Archive for November, 2009

Today I give thanks for the fact that I have an elastic waistband on my pants… and that Gluttony is no longer punishable by law.

I am grateful for so many things today, for family, friends, home, and for all of you…  I wish you all, whether you celebrate this day or not… a Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.  ~Melody Beattie

Just in time for the Holidays the nice folks over at Hillshire Farms and Sara Lee are sponsoring a Giveaway right here on Make it Do.

You can win a $50 gift certificate to Walmart… plus coupons for free products from Hillshire Farms and Sara Lee! What could be more perfect for the Holidays?

This Giveaway is in homage to my dear Father-in-Law, who is affectionately known as Granddaddy or GT.

You see, every Holiday since I’ve known him, he makes up a big plate his favorite- Pigs in a Blanket.

I remember too well my first Holiday spent visiting my husband’s family.  GT beamingly offered me a Pig in a Blanket.  “Pig in a what?”  I said.  I had never heard of them before, and I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of them.  But in no time that plate of little pigs was gone.

GT always makes his Pigs in a Blanket using Hillshire Farms Lit’l Smokies and crescent rolls from a pop can.  He wraps up the Lit’l Smokies, bakes them until they are golden brown and serves them with honey mustard.

Yesterday, I decided to try these myself using my homemade Crescent Roll recipe.  (Don’t tell my father-in-law, but the homemade dough tastes so much better!) You can pick up the Lit’l Smokies at Walmart. They also have a low fat turkey version so you can feel better about eating that extra slice of pie.  To make the Pigs in a Blanket using my crescent roll recipe, I divided my dough in to thirds, and cut them into thin wedges (about 1″ at the bottom) to make each roll small enough to wrap around the Smokies.

I made a large cookie sheet full of Pigs in a Blanket for an after school snack… and the kids just gobbled them up.  See that lone Pig in the picture above.  I had to rescue it for the photograph…

So here’s how to enter:  Simply leave a comment telling me about your favorite Holiday food traditions.  Do you have a father-in-law who makes Pigs in a Blanket, too?  Or something even more unusual?  Or is it Eggnog, sugar cookies or English Toffee?  I want to hear what foods mean the Holidays to you.  Only one comment per person please.

The contest will close on Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 26 at 10:00 PM MST.  The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced on Friday morning.

Also, Sara Lee and Hillshire Farms are working on a larger giveaway at their site in December so, stay tuned for the details.

My thanks to Hillshire Farms and Sara Lee for their sponsorship and the Giveaway.