Thanksgiving, truly, is for giving thanks for our blessed lives. Each year I try to add something new to our family’s meaningful dinner. This year, I chose grilled fresh green bean bundles wrapped in turkey bacon! Green beans are part of my family heritage. My grandfather was a gifted gardener. He prided himself in his fresh green beans, yellow squash, pumpkins, beets, along with pecan and fruit trees. Honestly, until I was grown, I really didn’t understand how gifted he was, as I tried to grow my own vegetables – which he made to look as such an easy accomplishment. One of my fondest childhood memories is snapping green beans with my grandparents around their kitchen table. Years later, I was working 6-days per week in the city and moonlighting as our daughter was in college. I was teaching private etiquette classes and the restaurant staff was snapping green beans. I stopped preparing for the class and joined in the snapping frenzy! It was a delight – an unexpected tap into my childhood of joyful memories. Ah, – who knew – green bean therapy in height of the pressure. Such as it goes… green beans are always on our Thanksgiving menu! Try Kelly’s Thanksgiving Green Beans for some snapping family togetherness: Snap off the ends of fresh green beans, so that the base “string” is removed. Bundle the green beans and wrap each bundle in turkey bacon. Broil the green beans until the turkey bacon is cooked thoroughly. Serve to your endearing family for bonding moments of love filled moments around your family’s special table. © Kelly McBride Loft