Peanut Butter Fingers

Living a Life Fueled by Healthy Food and Fitness

Navigation

Thanksgiving 2014

by 63 Comments

Our Thanksgiving in Sarasota was fantastic, as always! My mother-in-law always hosts a beautiful gathering that includes some of my all-time favorite food,but it was the people who obviously made Thanksgiving extra special. Now that Ryan and I have to drive 11 hours to see my in-laws, we’re finding ourselves appreciating what little time we do have together even more.

mother son

I feel lucky to have married into a family who has always been so incredibly kind and welcoming to me and I could easily sit down and chat with Ryan’s mom Diane for hours… which is what we did most of the weekend!

We arrived in Sarasota Wednesday evening and spent the few hours before bed eating a late dinner and chatting on the couch.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving began with a little activity! Before bed on Wednesday night, I convinced Ryan to join me on a 5-mile run with Sadie Thanksgiving morning, so right after we woke up, the three of us headed out and completed a loop around town. We lucked out with the weather (Thanksgiving can still be quite hot in Florida sometimes), but the temperature during our run was in the upper 50s which was ideal.

running with ryan and sadie

(Sadie’s paw placement is like a dagger to the heart — I think I’ve officially given up my attempt to claim the coveted spot as Sadie’s favorite.)

affectionate dog

We arrived home ready for a shower and walked in the door to find my mother-in-law had already prepped a hot pot of oatmeal! Sweet!

husband wife

We spent the rest of the morning getting ready for the big Thanksgiving feast that kicked off around 2 p.m. Everyone started arriving at 1 p.m. and we spent the hour or so before turkey time eating appetizers and drinking my favorite sangria that Diane makes every year. (I think it’s a Paula Deen sangria recipe?)

3

white sangria cranberries

2

The spread at this year’s Thanksgiving lunch was packed with old favorites and I filled up my plate, excited to dig into so many delicious dishes.

Thanksgiving plate

And Thanksgiving totally warrants seconds 30 minutes after you’re done eating, right? Don’t mind if I do…

Thanksgiving seconds

Once our bellies were full, we headed outside to spend a few hours in the backyard where we played corn hole, mingled and messed around with Sadie who had a blast chasing shadows, light reflections and the occasional ball when she could coerce someone into a few rounds of fetch.

IMG_0713

Eventually it was time for dessert and I loaded up my plate with Aunt Elaine’s apple pie and pumpkin pie, both of which were made from scratch and absolutely fabulous. On Friday night, Diane actually used the leftover apple pie and turned it into an apple crisp that we enjoyed with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream and it was heavenly.

Dinner was leftovers which we ate again for lunch and dinner on Friday night as well. I can’t get enough of Thanksgiving leftovers and would gladly eat them for three meals a day until they’re gone!

Friday

On Friday morning, Ryan and I had the pleasure of spending the morning with my father-in-law who met us at Station 400 for breakfast followed by a long walk at the marina. We’ve been to Station 400 a number of times in the past and it never disappoints!

station 400_thumb[1]

I ordered eggs with sausage, fruit, tomatoes and mushrooms and split an order of the banana pancakes with Ryan as well.

pancakes station 400_thumb[1]

station 400 breakfst_thumb[1]

Plus a cappuccino!

cappucino_thumb[2]

Our walk along the marina was just what I needed that morning — moving my legs and enjoying the beautiful Florida sunshine!

IMG_0723_thumb[2]

IMG_0726_thumb[1]

Soulscarf_thumb[5]

IMG_0721_thumb[1]

We had fun looking at the boats and chatting as we walked for an hour or so.

IMG_0720_thumb[2]

It was lovely and we finished our walk with a picture in front of the Unconditional Surrender statue.

Unconditional Surrender statue_thumb[1]

Kiss Kiss

Unconditional Surrender Statue Kiss_thumb[1]

The rest of the weekend was spent with family, catching up over trips to the dog park with Sadie, yummy homecooked meals and some Black Friday shopping! It was such a wonderful trip to Sarasota and we left feeling happy and sad, with our fingers crossed for a January visit!

Be sure to follow PBFingers on Instagram and Facebook!

I'd love to connect with you! I am always so grateful when you let me know you tried one of my recipes or workouts and tag me in your photos or updates. Thank you so much!!!

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

Comments

  3. Amanda says

    The weather looks beautiful, and well worth the drive :).

    Maybe carry some treats in your pocket for the next week to reclaim the #1 spot in Sadie’s heart?! 😉

    Reply

  5. annielauer says

    Such a cute picture under the kissing statue. When my husband and I lived in San Diego, the statue was only about a 15 minute walk along the harbor where we lived. I always wanted to get our picture taken there, but I could never convince him

    Reply

  13. babystepsandmommymoves says

    We discovered a show this weekend on Netflix called Man vs Food and they had a place on there called Munchies in Sarasota… it looked like the kind of place you would avoid like the plague, but out of curiosity, have you ever gone? It looked amazing in the most disgusting, delicious, heart-attack inducing, ridiculous way ever…

    Reply

  16. Michelle says

    I love your blog so much! I live in Orlando but spend Thanksgiving up in Charlotte, NC with my in-laws so I love reading about your Charlotte adventures. 🙂 Where did you get those cute brown boots in photos? 🙂

    Reply

  30. Molly D. says

    Looks like a great time! I made the recipe you posted for the Pineapple Souflee and it didn’t last for more than ten minutes! It’s going to become a holiday staple. 🙂

    Reply

  31. Brooke R says

    Great post, Julie! It warmed my heart that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family. I loved your sweater and scarf!

    Reply

  36. Tara says

    We were so close to you we we spent 9 days at Anna Maria Island with my mom and brother went down to Sarasota to the Mont Marine Laboratory & Aquarium great place on a rainy day

    Reply

  38. aladygoeswest says

    I love Sarasota and can’t wait to be back in Southwest Florida for Christmas with my family. Looks like you had a lovely holiday. I was with my in-laws too and it was great! 🙂

    Reply

  42. Jessica says

    How funny – I only just stumbled onto your blog about a week ago & I live in Sarasota! You lucked out with the weather, it was cold and rainy for what felt like weeks before Thanksgiving! Glad you had fun in our gorgeous little city. 🙂

    Reply

  49. Sarah Smith @ Life {R+S}Smith says

    Your Thanksgiving looks wonderful (and a little warmer than mine!) Hope you enjoyed your time with family! My husband and I live 20 hours from our parents so we can definitely relate to how much more time with them is appreciated now!

    Reply

  50. brooklynn15 says

    that picture of you laughing is phenomenal! you’re already so photogenic, but that captures your positive energy so well. thank you for sharing with all of us every day–you’re such a bright corner of the internet!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Disclaimer

I am not a registered dietitian. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. I DO NOT post everything I eat. Though I am a certified personal trainer, the workouts I post may not be right for you. Please speak with a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.

Affiliates

Please note that affiliate links may pop up on PBF from time to time. I greatly appreciate your support!
Privacy Policy