Thanksgiving favorites

Anne Bramley's Lemon Tea Bread in Eat Feed Autumn Winter

If it were up to me, I'd reserve the entire day on Thanksgiving just for vegetable sides and maybe an apple crisp or a cranberry slump for dessert.  I never look forward to sitting down at the same table with an unfortunate bird, but give me good vegetable sides, salads and a simple dessert (no pumpkin pie please!) and I'm there.

Here are just a few ideas for sides:

If you're a Brussels sprout fan, check out this post. (Northwest grown are simply the best, by the way.)

And forget the standard green bean casserole. Check out these green beans from 101 Cookbooks.

If you like carrots, here's a great idea for carrots from Vegetarian Times.

For easy and dairy-free check, out 10 vegan side dishes from Treehugger.

If you're looking for Northwest grown, check out these ideas from Whatcom Locavore -- German Sweet Potato Salad,  Garlic Rosemary Smashed Potatoes, or  Caramelized Onion Topping, a recipe simply made for mashed potatoes!

And wait, here's a few more ideas from  Food Connections:

Romanesco with Northwest Berry Vinegar

Quick and Easy Coleslaw

Sweet Potato and Parsley Salad

Just desserts

Looking for something besides pumpkin pie for dessert?  Try any one of these ideas:

My all-time favorite is this recipe--the best berry crisp ever.  Apple crisp comes in a close second with this same recipe.

For true apple dessert fans, my choice is an Apple Pie with the Oatmeal Cookie Crust.

Apple pie with coconut sorbet

Another option is to take advantage of cranberries, pair them with frozen raspberries and make this old-fashioned Cranberry-Raspberry Slump.  This is a simmered dessert with sweet biscuits simmered on top.

While you're planning all the goodies for the annual feast, don't forget your canine friends.  An easy treat to make is sweet potato chews.   Slice sweet potatoes or yams lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices.  Place on a pizza screen or baking sheet and bake at 200F for 8 hours or until crisp.

Coco posing for treats.

Dog biscuits are easy to make and fun to give as gifts.  These Buckwheat-Pumpkin biscuits are always a big hit.  The measurements don't have to be exact, it just has to be a dough you can handle, roll out and cut.  I like to get interesting shapes, you can find cookie cutters in any cooking store.

Whatever you make this holiday and wherever you go, have a great time, drive carefully and come back with delicious memories.