Today, as part of this week’s Thanksgiving on a Budget series, Monica from The Homespun Heart shares some fantastic ideas on decorating the table, family traditions and instilling a thankful heart this Thanksgiving!

I found a new tradition for our Thanksgiving table…I’ll let you go find out what it is (I left it in the comments.)  I love ths idea…and think that creating a Gratitude Scrapbook of these cards over the years will become my new Thanksgiving project.  Plus an idea some darling, simple place cards.  And most importantly, several thoughtful ideas for encouraging gratitude in your family’s hearts this Thanksgiving!  So head on over to The Homespun Heart for inspiration and encouragement for your Thanksgiving table…and meal!

Looking for a new and different twist on your favorite traditional pecan pie??? Tossing in some sliced almonds will give your pie a new flavor and texture!

Be on the lookout for sales on pecans, almonds and walnuts around the holidays…grab a few extra bags to carry you in to the new year!!!

This is a must. try. pie!
 
Ingredients
 
Homemade Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour ($.20)
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening or butter ($.30)
2-4 Tablespoons COLD water
 
Filling
4 eggs ($.40)
1 cup brown sugar ($.20)
1/2 cup maple syrup ($.50)
4 Tbsp butter, melted ($.40)
1 Tbsp vanilla ($.10)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup pecans ($1)
3/4 cup sliced almonds ($.75)
 
Directions
 
Preheat oven to 375.
 
1. To prepare homemade pie crust, place flour in mixing bowl; add butter and cut in with pastry blender. Add salt and then add COLD water 1 Tablespoon at a time. Mix and toss ingredients together with a fork until dough ball forms. Place in plastic wrap or Ziploc baggie and put into the refrigerator while you make the filling.

2. To prepare filling, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, melted butter, vanill and salt together in a mixing bowl. 

3. Whisk.

 4. Stir in the pecans and sliced almonds.

5. Once filling is prepared, take the dough ball from the fridge and place on lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the crust dough into a circle at least 12 inches in diameter and gently fold pie crust into quarters. Move the folded pie crust from the counter to the pie plate.  Unfold in the pie plate.  Pour filling into pie shell. Flute edges in your favorite design.

6. Place pie crust shield over the top or use foil to make a shield to keep the crust edges from burning or turning dark brown while baking.

7. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes, or until filling has set.

8. Let cool completely on cooling rack. Refrigerate. It’s easiest to slice pie when its cold!

6. Serve cool with whipped cream or warm with vanilla bean ice cream. You’ll have to imagine the dollop of whipped cream

Cost $3.85

I have really enjoyed experimenting with butternut squash recipes this year!

This one is a keeper!  A fantabulous side dish!

Ingredients
1 large butternut squash (about 2-3 pounds) ($1.50)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil ($.10)
1/4 cup maple syrup (free – $1)
Few dashes each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice ($.15)

Directions

1. Chop off the stem and bottom of the squash.  Using a vegetable peeler, peel off remaining skin.

2. Cut the squash in half crosswise just above where it gets larger, or where the seeds live.

3. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds.

4. Dice the whole squash into 1/2 inch cubes.

5. Place squash into an 8×8-inch glass baking dish.  Sprinkle with olive oil and maple syrup.  Toss.

6. Add a few dashes each of ground cinnamon, ground ginger and allspice.  Toss.

7. Bake uncovered at 400° for 30-35 minutes.

8. Serve Maple Roasted Butternut Squash with your Thanksgiving Feast. 

Serves 8.

Cost $1.75-$2.75

Cheeseless???  What?  There’s cheese in the picture!

Right. Right.  I topped the enchiladas that I served to the Hubs with some cheese.  This is, of course, optional!  The inside of the enchilada and the top does not NEED cheese.  These were quite zesty, zippy and zanny without the cheese!!

And for the record.  I made these before baby was born.  Most of what you see here in the next few weeks I made and wrote up pre-baby.  I wanted to keep sharing recipes with you all while I recovered, so rest assured, I am not “up and at ‘em” just yet.  I am thoroughly enjoying this sweet time of bonding with baby and enjoying our family of FIVE!

Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable or canola oil ($.05)
1 lb. ground chicken ($2.19)
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped ($.15)
1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped (from the garden…the last one!)
1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
Salt and pepper
1 6 oz. can organic tomato paste, plus 2 cans worth water ($.40) Used $1 coupon
1 6 oz. can’s worth of homemade or store bought chicken stock (free, or $.25)
1 Tbsp chili powder ($.10)
1 tsp ground cumin ($.05)
1 tsp garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper each ($.10)
1 cup cooked rice ($.10) Great way to use up leftover rice.
10 small corn tortillas ($.69) or 8 medium/taco flour tortillas ($1.29) Use corn to stay GF!
1-2 cups shredded cheese, optional ($.60-$1.25) Regularly on sale at my store for $1.25/2 cups. Omit if dairy free.
1 bag frozen corn ($.49) Bought on sale with store promotion and coupon!

