Search Results for: giving thanks

Giving Thanks for Love

November 29, 2013 by thiscookindad 6 Comments

As Thanksgiving ends and the holiday season begins, I’m giving thanks for love. Love is one of those things that is difficult to define, but just about everyone understands what love is. Love comes in many forms. There’s the way you love your kids. There’s young love, mature love, the way you love your kids or parents, even that first crush.

I’ve heard that love is like a warm blanket, when it’s right, you never want to be cold again.. I’ve also heard that, if you wish to be loved, first love. One of my favorite comments from my daughter, Grace, was from her classroom Father’s Day program last year. The kids were asked to say why they loved their daddies. Rather than list out the things that we do together or that I do for her, she simply stated that she loved me because I love her. Can she define or describe love? Not really, but she understands that her mommy and daddy love her unconditionally.

I took the photo above when I was in Chile last April. This was my first trip with my DSLR and I was still learning about the features, but despite my lack of skill, this photo captures the essence of young love. In Chile, it is very common to find young people making out on park benches. Since they typically live at home until after college, the time on the park bench is likely the only time they have “alone”. It’s funny how love is represented in other cultures while, in its essence, remaining just the same.

Are you giving thanks for love? How do you look at love? Have you had experience viewing love in other cultures? Share your story and make sure you follow along and see what else I’m giving thanks for.

Giving Thanks for New Traditions

November 28, 2013 by thiscookindad 8 Comments

Today, I’m giving thanks for new traditions. I remember being told once that, in this country, our only tradition is change. I disagree. In large part, tradition is the absence of change. That doesn’t mean, however, that traditions cannot change or that we cannot add to our tradition as the years go by.

My grandmother used to cut the ends off of her hams before she put them into the roasting pan. For years, my mother watched this and wondered why. One year, she finally asked her. The response? Because her mother had always done it that way. When my mom went to ask my great-grandmother, she learned that she had always cut the ends off because her pan had always been too small for the hams.

For many of us, our holiday menus stay the same from year to year. This is a great way to stay connected with our family’s past. Kids get to eat the same foods that their grandparents and stay grounded in those traditions. It can be easy, though, to remain stuck in the past. New foods, new flavors, new techniques, and new takes on the traditional dishes can help us continue to move forward. Being innovative and experimental with our food lets us connect with our future and can help older generations understand the younger ones.

At Thanksgiving, and in general, I like to shoot for a balance. If you blindly stick to traditions, you can forget why you even had the traditions in the first place. If you are open to change, you can experience new, great things. The sweet potato casserole was one of my first attempts at this. I remember being told over and over again that I’d better just make a small batch because the family probably wouldn’t eat very much of it. Now, it is a staple every year. If I decided not to make it one year, I think I would get lots of protest. This little trial has become a new tradition in our family.

Now we keep most of the traditional items, but I add something new every year, just to see what sticks. We keep that connection with the past, but challenge everyone with new options as we move forward. The best of both worlds.

Are you giving thanks for new traditions? Do you have any hard and fast traditions in your family? What new things have you tried during these holiday feasts? Leave me a comment and let me know and make sure you follow along and see what else I’m giving thanks for.

Giving Thanks for Team Spirit

November 27, 2013 by thiscookindad 2 Comments

Today, I’m giving thanks for team spirit. During the holidays, families come together to celebrate all sorts of things. One thing that ties many families together is their sense of team spirit. Whether you root for the same team or bicker back and forth, sports, teams, and loyalties can be an integral part of any family gathering.

In our family, the VA Tech Hokies rule the roost. Beth and I met there and she and her brother and sister are all graduates. With all of that money invested into the school, you know that their parents are fans too. We’ve started brainwashing our kids early and my sister-in-law is expecting another little Hokie before the bowl games start up. There are all sorts of ways that we integrate this sense of spirit into the festivities. We’ll use licensed plates, napkins, etc for dessert, we’ll definitely have Hokie salt and pepper shakers, and I took a little extra time to vent the cherry pie with the logo for a little extra flare. If you squint your eyes right, you can even see the maroon and orange team colors. GO HOKIES!!

Are you giving thanks for team spirit this holiday season? What is your favorite sport/team? Does your whole family support the same team? Leave me a comment and make sure you follow along and see what else I’m giving thanks for.

