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It's beginning to look a lot like....THE HOLIDAYS!



I am thrilled to have my first post with the Casablanca authors be about the holidays. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of all. It's so universal. We all have something to be thankful about. This year I feel especially thankful for family, health, and yes, publishing. Next year is a busy publishing year for me with 5 releases. A Blaze trilogy of hot military heroes that leads right into my Sourcebooks debut LEGEND OF MICHAEL which is a paranormal military series. HOT. Definately Hot:). I am so excited about MICHAEL I could, well, celebrate! And isn't Thanksgiving the perfect time for that?



One of the ways I celebrate the holidays, that makes everyone around me happy, is by NOT COOKING. Because I do it badly and if I cooked everyone would feel like they had to eat it. Well except me and that's not fair:) Not really...maybe a little. I would be doing the work --right?

This year, like most, DH and I have Thanksgiving alone, like a romantic escape. Christmas this year will be a house full of family and I am looking forward to visiting but... I just love our romantic little Thanksgiving. We start with food, of course. We enjoy the Spinach Artichoke dip from Boston Market which is so yummy and you can pick it up Thanksgiving morning. They only make it for Thanksgiving so it's a once a year treat. Then we get ham and turkey, and sides at Honey Baked Ham. Then we pick out desserts and have several choices. Cheesecake factory is always a favorite. And yes-- this food is FOR TWO OF US. We both LOVE to eat. I swear that is part of what made us fall in love.

A few things I will miss this year that we've enjoyed several previous years. I recently moved from New York to Colorado. While I love the Pikes Peak view, I really loved walking New York City during the holidays. The decorations were wonderful and the city alive. And I LOVED making one of our sweet treats for Thanksgiving the cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. SO GOOD.




Anyway, while letting the food settle so we have room for more food, we see two movies. Always two. We love movies and we love that it's a two movie day. And DH complains he doesn't have room for popcorn which is NECESSARY in his mind for the movie experience. By movie two - he gets popcorn and I groan at the smell because I am still stuffed.

Then we head home and eat some more. I am ready by then. At this point, we put up the tree and make our holiday CD. It's something we've done for years and I always offer a large number of them to a readers on my bog.

Sigh....its such a great day.


How do you spend your Thanksgiving? I'd love to hear!

Lisa
www.lisareneejones.com
The Zodius Series May 2011
LEGEND OF MICHAEL

**PS -- Please forgive my very bad Blogger skills! I'm use to wordpress. So everything isn't exactly formatted as I wanted it:(

Comments

  1. What a charming and delightful tradition you and DH have come up with.

    Thanksgiving at your house sounds both relaxing and stress free.

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  2. That is sooo sweet ... I love it! Has this ever found its way into your books? It should!

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  3. Very nice. I don't particularily like to cook either, but since we always go to either my husband's family or mine, all I have to do is take a dish.

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  4. Great first blog, Lisa! My mother-in-law is cooking this year. I don't cook, so it's a good thing she's doing it. The whole family gets together.

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  5. Sounds like a great way to spend the holiday! And congrats on your many releases. I do like HOT.

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  6. Wonderful post, Lisa! And it formatted just fine! I love your cozy and romantic tradition. :}

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  7. I might have to start a new tradition, Lisa. This "no cooking" but buy from some of your favorite places had a nice ring to it.

    Like you, I love NYC at Christmas time.

    Amelia

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  8. Carolyn I've never used this tradition in a book but I think you are right. It belongs in one for sure. It's amazing how life slips into our work isn't it?

    And Olivia you do like it hot, don't you?!)

    Thanks ladies! So glad to be here!

    Oh and Amelia--the NO COOKING tradition is awesome. You should try it:)

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  9. I always love hearing what y'all do for Thanksgiving, Lisa. It is so romantic, and those traditions however simple is what makes the most precious memories! :)

    As for us, we go to my parents where I share the cooking with my mom. Its crowded, noisy with laughter and conversation, but its been our tradition since before I was born. :)

    hugs,
    D

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  10. Hey Donna-- you have youngsters and I remember how wonderful those days were. The kids just LOVED the tree going up. And as they got older it was a big FOOTBALL day too! Fond memories.

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  11. That's the best way, Lisa.

    We used to go out for Thanksgiving. For many years we'd have dinner at Knotts Berry Farm, a tradition started when I was in college and my dad was away for the holiday. Mom and I went up there and really enjoyed ourselves.

    Since it's too far to drive now we were eating out, but now get a precooked feast from our grocery store that's terrific. So all I have to do is reheat it all and add the extras that make the meal all mine.

