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December 31, 2015
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Cranberry Relish Two Ways

I am a big fan of Cranberry Relish, not just for Thanksgiving. It’s great on sandwiches and even with Greek yoghurt for breakfast. For Thanksgiving, I make two different versions. The first is really my favorite, with frozen peaches or mango and crystalized ginger. I always made it with frozen peaches until the year I […]

December 28, 2015
At Home with Friends

4 comments

Baked Ham with Bourbon Pecan Glaze

My dear friend Dano requested a ham for Thanksgiving. I said what I usually say, “Of course, I’ll make ham for Thanksgiving, in addition to the turkey.” I didn’t tell him that until this Thanksgiving I had never baked a ham. My only memories of my mother baking a ham involved a canned ham decorated […]

December 17, 2015
At Home with Friends

3 comments

Dried Cranberry, White Chocolate Chip Cookies

No matter how lavish and enticing my desserts are, I find there is always room for a cookie. I think cookies remind us of our childhood: Cookies and milk, the cookies that were tucked into our lunch box, the cookies made by the school cafeteria, the smell of homemade cookies baking in the kitchen. So, […]

December 14, 2015
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Gingerbread, Pumpkin Mousse Trifle

I do love pumpkin pie but I get bored making it every year. Also, the part I like the best is the pumpkin filling which I usually eat out of the crust. For the last few years, I’ve played around with alternatives to pumpkin pie. This year, I tried something completely new: a Gingerbread, Pumpkin […]

December 7, 2015
At Home with Friends

3 comments

Pumpkin Cambozola Walnut Custards with Spinach Salad

I always start the Thanksgiving Feast with a bright fresh salad before the dense, carb-heavy main event. I use autumnal flavors and colors. Sometimes, it’s persimmons, sometimes it’s pomegranates, sometimes it’s golden beets. This year, it was individual Pumpkin Cambozola Walnut Custards on top of baby spinach, garnished with vibrant pomegranate seeds. The Custards are […]

GAME PLAN: THANKSGIVING

Thursday Night

6:00 P.M.

4 Weeks Before

  • Invite guests.
  • Think about Menu and style of Thanksgiving. (Will you be doing most of the preparation on your own or is yours a group effort? Do you want to do most of the meal and ask people to bring a dessert or salad, or their favorite Thanksgiving dish?)
  • Buy all non-perishables including alcohol.
  • Decide logistics: Where to set up bar, buffet, etc. Do you need extra tables and chairs?

3 Weeks Before

2 Weeks Before

1 Week Before

  • Finalize menu and confirm guest list.
  • Set table: If you’re doing a formal sit-down dinner, it’s not too early to set the table. Traditional Thanksgiving involves a lot of last minute food preparation, so set the table now!

Sunday Before

  • Do all grocery shopping.
  • Wash all the vegetables and fruit.
  • Buy and arrange flowers. If your house isn’t too hot, flowers will keep if you replenish water, or wait until Monday to arrange flowers.

Monday Before

Tuesday Before

Wednesday Evening

Thursday

December 3, 2015

December 3, 2015