Plan a Southwestern #Thanksgiving Dinner

Heritage Turkeys by Heritage Turkeys

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Did you know not all turkeys are the same? The early Native Americans first raised turkeys as livestock and bred different varieties. Until recently, many breeds existed, but now the industrial poultry business focuses on one cheap, fast-growing bird. “Heritage” breeds may not have the huge breast of the typical American grocery store turkey, but they can have deeper flavors.

Some heritage turkeys are on the brink of extinction. So how to save them? Eat them! Buying these turkeys encourages farmers to raise them. Learn more from this article from New Mexico Magazine. It also has a recipe for Heritage Turkey on a Spit with Red Chile-Sage Butter and Red Chile-Sage Dressing. Other New Mexican recipes on the page include Creamy Green Chile Spinach and Baked Cranberry-Red Chile Sauce.

Thanksgiving Oven by Joseph Zollo

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Find more dishes for a New Mexico-inspired Thanksgiving feast in this New Mexico Magazine article: Pumpkin Soup, Oven-Roasted, Red-Chile–Rubbed Turkey with Cornbread-Chorizo Dressing, Cornbread-Chorizo Dressing, Cranberry, Fig, and Pistachio Relish, and more.

This Pinterest page links to many “Thanksgiving in New Mexico Recipes,” such as New Mexican Hatch Chile Cranberry Sauce, Smoky Sweet Potato Tamales, Mashed Potatoes with Green Chile Queso Sauce Recipe, Green Chile Cornbread, and Green Chile Apple Pie.

Finally, this older article from Sunset magazine on “Thanksgiving in the West“ has prize-winning recipes with Southwestern flavors.

What are you planning for Thanksgiving dinner? Do you like to stick with family classics, or experiment?

Take some time to relax and read over the holidays! Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance involving outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page.

Spend #Thanksgiving in the Southwest

Fall foliage by Dori

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People tend to think of the Northeast for “leaf peeper” tours to see the trees changing colors. But parts of the Southwest also offer lovely fall foliage. In New Mexico, the northern part of the state is a good bet. Visit the areas around Santa Fe, Taos, or Jemez Springs for some lovely fall colors. The Pueblo Bonito Bed and breakfast Inn has more detail on some of these areas, if you scroll down on this page. The National Forest Service offers a toll-free fall color hotline beginning in September at (800) 354-4595, or visit their webpage.

Thanksgiving also marks the opening of the ski season in Santa Fe and at many other ski resorts!

Santa Fe Activities

If you’re more interested in cultural events, Santa Fe offers a lot of options over Thanksgiving weekend:

Circus Luminous November 25-27: a mix of acrobatics, drama, and circus arts.

The Winter Indian Market November 26-27: over 200 artists, plus music, native dance, and performing arts.

Christmas tree lighting on the historic Plaza on November 27: music, caroling, hot chocolate, and a visit from Santa.

For more Santa Fe events in November, December and beyond, visit the Santa Fe What’s Happening website.

Arizona, Texas and More

Elizabeth Rose offers ideas for spending Thanksgiving in the Southwest in this travel article. Learn where to stay, what to eat, and what to do from Arizona to Texas to Colorado.

What kind of vacation traveler are you? Do you prefer to be active, relax, see the sights, or all of the above?

Take some time to relax and read this holiday season! Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance involving outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues.

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page.

We'd Rather Be Writing: 88 Authors Share Timesaving Dinner Recipes and Other Tips

I have a recipe and possibly some tips in this book: We'd Rather Be Writing: 88 Authors Share Timesaving Dinner Recipes and Other Tips. Check it out if you'd like to find some quick recipes and other timesaving tips, and meet some authors writing in a variety of genres.

"You'll find easy, nutritious recipes for meat, poultry, pasta, soup, stew, chili, and vegetarian meals. All of the recipes require a minimum of prep time, freeing you up to read, exercise, garden, craft, write, spend more time with family, or whatever.

"Within the pages of We'd Rather Be Writing: 88 Authors ShareTimesaving Dinner Recipes and Other Tips you'll be introduced to authors who write a wide range of fiction—everything from mystery to romance to speculative fiction to books for children, young adults, and new adults—and some who write nonfiction. Some of the authors write sweet; others write steamy. Some write cozy; others write tense thrillers." 

This blog post has more info on We'd Rather Be Writing: 88 Authors Share Timesaving Dinner Recipes and Other Tips.

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