Thanksgiving in the one American holiday I "took with me" when we moved to Europe. For me It holds so much more meaning to it than stuffing yourself with turkey. It's a holiday to enjoy food with family and friends and to think about all we are thankful for.

I tend make similar things year after year, changing something if I don't like the way it turned out the year before or putting something else in it's place. Over the years I've changed the recipe for my grandmother's cranberry salad, but it still is served every single year. I can still remember helping her cut it into squares and placing them on an individual piece of lettuce on everyone's salad plate. Sometimes dessert is a classic pumpkin or pecan pie, sometimes it's something else with either. This year, I've decided to take my traditional green bean salad and make it with a Swiss ingredient, dried green beans. (There will be a post about them.)

So what am I thankful for year? Foremost I'm thankful for my family and for our good health. I'm thankful for having good friends and for meeting new ones. Thankful for having a job and being able to do something I enjoy. Thankful for having enough time to enjoy my hobbies and that two of my hobbies turned into a cookbook. Thankful for being able to live in such a wonderful place. And thankful for all the little everyday things which are part of my life and make me smile.

Happy Thanksgiving!