Vol. VIII: Thanksgiving Prep

Field Notes Vol. 8: Thanksgiving Prep

For Thanksgiving each year, we alternate between traveling internationally and hosting at our house. Last year we spent the holiday in London, visiting my sister who was living there at the time. This year we'll be at home with a smaller crowd than usual, but I always get excited to set the table and cook up a meal. In my experience, hosting any large meal (but especially Thanksgiving) is all about preparation. With that in mind, I thought I'd share some of my go-to recs and some new finds for our table this year.

#1: Manage expectations. This is important for any gathering, but with family holidays it can be even more so. You don’t typically send out invitations to set the mood, and the timeline is much looser. I would start by texting your family the planned menu and dinner time for Thanksgiving a couple of weeks ahead. The menu for this holiday is so sentimental, and while some of us don't care about cranberry sauce, others can't imagine Thanksgiving without it! Offering up your menu in advance gives everyone the opportunity to offer to bring whatever they might think is missing. Making sure everyone knows your targeted dinner time and how early they can arrive gives you space to make sure your kitchen isn't crowded, and lets them know when to eat earlier in the day.

I use this cookbook for so many Thanksgiving recipes!

Shop the cookbook

•   •   •

#2: Plan for other meals. It is easy to get so caught up in the planning for Thanksgiving dinner that you forget that your out of town relatives may arrive hungry for lunch that day, or might be with you for breakfast the next day. I typically have a soup on the stove for lunch before Thanksgiving dinner, just in case it is not ready by mid-afternoon. I like to have a tray of light bites ready to go for pre-dinner nibbling as well.

#3: Label your serveware and count your flatware, dinnerware and glassware. This might seem excessive but Thanksgiving is typically buffet style or passed serving dishes, so I prefer to make sure I have all of the serveware on hand that I will need. I label them with the dish I am planning on serving in them. This also helps to keep things organized when family members arrive with dishes they’ve made. If they’ve brought a dish in Tupperware, there is a nice dish ready for them. You might think you have enough of your dinnerware, flatware, and glassware to serve everyone, but it is good to count in advance just in case someone broke a plate that you didn’t know about.

#4: Set a nice table and make a playlist. I think setting the scene with intention not only puts everyone on their best behavior, but also gives the proper credence to the meal. It takes hours to cook Thanksgiving dinner, so why not dress it up nicely? #5: Get the kids involved. I try to bring my kids into whatever cooking I’m doing by letting them chop vegetables with kids’ knives and place them on roasting pans. I let them color on all of the place cards and help me put them on the table. It keeps them busy and makes them feel like they are part of the day!

shop the kids’ knives

•   •   •

Recipe Ideas

Soup for early Lunch: Vegetable Broth – I make the easy recipe from this cookbook. (Make this in advance and freeze it, then move it to the fridge the day before Thanksgiving so it can thaw!)

Shop the cookbook

•   •   •

Smoky Chicken Stew

•   •   •

Mini Meatball Soup with Broccoli and Orecchiette

•   •   •

Get the look

shop clockwise from top:

Mint Julep Cups | Gingham Table Linens | Vintage Etched Glasses | Paisley Tablecloth | Cabbage-ware Salad Bowl | Bamboo Place Card Holders

•   •   •

For this year's table...

shop clockwise from top:

Aptware Dinner Plates by Moda Domus | Amanda Lindroth Rattan Thermos | Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage Platter | Moda Domus Salt & Pepper Set | Parterre Tablecloth | Amanda Lindroth Bottle Chiller

•   •   •