thanksgiving Archives - My Inner Shakti

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

If you’re still finalizing your Thanksgiving menu, feel free to steal some ideas from what we’re making.

Something to know about me is that I LOVE Thanksgiving food. Like LOVE! We didn’t celebrate it in the traditional way growing up, but since getting married, Vishnu and I started our own tradition. One that includes Thanksgiving food every year!

With that being said, we’re keeping things super low key this year in terms of having people. We’re not keeping the menu low key though! My mouth waters just thinking about it.

Like I said, if you’re still planning, feel free to make some of these dishes. Most of them are tried and true (ain’t no one messing around on Thanksgiving!).

I hope y’all have a delicious day!

Apps
– Pilsbury crescent rolls stuffed with Brie cheese with a side of strawberry jalapeno jam
– Strawberry, feta cheese, and pecan spinach salad

Sides
– Cranberry sauce (I’ve been making this for YEARS. It’s soo good.)
– Roasted broccoli (preheat oven to 425 degrees, chop the broccoli up into smallish pieces, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and garlic powder, and roast for 23 minutes).
– Mashed potatoes

Main
– Instant Pot Mac n’ Cheese (SO easy, SO creamy!)
– Air Fryer Tandoori wings

Dessert
– Dark chocolate silk pie (vegan!)
– Broiler smores!

ENJOY!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2019

written by Parita Leave a Comment

Better late than never right?! I wrote this on my way to London, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I’m actually posting it a week after that. But I wrote it so I’m sharing it! Ha!

I’ve always loved this time of year – between November and December. It just feels magical and cozy. But now that we have K and he’s getting older; I think I’m going to love it more and more.

Let’s talk about Thanksgiving weekend 2019, because while it had its ups and downs, I wouldn’t change a single thing (well, maybe one, but I’ll get to that in a minute).

Wednesday was technically the first day of our weekend because K was home from school, and I took the day off. The first thing we did was go to the grocery store to pick up some Thanksgiving meal essentials. It may have taken us 20 minutes to get out the door between my toddler wanting to put his shoes on all by himself on the wrong feet and then protesting his jacket, but we did it! After that it was smooth sailing until we got home, and I had work to do. I put on some PBS for K to watch so that I could get 30 uninterrupted minutes of work time, but of course, he wanted me to sit next to him. I did that, but he couldn’t stay away from my laptop, so I moved back to the kitchen island. That was a no go for K, so I finished up what I could with a whimpering toddler on my hip and one free hand.

The rest of the day was honestly a bit of a blur. All I vividly remember is K waking up from his nap feeling a little warm. He didn’t have a fever, but something was up. I asked Vishnu to pick up dinner from a place down the street. When he got home, he took one look at Kaiden, and said that we needed to give him some Tylenol before bed. He was warm and very congested.

Thursday started off much like the way Wednesday ended. K woke up warm but with no fever. Just to be on the safe side, we continued with the Tylenol and Motrin, which in some ways was kind of nice because that helped Kaiden stay in a better mood.

I ended up prepping our Thanksgiving dinner throughout the day when I could find time, and this turned out to be a good plan because by dinnertime everything was fresh and ready! Of course, Kaiden ate lots of bread, some mac n’ cheese, some chicken and ice cream. Ha!

The day also included Facetime with family and lots of running around.

After Kaiden went down for the night, our friends came over for dessert and game night. This turned out to be ice cream, Codenames Pictures, and some deep discussion about gun control in this country. #adulting

Friday was a good day, and to be honest, I don’t remember much, except that Kaiden woke up with a slight fever. Poor bubs! But you wouldn’t really have been able to tell given how much energy he had. We were supposed to go to my friend’s place for dinner, but I nixed that because I didn’t want her entire household catching whatever Kaiden had. I also went to Target and Trader Joe’s…per usual. At Target, I found a couple of good deals on clothing for all three of us. And that was pretty much the end of my Black Friday shopping. We also watched Frozen at some point on Friday, which Kaiden liked and Vishnu and I loved. Funny how that works!

Saturday was a better day because Kaiden didn’t wake up warm and his snottyness was more manageable. We met Vishnu’s cousin and his family for breakfast at a place off Michigan Avenue. Even though it was kind of cold outside, we decided to walk, and I think Kaiden really appreciated the fresh air. After breakfast, we walked home and relaxed for a bit.

The rest of the day included packing, cleaning meal prep, and Coco. Oh and lots of cuddling (well, as much as he would let me) with my baby!

I was creeping on K from the airport, and I happened to see my other love on the floor next to his crib. Can you spot him!? LOL!

And now it’s Sunday. I’m on my flight to London, where I’ll be for the next four nights. We have a full team meeting this week which includes planning for next year. Should be a good one!

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving holiday filled with the people and foods that you love!

Nashville + A Doozy of a Week + Thanksgiving Fun

written by Parita 4 Comments

I definitely didn’t intend to take a week long blogging break. But after a doozy of a week, something had to give! More on that in a minute.

NASHVILLE

Vishnu, Kaiden, and I flew to Nashville last Friday for a 48 hour whirlwind of a trip. A group of our friends planned a get together, and because Vishnu won’t get to go home (Atlanta) this year, we decided to join the fun. We also wanted Kaiden to meet everyone!

