With the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States approaching I decided to do something a little different.  As I am Canadian and have already posted an article for the Canadian holiday the following is from one of my readers.  Kendra Thornton is a Mom of three from Chicago who is celebrating the holidays with family. She contacted me a couple of weeks ago to collaborate on a piece for Thanksgiving.

It’s a Thornton Thanksgiving from Chicago!

The weather is turning cooler, the days are growing shorter and thoughts are turning to the upcoming holidays.  It all starts with Thanksgiving and the annual gatherings that so many people look forward to. This is one of my favorite times of the year because it’s a time to slow down, give back and focus on all the wonderful things we’re thankful for.  Here in the Thornton household, we’re getting ready to celebrate the holidays with our family in Chicago.

I’m always looking for new ideas for meals, and I’ve turned to Pinterest this year for fun appetizer and dessert ideas.  I’m really interested in dishes that my children can help me prepare.  Even though they’re getting older, they still want to help me when they can, and I enjoy spending this time with them trying out new recipes and trying creative dishes.  I’m always looking for simple recipes that will be easier for them to help me with, and I also prefer recipes that are fast to make.

One thing my family really looks forward to is the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  The holiday isn’t the same without mashed potatoes and gravy at the table, stuffing with cranberry sauce and the ever-important turkey.  However, I’m also looking for dishes that are different and will add a little spice to the regular meal.  I’ve traveled extensively in the past, and I thought this Gogbot article about luxury hotels and what they’re serving would have some great ideas for me.

I love putting a new spin onto some of my Thanksgiving classical favorites.  I know they won’t taste exactly like they do in the article, but I’m hoping that my family will enjoy the new flavors and appreciate the chance to try something new!  One dish I’m particularly excited about is a smooth pumpkin soup with lobster accent that’s served in the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando.  Nothing warms the heart more than a little soup, so I’m excited to try out this dish in my own kitchen.

I’m grateful for so many things in my life, and I’m looking forward to the Thanksgiving tradition of going around the table and naming what we’re most thankful for.  Everyone has to say at least one thing, and it’s enjoyable to listen to my relatives and maybe learn something new about them.  Perhaps you’ll adopt this fun tradition for your own family this year.  Whether you embrace new traditions or stick with your old ones, my family and I hope that this holiday will be safe, happy, filled with memories and accented with wonderful new dishes and old favorites. We also hope that the Thanksgiving celebrated in Canada was joyous and delicious!

Kendra!

Happy Thanksgiving to my neighbors to the south.  May you be happy, healthy, thankful and most of all be blessed.

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Namaste!

Kendra & Donna

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Note: Kendra Thornton has guest posts with other blogs as well and through their posts I found out that she is formerly the Director of Corporate Communications with Orbitz.com and is the Founder of Thornton Public Relations.  She has appeared on ABC, NBC and local TV markets in the Chicago and New York City area.

Thank you Kendra for collaborating with this awesome post.

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Related articles

• GUEST POST: Thanksgiving: Thornton Style and Live From Chicago! (sewawesomeness.wordpress.com)
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