Giving Thanks for Holiday Cooking

November 26, 2013 by thiscookindad 7 Comments

Today, I’m giving thanks for holiday cooking. No longer is it getting to be that time of year. That time of year is here! I spent today cooking some and getting in the mode to do more cooking tomorrow. I roasted and pureed some fresh pumpkin and used it to make a pumpkin cheesecake (more to come on that), and I cooked up a yummy cranberry sauce with orange and ginger.

When I saw these incredible colors playing against each other, I was reminded that it is truly the holiday season and time to start cooking up all of the wonderful foods that are indicative of this time of year. I can’t wait for the duo of turkeys this year. I am frying one while my mother-in-law oven roasts the other. We have all of the classic sides along with a couple of surprises that I’m offering up for the family. After dinner is a veritable smorgasbord of pies. Who can resist?

After this one day feast, though, the real cooking gets started. Cookie exchanges, holiday dinners with both sides of the family, Christmas parties with neighbors, etc. The celebration seems wonderfully endless. So pull out the mulling spices, let the cider flow, and get your baking pans ready. Your oven is waiting for you.

Are you giving thanks for holiday cooking? What food do you think best represents the season? Leave a comment and make sure you follow along and see what else I’m giving thanks for.

Giving Thanks for Swag

November 25, 2013 by thiscookindad 4 Comments

This is going to sound a little self-serving, but today, I’m giving thanks for swag. Swag can mean different things, but, in my world, swag consists of the promotional items that companies give away at events like the Mixed Conference that Beth and I attended this past weekend.

I love going to conferences, trade shows, media events, etc. You get to interact with a variety of people in your field, meet some celebs from time to time, and connect with product manufacturers and representatives. These companies jockey for positioning, sponsoring these events at various levels in an effort to advance their business in the eyes of attendees and, in particular, the media. It’s all about expanding reach.

Sometimes, in your swag bag, you get pens or notepads with product names on them, but the best is when you actually get the product to try out. This weekend, we got a number of different products that we are happy to try out. I’m curious about the rye crackers, but am excited about using the graham crackers to make my pumpkin cheesecake. YUM!!

Do you go to events for the swag? What’s the best swag that you’ve ever received? Leave me a comment and make sure you follow along and see what else I’m giving thanks for.

Giving Thanks for Health

November 24, 2013 by thiscookindad 2 Comments

Today, I’m giving thanks for health. It’s pretty easy to take your health for granted, isn’t it? When you are in great health, it feels like you can do anything, doesn’t it? I remember my years in the Army. We were all young, but we were also in incredible shape! We felt pretty much invincible. I remember carrying over 150 lbs of gear and running all over the place, jumping off of trucks, and throwing my body against walls, all without feeling a thing.

Now, it feels like a struggle to keep in shape. Working out at the gym, running, and even hiking are all ways just to try to slow that ticking clock. The older I get, though, the more I appreciate exercise in all it’s forms for something more than the exercise itself. I’ve never really like running, but I appreciate the solitude and I pay much more attention to my surroundings when I go on a longer run. I always hated road marches when I was in the Army, but it can be pretty difficult to see the most amazing vistas without making a hike through the mountains.

Do I like to exercise? No! Not for it’s own sake, anyhow. But I’m finding that I love what I can do when my body is in great shape and how much more I can appreciate the activities and goals that I can accomplish when I can put forth a great effort with less strain. Here’s to staying healthy.

Are you giving thanks for health? What are you doing to keep yourself healthy? Leave me a comment and make sure you follow along and see what else I’m giving thanks for.

Giving Thanks for Music

November 23, 2013 by thiscookindad 3 Comments

Today, I’m giving thanks for music. There’s not really any other way to put it, I dig music. I am in no way a particularly talented musician. To watch me dance is to laugh your butt off and to hear me sing…well, I’m sure there’s someone out there who can appreciate my voice. Frankly, I just don’t care. I love music. And not just one single genre. I love classical music, jazz, country, oldies, R&B, Top 40, etc. I can even get into the occasional punk, funk, or alternative song.

Music is a big part of our lives. If you and your loved one still sing “your” song together every time it’s on the radio, you know about music. If you’ve ever cried your eyes out to a song after a hard break-up, you know the effects of music. If you’ve ever heard your life story summed up in a 3 minute song, you know the power of music.

Music is more than just words and melody; it has a soul. Listen to the same song performed by two or even three different artists. The words and most of the melody are the same, but the feeling behind music, they way that it touches you, can vary greatly.

