Hey everyone! Happy BLACK FRIDAY (one of my favorite days of the entire year) 
I hope you all had a safe and very happy Thanksgiving!!!
Mine started with the Turkey 5k and I grabbed a banana to eat on the way, after oversleeping!
We arrived and it was pouring!!! I never run in the rain! To top it off, it wasn’t a normal 5k– IT WAS AN OBSTACLE COURSE! No joke. Thanksgiving morning, I ran a 5k obstacle course in the rain. We had to run through small rivers (we were knee deep in water- 4 TIMES!), up hills, jump over hay stacks and water trenches, ALL IN THE MUD AND RAIN. Needless to say, I couldn’t run this race for speed (since I would have eaten mud from slipping!), and finished in 27:01. My nana got some pretty fun action shots (which I’ll post when I can get them off her camera) and it was a crazy way to start the day!
When I got home, I was hungry but didn’t want to overdo it on breakfast because a wise guy once told me "having breakfast on Thanksgiving is like sprinting 10 miles to warm up for a marathon"
So I had a toast with TJ strawberry spread and a honey Chobizzle:
Then it was time to start cooking!!!
I made my Auntie’s incredible creamy spinach:
Sweet potato casserole: (this pic was taken before I put it in the oven)
And my favorite part of the meal: 100% whole wheat stuffing with apples, cranberries and raisins. Healthy carby delight
After making these dishes, I got ready to go to my aunt’s on the dadoo’s side of the family for Thanksgiving #1.
*Warning: Supreme acts of indulgence ahead
There was a cranberry, graham cracker and cool whip (said like Stewie from Family Guy… "cool hoo-ipp"), cranberry apple walnut salad, sweet potato casserole, ham:
Mashed potato, turkey, stuffing:
Here’s my Sprimpsgiving plate:
Shrimp, both cranberry salads, sweet potatoes, corn and stuffing! YUMMMMM
For dessert, there was chocolate flan cake, chocolate cake, pumpkin pie, and blueberry cheesecake:
Pecan pie, cherry pie, another pumpkin pie and a coconut chocolate cake:
ALL of the desserts (except for the pie in the box) were homemade which made it soooo hard to decide!!! Also, my nana and aunt are caterers, so I know everything will be delicious….
After much debate, I decided on chocolate cake and chocolate flan cake:
After chillin with the fam most of the afternoon, we went to my uncle on the madre’s side of the family for Thanksgiving #2:
Everything on my plate, I had made It felt so nice to contribute to Thanksgiving this year! Usually, I just peel potatoes
Sweet potato casserole, 100% whole wheat stuffing, cranberry sauce sweetened with honey and pineapple, and creamy spinach:
And the annual slice of pumpkin pie: (I only eat the filling, and Bella ate the crust for me)
After dinner, we watched The Santa Clause and I drifted off into a food-induced slumber
This morning, I really wanted to go to spin class, but my calves were painin’ big time from yesterday’s 5k obstacle course. I decided to take it as my recovery day, and burn some mad calories shopping instead!
I wasn’t hungry AT ALL when I woke up, but made some b-fast to hold me over for our day of shopping:
Pumpkin oats with 1/2 banana:
We hit up all of the sales and shopped for 11 hours. I like to think I did Black Friday proud
I needed a short soy sugarfree cinnamon dolce latte to perk me up midday… I was dragging!
(my brother’s hand, not mine)
We also tried a mesquite flour cookie that I picked up at one of our many health food store stops:
When we finally got home, I was starving at made a hodge podge late lunch of butternut squash soup, 2 egg whites with salsa and a little spinach and stuffing:
For dessert, a date:
(Behind it is one of my many World Market purchases: new wall sconce)
Since I ate such a late lunch, I wasn’t too hungry for dinner, so I had some of my favorite butternut squash fries with Annie’s ketchup:
All of my purchases are packed up, but I’ll definitely post them when I get back to V-town tomorrow.
This trip has gone by sooooo quickly, but it’s been a BLASTY!
I apologize for my lack of blog reading and commenting lately, but I can’t wait to catch up on your lovely blogs when I get home! Thanks SO VERY MUCH for continuing to read mine! YOU’RE THE BEST <3
Have a wonderful night- I’m off to finish packing!
xoxo,
G
Hi, I'm Gina. Welcome to The Fitnessista! I love blogging about my adventures as a new mom, military wife and fitness instructor, as well as sharing new workouts and recipes. Check out the About page for more info - thanks for stopping by!
“cool hoo-ip”..just MADE my night
Also, “roo-EENED”!
What a GREAT Thanksgiving you had, Gina!! All of the dishes that you made look healthy while maintaining their DELICIOUSNESS! Nice work! Is that oatmeal on top of the sweet potato casserole?
