I spent a lot of time in the kitchen during November. It was so much fun. I can’t wait to start baking Christmas cookies in December! Here are a few photos of what’s been cooking in my kitchen.

I had some leftover Mini M&M’s from Dylan’s Halloween Party. There were just enough to make a batch of cookies.

The M&M cookies went fast.

A few days later, the boys were starving, even though they had a big dinner. So I made up another batch of cookies. This time they were Chocolate Chip.

I also tried a new recipe for Cinnamon Bundt Cake. I had everything on hand to make it, and holy moly did the kitchen smell amazing.

The cake was fantastic. It disappeared fast.

O.k., so I’m trying to get myself a little bit healthier, while not changing my eating habits too much. I made a batch of No Bake Energy Bites, and they were pretty good. I’m going to tweak the recipe a bit, and see what flavor combinations I can come up with.

When the weather is cold, that calls for Chili. I like it best with Homemade Cornbread.

I’ve been eating homemade soup for lunch. I make up a big batch once a week, and then portion it out for the freezer. It takes just a few minutes to warm up, and it is tasty.

When Thanksgiving was almost here, I started cooking ahead what I could. I made fresh pie crust to keep in the freezer until I was ready to use it. I had a plan to make at least five pies for Thanksgiving.

I also made and froze two batches of Dinner Rolls. These defrosted perfectly, and were tasty for Thanksgiving.

To keep the family out of the goodies for Thanksgiving, I made them a Chocolate Bundt Cake.

Finally it was Thanksgiving eve, and it was time to make some pies!

There was a Cherry Pie.

There was also a Dutch Apple Pie, and a Chocolate Cream Pie too. I forgot to get a photo of that one though…

I made a Coconut Cream Pie with Meringue from scratch. I used my Great-Grandmother’s pie plate, she made the very best pies. This was my first time making meringue, and it was a success. Thank goodness.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a Pumpkin Pie.

When Thanksgiving arrived, we set up a buffet in the dining room. The dishes were delicious, and everyone brought some treats to share too.

Finally dessert! My favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner.

Delicious!

One more shot of the Coconut Cream Pie. I really was worried about this one. I’m so happy that it turned out, and now I’m over my fear of falling meringue.

This month is going to be busy in the kitchen too, and I can’t wait. Bring on the Christmas cookie baking!