All 14 adults + 4 babies stayed in one big house and made the most of our time together – went out to eat, played lots of games, and laughed/talked nonstop!

I shared Kacy’s Nashville recap post with the group, which led to us trying both Avo and Chauhan Ale & Masala House. I highly recommend these restaurants, especially CA&MH. The unique twist on Southern + Indian cuisine was a huge hit with everyone! Thanks, Kacy!

All in all, it was a great trip. Kaiden did really well on the flight over and pretty well on the fight back (ha!). I plan to share more about our first experience flying with K because we learned a lot of lessons and have a few stories to tell!

We obviously don’t regret going to Nashville at all, BUT it feels like we left with one baby and came home with a different one. Which leads me to our…

…DOOZY OF A WEEK

While in Nashville, Kaiden was not his usually happy self. He was generally fine during the day, but when it came to his nighttime sleeping, he’d wake up several times in a row screaming his head off. We attributed this to being in a new environment with new people and figured he’d return to his normal self a few days after being back home. Ummmm…not the case!

This past week was rough for all of us, especially K. His entire sense of being was off. Not only was he fussier, but he was also clingier than he’s ever been. Wanting to be constantly held is not usually his thing, but man, the minute I’d try to put him down, the screaming would start. He’d literally be fast asleep in my arms (or Vishnu’s), but the minute we’d even attempt to put him down, he’d wake up and start crying. Not only that, but his naps were pretty much nonexistent and his feeding schedule was all over the place.

We now think/know he’s teething. He’s showing all the classic symptoms, specifically putting his hands in his mouth and gnawing on them all day long. Poor baby! Thankfully, he hasn’t spiked a fever. We’re also very thankful he still sleeps through the night (knocking on all the wood I can find!).

While we feel terrible for him, the extra snuggles we’re getting are quite nice! I especially love when he burrows his head into my shoulder and puts his arms around my neck. And that’s when I whisper, “Please don’t ever grow up, Kaiden!!!” 🙂

To top it all off, I’ve also been feeling under the weather this past week. I’m not sure if it’s just exhaustion or if I have a cold or something. Hopefully it all passes very very soon!

THANKSGIVING FUN

With Kaiden not feeling his best, it was SO nice having extra pairs of hands around for a few days over the Thanksgiving holiday. Vishnu’s brother Niel flew in on Wednesday night, and his parents flew in on Thursday afternoon. I’m so thankful for their visit because not only did it inject some fun into Thanksgiving 2017, but it also kept me from going crazy! Thankfully, Kaiden doesn’t discriminate when it comes to who’s holding him. He just wants to be held! And his grandparents and uncle kindly obliged.

Other than hanging out at home and eating lots of delicious food (Thanksgiving feast, IP lentil tortilla soup, homemade pizza, and Seoul Taco), we didn’t do too much. Unfortunate because the temperature hit close to 60 on Friday. #stayawaywinterweather

My in-laws’ visit made me super excited about our trip home in December. I can’t wait for Kaiden to spend some time in the A!

After a crazy week, I’m hoping the upcoming one is as routine/normal/boring as they come!

Happy Monday…make it a good one.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

written by Parita 3 Comments

We all need a break sometimes, and I took mine the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Honestly, it was much needed because my creativity, organizational efficiency, and ability to get my s*** together felt like it was at an all time low (hence the lack of posts and pictures in this post). All good now though!

Our Thanksgiving weekend was pretty awesome. It actually started on Wednesday for both me and Vishnu because we took the day off. I talked to my sister that morning, and we decided to get together for dinner. After going back on forth on what we should eat, we unanimously voted to go all out with a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving meal. We kept it simple…kind of. Vishnu and I ended up making mac n’ cheese, cranberry sauce, gravy, and mashed potatoes. All from scratch! My sister, her husband, and a few our friends came over, and despite the last minuteness in the kitchen, it was so fun.

We woke up bright and early the next morning, packed our bags, and headed to St. Louis for the a couple of days. We stayed at Adarsh’s (my BIL) parents’ house and had a great time hanging out with Aekta, Adarsh, his parents and his sister. We ate delicious South Indian food, played games, and shopped (Black Friday outlet shopping for the win!).

Vishnu and I drove back to Chicago on Saturday afternoon and were home by 8 pm. We ate dinner, watched a few episodes of Parenthood, and called it a night.

Sunday was filled with unpacking, errands, and a little bit of baking (I made these delicious muffins).

This wouldn’t be a true Thanksgiving post without me sharing what I’m thankful for, so here are a few things (of many) that come to mind right now:

Vishnu – I’m one very lucky lady!
Family – both immediate and extended
Friends – new and old
Health – emotional, mental, spiritual
Our home (both our actual apartment and Chicago) – a place we’ll be for the next 3.5 years at least!
An abundance of daily laughter – without it, my world would be a sad place

With my pre-Thanksgiving ‘funk’ behind me, I’m looking forward to the next few weeks – holiday parties, cookie baking, Secret Santa with my coworkers, Hawaii, Christmas, New Years, etc. I’m also looking forward to being more efficient with my time and tackling/starting a few projects. Hooray for end of the year productivity!