Wasn’t the rain insane?! I couldn’t believe how much it poured – the 5k sounds like quite the adventure!
Have a safe trip home!
Im already planning how I shall wrangle an invitation to your house next thanksgiving.
Ill even leave the toddler and hubby at home!
11 hours of shopping? How fun! Glad you enjoyed your time at home. Safe travels back!
Love World Market!!
And obstacle course?! That’s crazy and definitely something that should have been mentioned in the race description. I would have just had to laugh my way through it. LOL
Glad you had such a great time Gina!
I’m so jealous of all you guys!!!!! You had so many delicious food!!!!!!!!!~~~~
I want the recipe for the sweet potato casserole, it looks specially interesting for me.
Beautiful Thanksgiving eats! Glad you had a wonderful time!
Oh my, SUCH a spectacular celebration – too much deliciousness!!
Kudos for getting through that 5K!!
Oooh, that mesquite flour cookie sounds intriguing…
LOOOOVE the new wall sconce!!
HAPPY SATURDAY, LOVE!!
That 5k sounds intense…I can’t wait to see those picts.
Two Thanksgivings sounds like a ton of fun- and the dishes you made looked delicious, but still quite healthy. My mom always makes sweet potato cassarole, but I didn’t get to have any this year
Have a save trip back to Gaw-ja – I lived there for like a minute (well 3 months) and we joked and called it that!
I can’t wait to see the pics from your race! That sounds hilarious!
Better you than me out there, girl!
Your Thanksgiving(s) look smashing. Can you share or direct me to the whole wheat stuffing?
Muah!
First of all…The Family guy reference made me laugh out loud! I love it!
Your 5k sounds crazy, nice work Gina! But
Holy Thanksgiving Batman! You done good, girl. The entire spread look’s gorgeous! What an exciting holiday you lead!
-Caroline
Looks like you had a fabulous ‘Shrimpsgiving’!
I LOVE shopping on Black Friday!! Soo much fun and really is a great way to burn calories with shopping Cardio!:)
BEAUTIFUL eats!
obstacle course 5k, in the rain and mud?! man, i thought my 10k in the rain was bad! KUDOS to you babe! you freak’n rock!!!!
love the tday spread! such yummy eats!!
for some reason I can’t see all thie pics but from your writing it sounds yummers!!! Interesting race way to POTM!!! I have a contest on my site today that you might be interested in check it out!!!
So, glad you enjoyed your Thanksgiving! Okay- your whole what stuffing looks and sounds SO good!!!!
And did ya get any good deals on Friday?
Sounds like an intense turkey day run! I hate running in the rain too; I don’t know what to do to keep the water from getting in my eyes!
Your dinner looks so amazing; the cranberry salads look divine. I laughed when you said cool hoo ipp, because whenever I talk about COol Whip now, I have to pronounce it like Stewie, lol.
I tried making butternut squash fries on turkey day, but had quite the catastrophe; http://sbfitness.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/a-new-twist/.
Sounds like you had a fun weekend, Gina! Yay for shopping
Family Guy & The Santa Clause – love it!
Great job on your 5k obstacle course! That sounds treacherous!! I'm in awe of your marathon shopping as well haha!
Enjoy the time at home and have a safe trip back!
Great food and great shopping!
That obstacle course actually sounds kind of like fun, aside from the rain. You did so well!
am i a heffer or are those like the smallest Thanksgiving plates ever?? You always make me feel like I must be overeating because that looks like an appetizer to me!
OK, that sweet potato casserole looks divine! Sounds and looks like you had a great time. Can’t wait to see the pics of your 5K obstacle course.
Safe travels!
wow, that’s some spread you had! everything looks incredible.
A 5k obstacle course! That sounds … interesting. I think I might have said no thank you upon arrival.
Your shrimpsgiving looks good and healthy! I am jealous of your family’s healthy ways. I eat just the filling from the apple pie, too.
Hi there! Sounds like you had a fantastic day … oh, and 11 hours of shopping!! Wow – that’s dedication to the sport!
Did you already post your cranberry/pineapple recipe? Sounds delish!
Everything looks so great! I’m catching up too after being away for a week! I drove through Valdosta twice and waved to you!
wow!!! you did great! both in the food department and in shopping!
that 5K actually sounds kind of fun. i bet it would have been a blast if it wasnt raining outside!
Do you mind sharing the recipe for the creamy spinach and the sweet potatoe casserole…they look delish!!
yup, i’ll post all the recipes on monday
Most of the time I don’t post on blogs, but I would like to say that this post really forced me to do so. Really nice post!