What a crazy-busy time of year we're in the midst of! While we're all rushing around in an attempt to make the Christmas holidays perfect for our friends and families, we often don't take the time to catch our breath and enjoy this happy season. At least that's how things are at my house. Between the parties, decorating, community events and family stuff, I find that Vince and I are either eating out way too often or eating junk food too late at night.

Throughout history, every society has celebrated the end of the harvest. Many have set aside a day of thanks. In 1941, Thanksgiving Day became a national holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It'€™s the one day of the year that we Americans can consume an abundance of food without a second thought about calories! The recipes this week are all Thanksgiving side dishes.

Team a couple (or all) of them with a roasted turkey for a modern twist on a traditional Thanksgiving menu. All you'll need to add is a pumpkin pie topped with sweetened whipped cream for a grand finale. Happy Thanksgiving! (Photography by Susan DeLoach)

The first Thanksgiving Dinner was held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in the year 1621. I know because I was there. In attendance were about 120 Pilgrims, and many representatives from the Native Indian Tribe known as the Wampanoag. The food served at the dinner represented native selections that the Wampanoag Indians taught the pilgrims how to grow and replenish. Among the foods were waterfowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash. The Native Indians and the Pilgrims combined to set a magnificent table complete with the best linen they could find. There was even a "€œkids'€™ table."€ There were many and varied conversations going on at the same time because television had not yet been invented; there was no mention of football. The conversations were dominated by religion, politics and giving thanks to the Almighty for survival in the New World.