It’s going to be a different one this year, but we’re still planning on having a good Thanksgiving with just our family of four. Since so many activities are currently unavailable, enjoying accessible traditions feels even more important to me. There are a few activities my family does every year, including listening to Adam Sandler’s “Turkey Song” while we cook our feast. (So corny, I know, but we love it anyway. Not to mention that Adam Sandler is a Jewish NYer transplanted to NH, which makes me adore him even more. But I digress…) We also make many of the same dishes every Thanksgiving. Here are a few of my favorites..
Fresh cranberries from my local farm! I love buying them – makes me feel like I’m one with nature, or back in the Little House in the Big Woods
Homemade cranberry sauce. I’ll be honest, I love the jelled stuff in the can as well, but a homemade sauce makes me feel like I’ve accomplished a culinary coup. It’s delicious, so easy to make and looks beautiful on the table. Here’s the recipe I use.
I love all of the comfort foods – rolls, mashed taters, homemade mac and cheese – but usually also crave some kind of fresh vegetable to balance everything. However I don’t want to add a lot more work to my list. Enter homemade coleslaw. I found this recipe about ten years ago and have been making it ever since. It takes five minutes, tastes good and fits the bill. Here’s the recipe. Bagged salad isn’t very “zero waste” so you can use some regular cabbage instead. You can also buy the celery seed in bulk so that you don’t buy more than you need. Or, in a glass container (vs plastic) so it’s easier to recycle
1/4 cup red vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp celery seed
3 green onions
2 8oz packages of cole slaw mix
Mix the seasoning and then add to the veggies. Toss all together and let sit for a little while in the fridge before serving
And, of course, dessert! This year, my daughter is asking to make a chocolate pudding pie. That doesn’t scream “Thanksgiving” to me, but it’s her holiday too. Why not mix it up? So we’re going to try our hand at something new, but also bring back an old favorite: pumpkin cheesecake. In a previous life, I wrote a blog about teaching myself to cook. (I’ve been honest here, I LOVE food.) There was a whole post about how I made this cheesecake, but hadn’t properly locked the springform pan and the whole thing fell apart when I took it out of the oven. Don’t make the same mistake – check your pan, then check it again. It was painful to watch and then even more painful to clean. Learn from my cooking failures and save yourself the trouble.
I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into our holiday. If you’re looking to skip turkey all together this year, Hannah offers some fun options. Please share with us too! What do you like to make? Always looking for new ideas! And please also list your favorite Thanksgiving movies. We are looking for something new to watch after we’ve had our nature walk and filled our bellies.
– Rachel
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