I’ve been sharing several healthier dishes with you lately for your holiday meals. Don’t tell your guests they’re healthier for them, and they’ll never know. If you do tell them, they will probably thank you.
Today I have recipes for mashed potatoes, gravy, and asparagus courtesy of Smart Balance. Mashed potatoes are a staple on most Thanksgiving menus, and asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables, so I can definitely see me adding both of these to my Thanksgiving day feast.

New-Fashioned Mashed Potatoes and Onions

2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup Smart BalanceTM …read more

With Thanksgiving coming up I thought I’d talk turkey about everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving dessert, pumpkin pie. Yum! One of my favorite recipes for pumpkin pie is right on the back of the Libby’s can, but you don’t have to stick with the traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. I thought I’d share some other pumpkin recipes with you today. Just in case you want to put a new spin on your Thanksgiving dessert this year.

I love these cute little pumpkin pie bites
Not quite pumpkin pie, but still delicious, pumpkin cheesecake
Pumpkin pie in miniature, pumpkin tartlets
Looking for a lighter version? Try crustless …read more

Today I have a couple yummy fall cocktail recipes that would work great as a little something for your Thanksgiving gathering, or for a delicious treat for the adults after trick or treat.
The spiced apple cider features some delicious fall flavors with hot apple cider, real cinnamon sticks, and a little splash of Zaya Rum. Both drinks will warm you up on a cold fall evening.
These cocktails would be perfect for a fall bonfire, or a tailgate party. Just heat up the drinks and fill up a thermos with the warm cocktails. Bring along mugs for your guests, and you …read more

Today I played around with some candles, gourds and a few other fall components. Iwanted to make a fall centerpiece, so I tried several different ideas.

I cut the center out of some small round pumpkin shaped gourds, then removed the insides and slid a votive candle into the hole. I didn’t do a great job of getting the hole the right size. I just eyeballed it. If I made them again I think I would measure instead of winging it.

They did turn out very well over all I tried it with just the votives with the gourds, some pine cones, …read more

Mashed potatoes are definitely a Thanksgiving Day staple, but you don’t have to load them down with butter. If you’re working on lightening up your Thanksgiving menu this year I have a great recipe for basic mashed potatoes, with yogurt and skim milk to share with you today. There are also a few variations to dress them up if you want to add a little extra flavor.
This mashed potato recipe is courtesy of the United States Potato Board (USPB) “Quick & Healthy Series.” Did you you know on Thanksgiving alone, an astounding 104 million medium sized (5.3 ounce) potatoes will …read more

I know you’re saying, well it’s not even Halloween yet, why should I start thinking about Thanksgiving party plans? I’m going to start sharing Thanksgiving entertaining ideas with you over the next few weeks.

First I wanted to share some of the great resources we already have here at She Knows Parties for your Thanksgiving dinner planning. So here’s a little roundup to get you in the mood, because Thanksgiving will be here before you know it!
Let’s start with some decorating ideas:

Give your Thanksgiving party an apple theme.
Fall wreath decorating ideas
Some favorite Thanksgiving table decorations.

Don’t forget the food!

You can’t have turkey …read more

When you’re planning a fall party, why not give it an apple theme? Apple season is in full swing right now. There are many apple recipes out there, and with a little imagination, and some of the ideas here, you can come up with some really cute fall apple decorating ideas.

Use dried apple slices to make a dried apple garland, add in some cinnamon sticks for a garland that smells and looks festive for the fall season.
Add apples to a vase of water for a beautiful centerpiece for your food table.
Hollow out the apple center and use them as small …read more

I love fall colors, the oranges, yellows, and reds of fall leaves are my favorites. Nature does a great job of decorating herself in the fall, we should take a page from her book when we’re decorating for fall parties.
1. Set up a shadow box with leaves, and some gourds or pumpkins.
I love colors and textures in this fall leaf wreath from Williams-Sonoma, featuring orange safflower, yarrow and exotic dried lotus pods.
The cornucopia is the symbol of abundance. This fall leaf cornucopia also from Williams-Sonoma looks like it would make a fabulous table decoration, and a wonderful pairing with the …read more

Have a Happy Thanksgiving from
She Knows Parties
Image (c) L Gerlach
Technorati Tags: Happy Thanksgiving,Thanksgiving

You can’t have your Thanksgiving turkey without the stuffing. Here’s a simple recipe for stuffing from Swanson®. This recipe is moist and delicious.
Swanson® Moist and Savory Stuffing
Prep: 20 minutes Bake: 30 minutes Makes: 11 servings
2 1/2 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness or Certified Organic) 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup) 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup) 1 package (16 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing
1. Heat broth, celery and onion in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high …read more