You can see it here.

Shiplap and Shells

For more hostess gift ideas, Kim from Shiplap and Shells (yes,the beautiful garden/home in the Pacific Northwest), shares

her thoughts here.

cashew crema from Chas Crazy Creations

I am always looking for ways to eat healthier, cut unwantedcalories and still get good flavor. Chas from Chas CrazyCreations shares a recipe on Easy and Healthy VegetarianCashew Crema. I haven’t tried it yet, but it sure looksinteresting. You can see it here.

Well that wraps up another week of Saturday Meanderings. If

you missed my blog post about the Arlington Ladies, you canview it here. Trust me, it’s a worthy read and will make youfeel good to know there are those who volunteer out of lovefor our country.

Have a beautiful weekend! And, as always, I so appreciate youreading my posts and being so supportive!