Sun glimmers through the window, and you roll out of bed and slide into slippers and slink down the stairs. You are greeted by the sights and sounds of the Thanksgiving Parade and the aroma of garlic and other spices fills your nose. Pumpkin pie is nestled in the fridge, rolls are in the toaster oven and the pièce de résistance, the turkey, is roasting in the oven. “How can I contribute,” you wonder. The kitchen is filled with your family and every piece of kitchenware is utilized for this special feast, so defeated, you give up and watch The Parade on your couch. With simple recipes and time, your woes can be healed.
To avoid a crowded, hot kitchen, I recommend making these culinary creations one or two days in advance. Looking for something sweet? Thumbprint cookies only take up to an hour to make, and once they cool, you can add whichever jam or jelly to the thumb divot that you wish. If you have more time on your hands, a tangy cranberry sauce will play a part in many of the guest’s main plates. Made from fresh or frozen cranberries, the sauce is made by boiling water, orange juice, and sugar and adding the berries once it starts to boil. The fun part is watching them pop! After stirring the mixture, you will have a cranberry sauce that just needs to cool.
If you’re craving something more on the savory side, with grapes, cheeses, and meat and a wood board, you can make a sharable charcuterie board that will distract everyone from the cooking turkey. Vegan? A good hummus and chips will support your diet, while entertaining everyone!
DING! Appetizer plates are left to rest, the kitchen swarms with people and the kid table is rattling with anticipation. A golden, steamy turkey departs the oven. Once carved, it feeds a whole family of thankful people, but on the sides of peoples’ plates, sit your lovely appetizers and snacks.
Once half the family is in a food coma, and a football game is playing, two kids grab the wishbone and snap it in half. The kid with the bigger side of the wishbone wishes, “I hope next Thanksgiving is as great as this one!”
