Going on a "Silver haired fox hunt?"

Food - A small dusting of freshly fallen pure white snow covered the ground early this morning. For everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season. Freshly fallen snow inspires us to get ready for the holidays, much like freshly painted walls can renew the peace we feel in our "homes."

Thanksgiving resembles that small dusting of freshly fallen pure white snow for many of us. It is a time, well, to give thanks. A time of gathering around the table with our families, friends, and neighbors, not merely just to feast, but to reflect upon our blessings; renew our hearts and minds - giving our spirits a "refueling" of hope for the days that lie ahead.

We have a tradition at Thanksgiving, I'm sure similar to many families, in that we go around the table and say what we are most thankful for. Most of the answers are fairly similar. Then right before partaking in the feast, we offer up our prayer of thanks. As thankful as we are, we quickly move onto the rather "lighter version of giving thanks, the child's version of giving thanks, simply known in our home as "Dwayne's Prayer." Our oldest son, when asked to say the dinner prayer simply cut to the heart of the matter and said: "Dwayne's Prayer." This prayer captures the innocence in giving thanks - it doesn't have to be a poetic, long, word filled prayer - it needs only come from the heart! It also reminds our family, and I hope it will yours too, to laugh, have fun, and enjoy the journey!

Here is a vegetable dish to bring "warmth" to any Thanksgiving dinner. I love this dish!
Roasted Root Vegetables with Sage and Garlic
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
8 oz. rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes.
8 oz. turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
8 oz. carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes or rounds
8 oz parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes or rounds
1 lg. onion, cut or sliced into large pieces
8 fresh sage leaves
4 garlic cloves (do not peel)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 1/2 tsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. Toss together all ingredients and spread out in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender. About 50-60 minutes.
*You can prepare this earlier in the day and put in a large casserole/serving dish.

I have also made this when preparing a roast too, by simply putting all of the above items in the bottom of the roasting pan and putting the roast directly on the vegetables!

Dish - Petters Co.: Many watchers, but no one watching..
I say: Petters Co: - Many people watching, they were just pretending not to see! How could you not see this? It was as big as an elephant in a small, cramped room and as tall as a giraffe poking it's head out of a Volkswagen. It was, as our Mom would say: as plain as the nose on our face. What amazes me most is, the amount of people so willing to go along with Tom Petters on this "scheme." It is one thing, when one person decides to do something unlawful, but when they recruit other people, and those people think: "Hey, sign me up, that sounds like a good thing to do." Come'on, they knew it was wrong from the beginning!
http://www.startribune.com/local/34524834.html?page=1&c=y

This would be some fox hunt! If only we could all look like this with gray hair.
http://www.tmz.com/2008/11/16/silver-fox-hunt/

Embellish - Be nice to people on your way up because you'll meet them on your way down. ~ Wilson Mizner