Mix old and new traditions
An old tradition that is important to our family is to have each person share what they’re thankful for during meal time. I know many families do this, and our kids love sharing their thoughts (for now), so we want to continue to foster these connections and conversations. One tradition we started since we had our second child is a hot chocolate party. We drink out of our favorite mugs with fancy marshmallows, and it’s an hour of pure gold hearing their giggles!
Savor the whole season
Take the time to truly embrace this holiday season. Don’t just wait for the day or week of to celebrate—create moments to build anticipation leading up to them. The holidays fly by and this is the year to savor each and every moment. Have a weekly themed family night (think: game night, hot chocolate party, etc).
Set the table—and the mood
I like to use the table runner as my foundation. I’m really into clay colors right now, so the Bonita fringe runner was a perfect base. From there, I wanted to build out a beautiful warm table with natural elements that don’t overtly scream “fall,” like wire tealights and wood taper candle holders. How we decorate boils down to how it makes us feel in a space so don’t underestimate what you can achieve and the experience you can create.
Be prepared
Our Thanksgiving dinner is a team effort. Brian runs the kitchen, and I’m the styling and clean-up crew. A day or two in advance, we wash the fruits and vegetables and start prepping and measuring ingredients. In the past, we’ve had to borrow a lot of kitchen tools and serveware from Brian’s mom, but this year we got our own Thanksgiving essentials: roasting pan, potato masher, carving set, gravy boat and platters
Make a signature cocktail
We have a lot of fun coming up with a new cocktail each year. The thrill of finding the right one leading up to Thanksgiving makes the day even more exciting. This year, we’d like to do the same for the kiddos and can’t wait to see what kid-friendly beverage we come up with.
Candied Sweet Potatoes w/ Marshmallows
Ingredients
- • 3 large sweet potatoes
- • ½ cup salted butter, melted
- • 2 cups large marshmallows
- • ¾ cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉
- Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the sweet potatoes and bring it to a boil. Place sweet potatoes in the water and cook until they are fork tender, for 20–30 minutes. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool slightly before slicing them in half, lengthwise.
- Layer the sweet potatoes cut-side up in a 9x9” baking dish. Pour the melted butter over the top and sprinkle the sweet potatoes with the brown sugar and salt. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and completely cover the top of the sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. If the marshmallows are not browning quickly enough, turn on your oven’s broiler setting and place the dish 6–8 inches under the broiler for about 2 minutes, until the marshmallows are golden brown.
Apple Streusel Pie
Ingredients
- • 5–7 tart apples, such as Granny Smith
- • One 9” unbaked homemade or store-bought pastry shell
- • 1 cup granulated sugar
- • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- • ¾ cup enriched flour
- • ⅓ cup unsalted butter or margarine
- • Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of the sugar with the cinnamon. Core the apples and slice them into eighths.
- Arrange ⅓ of the apples in the bottom of the pastry shell and top them with a pinch or two of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat this step with the remaining apples and cinnamon-sugar mixture to create three layers.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ½ cup of the sugar and the enriched flour. Use a pastry cutter to blend the butter into the flour until it is crumbly. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake the pie for about 40 minutes, until the top is golden-brown and the apples are cooked through. Serve with vanilla ice cream on top!