Creative Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas

 

Despite promises to yourself (and your waistline) that you wouldn’t overindulge this year, you’re probably stuffed just like the turkey after a plentiful holiday feast. And now that the holiday is over, you’ve got more turkey, dressing, macaroni and cheese and pumpkin pie than you know what to do with.

 

Did you know that many of the foods that we traditionally eat on Thanksgiving aren’t really traditional at all? According to historians, foods such as pumpkin pie (although they did have pumpkins), cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes weren’t on the menu for the first Thanksgiving held back 1621. And some of the dishes that the pilgrims did have with their meal that we don’t typically have included cod, eel, lobster, seal, grapes and plums.

 

While you’re probably not going to head out and try to recreate a 17^th century traditional Thanksgiving dinner, you probably are looking for creative ways to serve all of those Thanksgiving leftovers. Turkey sandwiches, soups and salads are great ways to revise the main course. You can kick it up a notch with spicy recipes like turkey curry or turkey enchiladas. Ummm, that sounds delicious! Or what about a hot soup to warm you up after a cold day of shopping or frolicking outside with the kids?

 

About.com has a great recipe for Turkey Divan Soup. We’ve included the recipe below for your convenience. However you decide to make use of the leftovers, we know they’ll be tasty!

 

Ingredients:

1-tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 1/2 cups turkey stock or chicken broth

1 medium clove garlic, minced

2 cups whipping cream or heavy cream

1/8-teaspoon ground black or white pepper

1/8-teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped blanched broccoli or thawed frozen broccoli

2 cups leftover cooked turkey

4 ounces ham, cut into strips

 

Preparation:

Melt butter over medium-low heat in a Dutch oven or stockpot; sauté onion until soft. Add stock and garlic. Stir in cream and seasonings. Heat for 10 minutes, but do not boil. Add cheese, broccoli, turkey and ham; continue to heat, stirring, until cheese melts. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

 

We hope you enjoy the recipe! And now that Thanksgiving is winding down, don’t forget to visit our website for lots of great Christmas floral ideas! You can save up to $20 off orders of $69.99 or more. Be sure to order early so that your poinsettias, roses, white lilies, Christmas greens and more for your home, or for family and friends arrive in time. Happy Holidays!

Saying “Thanks” to Clients and Business Associates This Holiday Season

 

First recognized by European settlers in America, Thanksgiving has become a rich holiday tradition, marked by great food, parades and football. In many households, before partaking of the Thanksgiving meal, family members and friends hold hands and take turn sharing what they are most thankful for. But Thanksgiving isn’t just a time of reflection among loved ones. It’s also a perfect time to share how thankful you are for your clients, business associates and employees, and show your gratitude for their role in your success over the course of the year.

 

Each year companies spend tons of money on holiday cards and gifts to show their clients and business associates just how much they’ve appreciated working with them. But because so many of these tokens of gratitude and holiday cheer are sent around Christmas and Hanukkah, they often get lost in the shuffle. If you’re looking for a way to make your card or gift truly stand out from the deluge of holiday greetings this year, try sending them around Thanksgiving. After all, what better time to show your appreciation and tell a client, business associate or employee “Thank You” for everything they’ve done? Whether you send a card, gift or a bouquet of fresh flowers, filled with the beautiful colors of autumn and the holiday season, your token of appreciation will arrive far in advance of the rush of holiday greetings, make a lasting impression, and truly resonate with the recipient.

 

Save money on holiday bouquets this fall when you shop at Turpin’s Florist online. Use our Fall Savings Coupon to save on beautiful floral arrangements filled with all of your favorite flowers of the season, including fresh burgundy carnations, gold chrysanthemums, butterscotch poms, and two-tone orange roses. Our arrangements also make great host and hostess gifts to say thanks for all of the time and effort our friends and family will be spending in the kitchen, as they prepare our favorite holiday meals.

 

For more holiday gift ideas, give us a call. We have something perfect for every occasion and for everyone on your list!

 

Visit the Norfolk Botanical Gardens

Norfolk Botanical Garden

 

Who among flower lovers in Norfolk, Chesapeake and even Virginia Beach have not visited the Norfolk Botanical Gardens? And if you haven’t been, now’s the time to go!

 

The Garden is located at 6700 Azalea Garden Road in Norfolk, and you can get driving directions from their website, http://www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/. The Garden offers classes on a variety of subjects… such as leaf casting, one stroke casting, making collages…even creating floral designs, wreaths, and table arrangements.

 

As a professional florist, we’re not afraid of the Garden creating competitors for us! When you need a beautifully arranged bouquet of flowers delivered to that special someone, professional florists are the way to go, and there are plenty of such shops in Chesapeake, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

 

Floral design is much more than simply sticking a bunch of flowers in a vase, as you doubtless know, or will soon realize one you take a class at the Garden! It requires a skilled eye, an imagination, and a knowledge of what flowers and greenery look well together.

 

So let’s get back to discussing what the Botanical Garden has to offer.

 

If you haven’t been to the Garden since June, you’ll want to go before October 12, so that you’ll be able to visit the Mutambo, an outdoor stone sculpture exhibit, imported from Zimbabwe, to honor the 70th Anniversary of the Garden’s creation by 220 local African Americans…way back in 1938. The figures were not sculpted especially for the occasion, but come from Zimbabwe’s famous Shona Sculpture Park.

 

Now that school is in session, you’ll be sure to see some kids their making their field trips, which can add an extra enjoyment to the day if you like seeing young children running around entranced by the nature all about them.

 

There are a dozen gardens in the Garden, called Signature Gardens:

 

Bicentennial Rose Garden

Bristow Butterfly Garden

Hofheimer Camellia Garden

Flowering Aboretum

Kaufman Hydrangea Garden

Renaissance Garden

Sarah Lee Baker Perennial Garden

Statuary Vista

Virginia Native Plant Garden

World of Wonders – A Children’s Adventure Garden

 

And there are 28 gardens called Themed Gardens. I won’t list them all, but they include the peaceful Japanese Garden, the Hummingbird Garden, and the Colonial Herb Garden.

 

And of course, you can rent various locations in the Garden to hold a wedding, or a conference meeting, or any kind of festive occasion, and what better setting can there be?

 

The Garden is open from 9 am to 7 pm until October.