So Thanksgiving is starting to loom, and that means making food and making plans to make food.

I personally love filling a sugar pumpkin with stuffing and all sorts of goodies. (Maybe I just don't like having to wash an extra bowl, let's be honest.) I was poking about this morning and found these two. Which sounds better? (And if you don't like pumpkin, pretend for the sake of things you do.)

Choice one, with the almonds and stuff or this one with the cranberries?

And second, what's on your Thanksgiving table? Share your ideas with us! Side dishes, especially side dishes are welcome. Maybe we'll all find something new to try this season!

Au Gratin Cabbage

Cheesy and gooey, it's a great side dish for T-Day.

http://thelocalcook.com/2010/05/26/au-gratin-cabbage/

Cranberries, definitely. Love me some cranberries. Almonds are low on my list of favorite nuts. Maybe pecans instead?

Must have side dishes at Thanksgiving for me include sweet potatoes (fresh, cooked in apple juice with chopped apples, ginger and brown sugar), cranberry sauce (fresh, with mandarin oranges and pecans), dressing with lots of sage, white gravy with fresh sage, Grands biscuits. There's usually a few other things like harvest casserole (new potatoes, squash, corn, onion, green chile, jack cheese), fresh green beans (with blue cheese crumbles and vinaigrette dressing), mashed potatoes (my best friend's must-have dish). For me the "special" flavors of Thanksgiving are sage and cranberry.

Love this Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sausage-and-cranberry-stuffing/

Turkey
Gravy
Stuffing

Everything else is irrelevant.