Thanksgiving Week Menu

Last year I was by myself on Thanksgiving day, which sounds quite a bit more pathetic than it was. I did celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends . . . just not until a day or two after Thanksgiving. To keep myself from feeling pathetic last year, I made myself a stuffed Cornish hen. It was like a cute little, single-serving-size turkey, and gave me something exciting and food-related to look forward to on Thanksgiving day.

This year, our Thanksgiving plans are again on Saturday instead of Thursday, so I've decided to do a whole week of fun cooking. I kind of intended to do a deconstructed Thanksgiving dinner spread out . . . but I didn't want to limit myself to traditional Thanksgiving dishes, especially since I'll be eating all of those on Saturday.

I'm going to share my menu with you--more because I'm excited about it, and less because I think you will be excited about it.

How about you? What are you eating for Thanksgiving this year?

Thanksgiving Week Menu 2012

Breakfasts:

• Brown Sugar Apple, Wheat Berry, and Yogurt Parfaits from Pinch of Yum - possibly also a remix that includes some pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice.
• Maybe some Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread from Sunny Side Up - this recipe has been on my "must make" list for several weeks now.
• Or maybe some scones, most likely from Naturally Ella - she's got a lot of good-looking scones recipes.

Main Dishes and Sides:

• Thai Peanut Pumpkin Hummus from Prevention RD - a recipe I discovered last year. It's pretty quick and easy, so I threw it together Sunday night as a warm-up and to get me through two work days with less time to cook.
• Pumpkin Apple Harvest Rice from Healthy Happy Life - with the addition of turkey and cranberries, this could almost be Thanksgiving in a bowl.
• Roasted Cauliflower with Apple and Dill from A Couple Cooks - this looks like such an interesting combination of flavors! 
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bleu Cheese and Cranberries - combining recipes from Prevention RD and Two Peas & Their Pod
• Stuffed Carnival Squash - inspired by at least a couple recipes. I think it will have quinoa, turkey sausage, pear, and I haven't yet decided what else.
• Roasted Cauliflower Risotto from A Couple Cooks - this will be my first attempt at risotto!

Dessert:

• Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars from Better Homes & Gardens - are words necessary?