This Thursday, across the U.S. nation, I bet that you can walk into MOST homes on ANY street in ANY city and find people gathered around a table (or tv…lol) with healthy heaping servings of turkey, ham, green beans, collard greens, candied yams, mashed potatoes, dressing, mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, cornbread, rolls, pound cakes, sweet potato or pumpkin pie amidst a few other family specialty recipes that will grace the place and bless their bodies.  This is probably one of the few times when people can actually agree on what to eat for dinner.

However, if you’re a Global Foodie like me or just an Inventive, Creative Soul who has a knack for mixing it up a bit……then your Thanksgiving Feast may look a little different.  And this post is for you   I’ve taken the time to put together a starter’s list of familiar dishes that you can prepare with flare.  Not only will they feed the Foodie in you but they’ll keep your guests smiling and asking for more.

If you love Collard Greens….then you’ll HEART Ethiopian Style Collard Greens (Gomen) with loads of garlic and I suggest adding a splash of vinegar!

If you love Mac & Cheese…..then you’ll HEART Grown Folks Spirals & Cheese with 4 cheeses and a beautiful explosion of tri-color pasta!

If you love Candied Yams……then you’ll HEART these Tropical Yams & Pineapple and I suggest adding a toasted coconut crumble!

If you love Green Beans….then you’ll HEART this Italian Green Bean and Tomato medley flavored with pesto!

If you love Rice…..then you’ll HEART Jamaican Rice and Peas!

If you love Cornbread muffins….then you’ll HEART these South of the Border Corn Fritters w/ jalapenos, scallion and cheddar!

If you love any Thanksgiving dessert…..then you’ll HEART Vegan Cacao Creme Cupcakes or Candied Yam Sticky Buns

If you Turkey is not your flare….then give Salmon a stare!

With my personal political views set aside about the founding of Thanksgiving, I venture to say that Thanksgiving is a time where we not only give thanks for our “bountitude” (yes I make up words) and honor our family but we also show our gratitude for our life and each other.  And what better way to show this than to serve up lots of LOVE & Nourishment in our kitchens and let that energy transfer into the hearts, bodies and souls of our fabulous family, precious pals, and stupendous selves!