Holiday Excitement!

So yesterday was a fun day at work...probably because I didn't actually get much work done at all! Haha. I got to work super early so that I could leave later in the morning to go pick up the turkey for our family Thanksgiving. I thought I was being smart by getting there when they opened, but apparently I missed the memo of special holiday hours and was unable to avoid the crowds after all. So I ended up standing in cold in this long line...

Oh the price we pay for convenience. Oh well. Although there is a part of me that wanted to go full out and do everything on my own, I know come tomorrow I will be appreciative of the Honey Baked Ham Company who will be helping me this Thanksgiving ;)

I made it back to the office just in time for our Thanksgiving Potluck! It was a fun time with my co-workers, hanging out, eating the yummy foods everyone brought. I know I have said this numerous times, but I am so grateful for my job. I am so blessed to be a part of this company, and I thank God for the sweet people that I work with. It really is like a small family, and I feel blessed to be a part of it. I brought a Pumpkin Roll to the potluck, and I am happy to say it was a baking success! I got the recipe* from a sweet friend in my 20s group, and everyone loved it! I was a little nervous about it, because this was the first time I had made it, but it turned out great and it really wasn't that hard to make!

Oh and it totally looked like this too ;) Ok- maybe not this perfect, but not too far off. It at least looked edible enough for people to be excited about trying it!

In addition to our office potluck, we also celebrated my boss's birthday :) The excitement of the holiday is buzzing around the office, and everyone is ready for the Thanksgiving break. We got our official "Early Dismissal" email from HR yesterday, so we get to leave early today! My parents are on the road heading for Dallas, and I am really looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with them here. This is the first year we are missing big family Thanksgiving, so it will be a little strange not to be with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and crazy family drama :) But I am looking forward to the quiet of the week with my parents and brother.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! :)

*Here is the Pumpkin Roll Recipe if you are interested:

Ingredients

Cake:
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1 c . Granulated sugar
2/3 c. Pumpkin
1 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)

Filling:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
6 T butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions

FOR CAKE:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:
Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Enjoy!