November is a time to Party!

I mean what month isn't a good time to party in all honesty? Can y'all believe it is November already?  This year is flying by!  I recently had my 1st annual 29th birthday this month!  Woo Hoo for never turning 30 right?!  As you can probably already tell, with a new month comes a new blog party theme!  This month we are all about the Giving (as you quickly start to sing "all about that bass")  I know you did. :)

One of the new additions to the party is we have some new and lovely co-hosts!  I will share with you a lil about them for your viewing pleasure!

Nicole shares about her life on a Kansas farm and ranch over at Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom. Her and her husband raise boys, cattle, wheat, corn, grass and soybeans on their family farm. Her days can be unpredictable, sometimes comical, sometimes heart wrenching, but always fulfilling to those who are lucky to be farmers.

Jan, the chick behind Tip Garden, grew up a Kansas farm girl. She now lives in the big city out in the South East. She works 2 jobs outside the home, in addition to her favorite "jobs" of wife and mother!  She knows what being a busy woman is, short on time, and always feeling 2 steps behind and she loves time & money saving ideas!

Caitlin, of Belongs With Wildflowers, a 20-something living on the East Coast of the United States. After a decade chasing college degrees and career ladders, I began blogging as a creative outlet to reconnect with myself. Blogging pushed me to look at what happiness meant to me (and it was found in the most surprising of places). 

I’m learning about agriculture, beekeeping, chickens, goats, herbalism, and organic farming to begin my farm and homestead in the next year. In the meantime, I spend my days chasing adventures with Michael (lovingly called ‘my guy’ and ‘my beau’),with an awfully adorable fur-little family in tow.

Jamie, of This Uncharted Rhoade, is a Midwestern girl. 25 years old. Married to her best friend. Passionate about agriculture. Has a fantastic job working with animals and amazing, smart people. Fixing up their one bedroom house into a home. Happiest when surrounded by open fields and cows. She's been known exaggerate a little bit and sometimes has potty mouth (sorry mom).

Laurie is a country gal from Missouri. She was born and raised a farm girl and feels very blessed to be back on the family farm with her husband and children. Laurie loves sharing about life on the farm and living in the country as well as her photography. Every day is different on the farm, so you never know what you might see when you visit COUNTRY LINKED.

Danielle was born an Urban Cajun, transformed into a Rural Okie and now blazing through life as a Kentucky Wife. She writes about my life, faith, my fur-child Oliver, over share about the handsome fella I married and mix it all in with some agriculture flavor on the (sometimes hysterical, but always honest) High Heels and Shotgun Shells.

So now that you know all about everyone, go find your favorite post about giving or anything Thanksgiving related and link it up for all the world to see!  

Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

<!-- end InLinkz script →

The BEST Thanksgiving side dish ever!!

So if any of you out there are like me, I tend to wait until the last minute to decide what to take to family gatherings.  Last Sunday we had a thanksgiving and i was debating what to take and i remembered that my new Food Network magazine recently came in the mail.  I looked through it and like a sign from god there it was......the most delicious looking sweet potato casserole i had ever seen.  While baking it made the house smelled of deliciousness and once tasted it you were in utter amazement! I got tons of compliments on the dish and am going to share this recipe with all of you so you too can be the star at this years family gatherings!!

This recipe is from non other than the woman herself....The Pioneer Woman..naturally!

We may have devoured it before I could snap a pic so here is the one from the magazine

 

Ree Drummond's Soul Sweet Taters

• 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 3/4 lbs)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar -(this is the secret weapon)
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees  Put the sweet potatoes on the oven rack and bake until fork-tender, about 45 min.  When the potatoes are finished cooking let cool slightly, about 5 min.  Slice them open and scrape out the flesh with a fork into a large bowl.  Increase oven temp to 400 degrees.

 

2. Add the granulated sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt to the bowl with the sweet potatoes.  Mash the mixture with a potato masher until combined and slightly lumpy-you don't want it to be perfectly smooth

 

3. Now, in a separate bowl, mash the brown sugar, pecans, flour and butter with a pastry cutter or fork until thoroughly combined.  The mixture should resemble a crumble

 

4. Spread the sweet potato mixture in a  14-cup oval shaped baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the top.  Bake until golden brown, about 30 min.

 

Good luck, enjoy, you won't be disappointed in this dish, and....HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!  Don't forget to be thankful to the farmers and ranchers that supply the food for the meal today and everyday!!