Directions
(Perheat oven to 350.)

1. In large skillet, heat the oil and the add the ground chicken, chopped onion, chopped hot pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

2. In small saucepan, add tomato paste, 2 cans worth of water and 1 can worth of chicken stock.  Whisk together and add in the chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles. Remove from heat.

3. Once the ground chicken has cooked through, add 1 cup of the tomato/enchilada sauce and the 1 cup of cooked rice. Stir together.  *Note: I always save leftover rice and freeze it.  This is a perfect meal to use up some frozen rice!

4. Spread a few spoonfuls of the chicken and rice filling into the tortilla, roll up and place into baking dish.

5. Pour the remaining tomato/enchilada sauce over the top of the tortillas. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
6. Optional: Before baking, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the enchilada sauce.
7. Cook frozen corn as directed on package instructions.
8. Serve Cheeseless Chicken Enchiladas with Corn. 

Cost $4.97

Today, Jessica from Life as Mom and Good & Cheap Eats shares some fantastic tricks and tips for the presentation of each dish in your Thanksgiving feast!  She’ll show you how to WOW your family and friends without breaking the bank!

Head on over and check out all her fantastic ideas on making your Thanksgiving table look PUR-TY!!!

Amy from Amy’s Finer Things is talking turkey today!

She’s on a bit of a soapbox about her Thanksgiving turkey…so go on over and find out what it is!

I think it’s a fantastic idea…

We proudly welcome

Tyler Chase
November 16th
6:42 AM
7 pounds 11 ounces
21 1/4 inches

It was a FAST and not-so-easy labor and delivery.  But we are all healthy and recovering well.  If you are interested, you can read the full birth story here.

This week we are running a special series on doing Thanksgiving…on a budget!

Who is “we”?

That would be Amy from Amy’s Finer Things, Jessica from Life as Mom, Monica from The Homespun Heart, Crystal from Money Saving Mom, and yours truly!

We’re kicking things off over at Money Saving Mom later today…with more fantastic ideas and recipes on each of our sites each day this week…including a Mr. Linky at Money Saving Mom on Saturday morning, for you to link up your favorite Thanksgiving recipes, traditions and thoughts of gratitude! 

Each morning I’ll post the link to that days Thanksgiving on a Budget posts…will be a fun scavenger hunt for ya!!!  So stay tuned…

I thought I’d share a few Thanksgiving meal printable coupons with you!  And be sure to check this week’s newspaper inserts, as I saw quite a few coupons for products that are/will be on sale between now and Thanksgiving!!!

Save $2.00 on a Butterball Turkey when you buy any combination of 5 6oz. Stove Top Stuffing Mix or 12oz. Heinz Homestyle Gravy

$.50/2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts

$.50/1 Progresso Broth

$1/2 Dole Salad Blends

$1/3 Heinz Gravy

$1/1 Ore Ida Steam and Mash Potatoes

$.55/1 Aunt Millie’s Dinner Rolls

GOBBLE! GOBBLE!

Be sure to check out all the printable coupons available at Smart Source and Coupons.com!

Want healthy and inexpensive meal ideas, the hottest coupons and other money saving tips delivered to your inbox??? Sign up for the FREE $5 Dinners Email Newsletter!

So I’m still here.  Still cooking.  Still feeding the boys.

When Tiffany and Lisa shared these recipes with me, I couldn’t decide which to try.  So I made both.  We sampled each…and the rest went into the overflowing freezer.

I will let you go recipe exploring yourselves.

Lisa’s Banana Cinnamon Waffles

Tiffany’s Gingerbread Waffles with Vanilla Cream Sauce (pictured above)

Org Junkie’s Laura also shared this Gluten Free Dairy Free pancake recipe that her son L-O-V-E-S!

Now you see why I made them both!

We had these with some fresh pineapple and scrambled eggs.

On the baby front…if this little man doesn’t arrive over the weekend, he will arrive on Monday.  We have made the decision to be induced if necessary!  So keep your eyes peeled on Monday.  I’ll likely send out a few Twitter updates on Monday, if you wanna follow along!  So excited to meet the little guy!!!

Next week…a fun and fantastic Thanksgiving series coming up! 

Have a super weekend!