    Plus I'd much rather bake than cook. :}

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  12. Sounds tasty and fun! Congrats on the new release!

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  13. I am lucky to have a nephew born on Thanksgiving, so my sister does a combo turkey day/ birthday at her house every year. Love it! All I have to do is be chip and dip girl and make a chocolately dessert. Both things I excel at, lol.


    caity_mack at yahoo dot com

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  14. Our Thanksgiving tradition is a
    "homey" one because that's what
    was tradition for our parents.
    So you go with what you know!
    I've always cooked the turkey (in
    oven or roaster or one year in my
    huge microwave oven!) along with
    all the sides. Dessert was a mix
    of home and purchased. Family now
    is taking on sides & desserts, I
    will continue to do the meats and
    any special dishes that I want to
    introduce into the meal. The main
    focus for the day is family and
    being thankful for all the things with which we have been blessed.
    Blessings to all!

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  15. I love hearing other peoples traditions! For me, since we live far from both sides of the family, we find ourselves traveling...a lot. We usually do a traditional dinner...then the guys kick back to watch football, the kids go play, and us Black Friday shoppers scour the ads and devise our BF plans! LOL This year my SIL and I are planning to get a jump on the Chrismas cards-this is a big step for me, I'm the one most likely to send them out after the New Year. o.O

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  16. That sounds like a great day.


    loretta

    lbcanton@verizon.net

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  17. Going to be quiet for us this year. Only one son, and he's vegetarian.

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  18. Welcome Lisa! Your book sounds fabulous! I don't cook a lot anymore, so Thanksgiving is my one time to have some fun in the kitchen.

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  19. Sheila -- sounds like a reason to make dessert!:)

    Pat it sounds like a fabulous traditional holiday

    Cathy a birthday and Thanksgiving --how cool! Sounds like his parents had a really good reason to be thankful the day he was born.

    And Linda - I like baking more than cooking. And I have a neighbor who bakes. She just brought us banana bread and I am loving the new neighbor welcome. It was so sweet-- both the gesture and the yummy bread.

    Aemelia-- I remember those football Thanksgivings form when my boys lived at home. They loved it.

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  20. I love fixing Turkey dinner for us. It is just the two of us but I really enjoy doing it. Especially when it comes out correctly. LOL :-) The way you do it sounds very nice too.

    Larena

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  21. Love the new tradition you and your hubby have started! I'm here in NY...so if you're REALLY craving some Magnolia cupcakes...let me know and I'll ship 'em out.

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  22. I loved your romantic dinner with DH. I'm going to be alone for Thanksgiving, so I'll just have whatever. My daughter and her boyfriend will come the weekend before, although I might be working. So this will be the first year ever I'm not bothering to make turkey! I love it, but no sense in making it and having to eat it all by myself! :)

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  23. What a great tradition. Last year my family and I went to Longwood Gardens for the day. We had a great buffet dinner and were the first to experience the years Christmas decorations a la Longwood. It was amazing. This year Thanksgiving falls on my 21st wedding anniversary. We've chosen to go back to Longwood, but this year we're doing dinner at the 1906--Longwood's restaurant which is just amazing! We got late reservations so we can do the lights and decorations before dinner. Last year everyone was in a Turkey and pumpkin pie coma and didn't get through the whole conservatory before we left. We ended up going back several times so we did eventually see the entire display, but I'd like to do it in one fell swoop this year!

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  24. Lisa, I love your Thanksgiving traditons ~ especially the NO cooking, lol. We always do a big family gathering, but it's fun and not TOO hard because we do a kind of pot luck, with each of us girls doing the major cooking, and my Mom doing the pies these days. We always have a fun filled day, eat, play games, watch some TV, eat some more, lol...

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  25. Oh Sara -- I am so jealous you are there in Magnolia country!:) At RWA this year -- I am making a trip or two for sure for cupcakes.

    And Larena even if the Turkey doesn't come out well -- oh well. Half the fun is just the experience and the memory of the day. Remember the Christmas Vacation Turkey? No meat left lol. LOVE that movie.

    Robin 21 YEARS! That is what romance is all about. And it sounds like you have a fabulous romantic plan. Congrats.

    And Terry sounds like you are set up for some romance with hubby too.

    Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!

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  26. Our holidays always depend on my husband's schedule. He's an RN in a city ER, so it changes. This year he's off so we are splitting the holiday between my parents and his folks. We have three kids, and they love visiting both grandparents, so it's chaotic but fun. Very different from your Thanksgiving, which sounds very peaceful and love to me:) LOL

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