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Crazy Cheesy Green Beans. I thought I like butter with a simple drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Apparently I haven’t lived. This green bean recipe inspires great things. Imagine green beans smothered in cream cheese and cheese dip and topped with crunch onion strings. It might just be the side dish for the ages. Yea… it’s that good.

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Classic Green Bean Casserole

Talk about Thanksgiving perfection- this is it! This of this dessert as pumpkin pie baked on top of creamy cheesecake. The pumpkin and spice perfectly balances out the creamy cheesecake layer. Brilliant, right!?

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Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving dinner is all about the turkey, right? My family always prepares the big bird the same way every year, seasoned with a generous amount of butter, salt, pepper and rosemary. It’s hard to imagine that there are actually other ways to prepare and enjoy a turkey. I might just ask my Dad ( The Turkey Master) to step outside of the box and try one of these preparations this year.

Here are the top five ways to prepare a the perfect turkey!

Martha Stewart walks you through Turkey 101. Roast up the perfect bird!

Smoked Turkey with BBQ Gravy. This turkey packs a punch of flavor!

Turkey and tangerines! How about a Citrus Marinated Thanksgiving Turkey?

Porcini Mushroom Turkey with Mushroom Gravy. This recipe is earth and hearty with tons of flavor!

Brined and Herbed. Yes please!

Go ahead, have a snack. I have been known to grab a snack every few hours. My friends lovingly rib me about how much I consume, and I must say, I don’t feel bad about it at all!

Here’s some healthy snacking! Tuna, Ritz crackers and a thin spread of cream cheese. How could any part of this snack be wrong?

Tuna Crunchers

Each year around Thanksgiving time, the term heritage turkey starts to pop up all over the internet as one of the most searched terms. What is a heritage turkey you ask?

A heritage turkey is a type of domestic turkey that has retained most of its historic characteristics. Most turkeys that are consumed have long since been overly domesticated and have lost the traits that make a heritage turkey special. Heritage turkeys are larger than wild turkeys but are very close in taste, their meat is said to taste a lot better than that of an agriculturally raised turkey. To read more about what makes a heritage turkey so special check out this really great article.

If you have to eat spinach, I suppose the only way to do it is to cover it in cream cheese, melted cheddar cheese and crumbled Ritz crackers. All the delicious fat is canceled out by the super nutritious spinach leaves. Ok, so that’s probably not true. You might consider throwing this side dish on your Thanksgiving table, since that’s a day that no one should be counting calories

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Crispy Topped Creamy Spinach

Can’t decide between pie and cheesecake this Thanksgiving? Now you don’t have to! Combine the creaminess of a simple cheesecake with the sweet and spice of apple pie. Throw in little bits of toffee and this might just be the perfect dessert!

Just another holiday dessert idea from me to you!

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Candied Apple Pie Cheesecake

While some people might not think of this is a tedious task, I really think deciding which wine to serve with Thanksgiving dinner is more than a pain in my behind. There is such a large variety of food with so many different flavors being served that it might seem hard to pair a wine with the entire meal. However, such is not the case with the help of RachaelRay.com, and after reading this article you will appear to be one of the most experienced sommeliers.

For those who love white wine, Rachael Ray suggests a Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc is known for its earthy, herb taste and is great for all poultry, especially with turkey and herb-filled stuffing.

For those who love red rine, try a Pinot Noir. Rachael Ray notes that “Pinot Noir’s fruity character and lack of tannins are ideal for serving with turkey”.

Each year my family of around 16 people gather at either my house or my Grandmother’s for Thanksgiving dinner. Without fail each year, my Grandmother puts the same silly turkey place-cards with our names that have been used since the last kid was born in 1990. I am fairly sure she bought the place-cards in the 70′s because the graphic artwork on the cards is terrible and the paper is turning yellow. Don’t get me wrong the table has seasonal flowers and other decorations but somehow seeing the table dressed up, even with those ugly place-cards reminds all of us we are there to celebrate.

On that note, it is time for you to create your own Thanksgiving tabletop. For more clever ideas on how to liven up your table you can view the whole article at RachaelRay.com. The idea that I thought was the cutest, and easiest to recreate was the pumpkin candle place-holder. The mini pumpkins are more than affordable, and they make the table look way sheik and not to mention its super seasonal.

Pumpkin Candle Place-Holders

Step 1: Pick up some mini pumpkins, which can be found at your local supermarket.

Step 2: Hollow out the inside, big enough to fit the candle your going to use. You can use a drill or hollow it out carefully with a knife.

Step 3: Scoop out the inside seeds and pulp with a spoon

Step 4: Decorate your pumpkin with ribbons, leaves, acorns…basically anything you like. Then add the candle and name of the person who will be sitting there.

Want to throw together a fruit pie this holiday season but don’t want to deal with a fancy pie crust? Your solution is simple. Whip up a free style fruit pie. This dessert is simple and comes out of the oven as a super impressive dessert. Pie is easy! You’ll see!

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Freestyle Fruit Tart