Being thankful feels good, especially when you hit a rough patch. It happens to be the time you’re not only least likely to want to be grateful, but also when you need it the most. Today, I’m challenging you to try it. Next time you’re down and out, no matter the reason, think of something that you’re really thankful for. It does not have to be big.  It can be as simple as being able to get up that day. You’ll be in awe of how it impacts your thoughts, perspective, and overall approach to life. And the more things you can think about, the bigger the impact will be.

It’s no secret that the second half of this year has been quite challenging for me. Luckily, I was able to rely on my usual suspects – family, friends, dance, yoga, exercise, hiking, inspirational quotes, and writing in our blog – only this time, I added something else to my arsenal; a renewed focus on being thankful to get me through it all.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday we’re thankful for lots of things, but most all, we’re grateful for:

• You, our loyal blog family, who have consistently read, liked, and shared our musings
• Celebrating our blog’s 4th Year anniversary in May
• Hitting a milestone of more than 1,000 blog fans across our social media channels
• Checking off a couple of things from our bucket list:
  • Participating in the 2016 San Francisco Carnival with my Salsa dance family
  • Live Cuban Salsa theatre performance at the San Francisco Cuban Festival

 

• Staying healthy and keeping our promise to start hiking this year

 

• Sticking to the principles we committed to in this blog post at the beginning of the year (well, some are still a work in progress)
• Our family and friends who have supported us throughout the year

One of my most favorite ways to show appreciation to my family during Thanksgiving is not just to cook their special dishes but to surprise them with one or two new and delightful items on my dinner menu.  Most of the new ideas come from the recipes that we’ve been curating on our blog’s Food & Drink Pinterest board all year. Last year’s hit were potato latkes.

This year, we can’t wait to share the celery salad with pear, feta, olives, and jalepeno (yum!) and cherries wrapped in Bacon (delish!) recipes highlighted later in this musing.

We also love to show our gratitude to you by sharing these recipes with you. If you’re like us and love to change things up and to delight your Thanksgiving guests, here are 7 mouth-watering popular appetizer, salad, and treat recipe ideas to help you do just that! 

1. Shrimp with Tomato and Aioli

2. Celery Salad with Pear, Feta, Olives & Jalepeno

3. Radicchio, Blood Orange & Goat Cheese Salad

4. Cherries Wrapped in Bacon

5. Zucchini Pancakes with Creamy Dill Sauce

6. Coconut Chiffon Cake

7. Egg Cream

How about you gapmusers?  Trying any new recipes this Thanksgiving holiday? Share with us and our readers so we can all be inspired to cook and delight our guests with something new.

Happy Thanksgiving gapmusers! Hope you enjoy your time with your families and friends!

Be inspired.