For many of us the end of this week is the true kick-off for a busy and bustling Christmas season. But first, Thanksgiving Day. That wonderful precursor where you treat yourself to great food and drink, and are able relax and enjoy the day with family and friends without the pressure of shopping or gift-giving. In the third of three Thanksgiving posts (see #1 (prep) here and #2 (recipes) here), I’ll review some of the “finishing touches” that will add a little something extra to your holiday guests’ experience.
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As I shared last week (in the first of three posts with the Thanksgiving theme – link here), the upcoming holiday next Thursday is my family’s favorite. I’m particularly excited for this week’s post, as I’m finally getting the recipes for my mother’s fantastic meal all in one place. A couple of weeks ago my mom gave me her collection of Cook’s Illustrated magazines … and it gave me a fair amount of anxiety. How and where to start with these things? If you feel the same, particularly about hosting a holiday meal, I hope that you find a few things to try in this list of savory and sweet Thanksgiving options (full recipes below). Recall from last week’s post, all of these recipes are geared toward being able to prepare the food the day or two before, to help ease the stress on the day you are hosting.

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There are a few things that are pretty much unbelievable about any holiday at my mom’s house, and Thanksgiving in particular. First, the food is amazing. Thanksgiving is, hands down, everyone’s favorite meal. Second, the ease at which she does everything (or appears to do everything) on the day of – delicious food rolls out of the kitchen, beautifully presented, on a fairly consistent basis throughout the day and my mother never appears frazzled. Third, she does it all solo. Preparing holiday meals at my mother’s house is not a group activity. It’s not a potluck (unless you count bringing wine…and I’m not even sure we’ve contributed that in years past) and it’s not a time in which family members take different responsibilities or steps in the process. Nope, the entire family (except for my mom) is fairly lazy on that wonderful Thursday – content to eat, nap and watch football (and repeat). I asked her to tell me about some of her secrets, which I will share over the next few weeks as we ramp up to Thanksgiving.  This week’s topic is planning and prep, next week – on Wednesday’s Food & Entertainment post – will be recipes (yum) and on the last Wednesday before the holiday, finishing touches.

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