I took the photo above at a get together marking the end of Mixed, the food blogger conference that Beth and I attended this weekend. After hours of workshops, seminars, and presentations, it’s nice to be able to let your hair down, have a drink or two, tap your feet to the rhythm, or maybe even have a dance with your sweetie. Yup, I love music!

Are you giving thanks for music as we approach the holiday season? What is it about music that just gets you? What is your favorite genre? Leave me a comment and, while you’re at it, make sure you follow along and see what else I’m giving thanks for.

Giving Thanks for Food

November 22, 2013 by thiscookindad 4 Comments

Today, I’m giving thanks for food. Seeing as I am currently at Mixed, a food blogger conference, food has been at the top of my mind today. We come together to talk about food, food styling, food photography, cooking, etc. I consider myself pretty fortunate to be in the company of such talented individuals. In fact, it was at last year’s Mixed that I was inspired to start This Cookin’ Dad.

This year, I feel like I am coming in to take it up a notch. It’s less about being inspired and more about learning the craft. I even signed up for an additional hands-on workshop that focused specifically on food styling and food photography with two very impressive ladies, Tami Hardeman and Helene Dujardin. They gave us a pretty difficult subject, a brown stew, and told us to have at it. They walked around, gave us some tips, and helped us to come out with our best shots. You can see mine above (not bad, eh?). Afterwards, they showed us their thought processes, working together to get the perfect shot. It was just beautiful!

This time of year, though, I’m also reminded that it can be pretty easy to take food for granted. We have such a bounty on our tables at Thanksgiving and are quick to point out when even the slightest thing is not to our liking. It can be difficult to remember how many people are going to struggle just to put a dinner on the table, much less the traditional overflow of fare that we associate with this holiday.

I learned in the Army to appreciate every morsel of food that comes in front of you because I wasn’t always certain about the next chance we would have to eat. I may not always like all of the food on my plate. In fact, I find myself getting a bit snobby about food sometimes. Still, I can never undervalue the effort that went into making that food available and rarely will you see me fail to finish my meal.

As we get closer to the holiday season, please make sure that you take a moment to consider those who grow, process, cook, and serve your food as well as those who are not able to enjoy the blessings of a full table.

Are you giving thanks for food this season? It seems like such a simple thing, doesn’t it? Tell us about your appreciation of food and make sure you follow along and see what else I’m giving thanks for.

Giving Thanks for Local Business

November 21, 2013 by thiscookindad 3 Comments

Today, I’m giving thanks for local business. You know what I’m talking about, right? The little mom and pop start-ups? the hole-in-the-wall restaurants? the tiny storefronts? These places are the heart and soul of a community. They provide color and local flare. The big chain places just don’t do that.

I’m not knocking big chain places. There is a place for them. How often can you walk into one of them, though, and instantly be recognized and greeted by the owner. At these little local restaurants, you can really get to know the people preparing your food, not just the ones serving it.

Recently, a new one of these little places opened up in a storefront nearby. Mi Casa is one of those places that could easily be overlooked, but if you go once, it’s pretty easy to become hooked. All of the food is fresh and handmade. You can taste the love that they put into every dish!

Above, you can see their Tortas de Milanesa. It’s just a simple breaded chicken sandwich, but it’s so much more! A delicious sauce, creamy avocado, sharp onion, and ripe tomatoes come together with a perfectly cooked and crispy breaded chicken breast all piled onto a soft toasted roll. It’s pretty much heaven in a sandwich! Drooling yet? I am!

Are you giving thanks for local business this month? Do you have a local place that you have just fallen in love with? Share your local flare with us and make sure you follow along and see what else I’m giving thanks for.

Giving Thanks for Firefighters

November 20, 2013 by thiscookindad 3 Comments

Today, I’m giving thanks for firefighters. These guys work tirelessly and selflessly and will not hesitate to put themselves into harm’s way to pull us from danger. To say that their training is rigorous would be quite an understatement.

Even more than their physical abilities and selflessness, however, I admire their passion for the job that they do. This passion shines through most when they teach others about their profession. Sophie’s kindergarten class had an opportunity today to visit a fire station and to see the firefighters, their equipment, and most impressively, their trucks. These guys remain a special sort of role model for our youth. What a great experience for these little kids (and maybe for some of the big ones as well!).

Are you giving thanks for firefighters? What is your experience with these heroes? Leave me a comment and let me know and make sure you follow along and see what else I’m giving thanks for.