I hope your Thanksgiving 2016 was filled with lots of delicious food, laughter, and loved ones.

Here’s to Monday and few more weeks until Christmas!

Your turn – what Thanksgiving food do you look forward to the most? For me, it’s all about the mac n’ cheese and cranberry sauce. YUM!

Weekend Recap – An Early Thanksgiving Feast

written by Parita 11 Comments

Do you know what I love most about Vishnu? Ok fine, maybe not the most but still…it’s high up on the list. He loves food as much as I do. He loves trying new restaurants, new cuisines, and the weird things I make every now and then. When it comes to food, we’re on the same page! I don’t know what I’d do if he was a picky eater or didn’t like to eat out and try new things. SO thankful for my Vishnu!

When I suggested that we celebrate Thanksgiving a little early this year (I’m in Atlanta this week!), Vishnu was totally on board. He even helped me put a menu together!

Saturday was the big day, and because I knew we’d be eating some rich foods, I decided to start the day with a run. I then headed to Target and Trader Joe’s to do some grocery shopping.

It was close to lunchtime when I got home and both Vishnu and I were getting hungry. Unfortunately, I was so focused on dinner that I forgot to think through what we would eat for lunch. After rummaging around the kitchen and coming up short, I asked Vishnu if he wanted to eat mac n’ cheese for lunch. This worked out perfectly because our dinner spread was quite the feast. Like Vishnu put it, we stretched out Thanksgiving and made it a day long event!

So lets talk about this mac n’ cheese! It was so unbelievably creamy and gooey. I used my Best Ever Mac n’ Cheese recipe as the base and made a few changes. I used whole milk instead of 2%, TJs gruyere and cheddar cheese blend instead of plain cheddar, and omitted the garlic altogether. I also didn’t bake it in the oven with breadcrumbs because I didn’t have any patience left for that step!

This is really a must make recipe if you love cheese and pasta. So so good!

We took a short break from eating and cooking to clean, pack, and watch TV (priorities!).

And then I was back in the kitchen!

Next on the list of things to make – corn muffins. These were easy because I used a box mix…Krusteaz I think. We like our corn bread/muffins on the sweeter side, and this mix definitely isn’t. I wish I had remembered to pick up the TJs corn bread mix…it’s our favorite.

While the muffins were in the oven, I started on the cranberry sauce using this Food Network recipe. There were a few changes of course! I used 3/4 cup raw sugar instead of 1 full cup, and I also added the juice of one lemon to the sauce. I could eat this stuff ALL THE TIME. It’s slightly sweet but more on the tart side and pretty much perfect on everything, especially corn bread!

With the cranberry sauce simmering away, I prepped dessert since it required some set up time in the freezer. Vishnu originally suggested chocolate mousse for dessert, and while that sounded delicious, I changed things up and decided to make Brittany’s chocolate coconut tarts. Both Vishnu and I love the coconut and chocolate combo, and I figured a simple ice cream like dessert would be a great way to end our meal. And it was, except we were so stuffed and could only finish 3/4 of one tart. I’m secretly hoping Vishnu forgets about the leftovers I put in the freezer so that I can have some when I get back! But this is another must try recipe if you’re a coconut lover…so easy to make!

Next came the stuffing. I followed this Real Simple recipe, swapping multigrain bread for white and omitting the olive oil and chestnuts. The end result was really delicious. The sweet apple was a nice surprise, and I liked how the multigrain bread stood up to the rest of the ingredients. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

I for sure thought Vishnu would want regular mashed potatoes this year, but he suggested a sweet potato mash instead. I found this super simple recipe and decided to go with it – only change made was using whole milk instead of heavy cream. Most mashed potato recipes suggest boiling the potato first and then mashing. This one was a one pot stovetop recipe, and I really appreciated not having to go through the extra step. And the potatoes were still just as creamy, buttery, and flavorful!

The final thing on my list was roasted asparagus – olive oil, salt, and pepper. Done!

Vishnu’s one big to do was a roasted chicken. Funny story about the chicken itself. I was secretly hoping TJs wouldn’t have a whole organic chicken because that would mean we could make something out of the chicken breasts at home. Well, they had lots of chickens. As I stood in the poultry section, I didn’t have a hard time picking the one I wanted, but I didn’t know how I was going to get the chicken in to my cart. I literally had a physically reaction when I thought about picking it up myself and almost asked the customer next to me for help. But that was borderline crazy so I decided against it. I then closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and picked up the chicken by it’s legs and gently tossed it in my cart. And then I almost cried! I’m not against Vishnu (or anyone) eating meat, but Food Inc. definitely came back to me as I stood in front of all those chickens.

Anyways, Vishnu used his mom’s recipe to prep and roast the chicken. He mixed leftover fresh thyme and sage with butter and smeared it all over the chicken along with liberal amounts of salt and pepper. He then roasted the chicken at 375 degrees for 1.5 hours. He said it was perfectly moist and juicy on the inside…I’ll take his word for it!