In spite of 2020 and all that has happened this year, there is so much to be thankful for. Yet, when our minds slow down during quiet moments the future can feel uncertain and scary. I hoped there would be moments of quiet and reflection over the Thanksgiving week. But in addition to finding ways to quiet our minds I wanted to provide opportunities for us to consider and enjoy all of the things we have to be thankful for…
Read MoreBRINE… RUB… COOK…
Read MoreThanksgiving is another opportunity for reflection and looking at life through a specific lens. A lens that helps us see both the enjoyable and the difficult, the sweet and the sour, for what they are. Understanding Thanksgiving correctly helps us see how the things we've experienced shape and grow us into the person we are…
Read MoreEvery Thanksgiving has looked different for us, between hosting or traveling. For the first time this year, we kept it slow and just us. We spent the evening before prepping the house, the food, and creating the tablescape so there wouldn’t be much to do when we first woke up…
Read MoreAs I thought about fun memorable recipes for the holidays in the Payne home, I wanted something sweet, simple, and exciting to look forward to at breakfast. One of the first things that came to mind was Monkey Bread…
Read MoreI love the holidays and I really enjoy the opportunity it provides to create traditions with our family. With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, we wanted to invest some time on the front end helping Emet understand thankfulness and what it means to be thankful…
Read MoreHoliday food is the best! We all have our favorite go-to recipes for the holidays: Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole... Over the years one of my consistent contributions has been this Green Bean Casserole...
Read MoreQUESTION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO "HOST?" HOW DO YOU ADJUST TO FIT DIFFERENT GROUPS, PEOPLE, AND PERSONALITIES?
When hosting, you want to be hospitable, generous, and leave a positive lasting impression with your guest...
We've been so excited to begin implementing traditions and things to look forward to each year. This year we decided to have a slow morning with breakfast, coffee, and snuggling together as we watched the parade…
Read MoreQUESTION: WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU ASK YOURSELF AS YOU PLAN?
One of the main things that I enjoy about hosting are the conversations. It's a unique opportunity to get to know people on a deeper level…
Over the years, I've tried a bunch of different recipes for mashed potatoes. Some of them worked really well, others were bland and tasteless. One year, for Thanksgiving, I really wanted to fine tune my recipe. So, here is my go-to mashed potato recipe…
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