Thanksgiving Menu 2013

I'm so pumped... my favorite holiday is almost here AND I'm hosting it for the first time ever. Mixed emotions of excitement and pure terror have taken over. A day solely dedicated to food and I'm in charge. Holy hell.

My awesome in-laws are coming to town and staying with us for Thanksgiving and my whole family is coming to dinner too. Couldn't be more excited to have so many people I love in one room. Very special indeed. Here's the real deal though, this is going to take some planning and strategy.

While I'd love to go all out, do everything myself and try a bunch of new things, it sounds like a suicide mission that would inevitably leave me clutching an empty bottle of wine, whilst rocking in fetal position on the floor. I can see the mascara streaks now. Not cute. So I'm sticking with tradition and accepting help. What a concept!

It will be a feast of long-time favorite indulgences and a few new treats. Read: I'm not reinventing the wheel. Maybe next year when I've got a year of hosting under my belt.

Appetizers

Hot and Sweet Spiced Pecans

Whipped Pumpkin Goat Cheese

Assorted Hard Cheeses

Served with local honey

Dinner

Herb-Infused Fried Turkey

Roasted Turkey Leg Gravy

"Vintage" Sweet Potatoes

(You know those things with the marshmallows? My mother would have my head if they weren't there)

"Gourmet Potatoes" 

(Or whatever my stepmom calls the yum mashed potatoes she's bringing)

Spiced Peaches

Cranberry Salsa

Traditional Cornbread-Sage Dressing

Healthier Green Bean Casserole

Orange Cranberry Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Rosemary Bread

Dessert

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Fresh Whipped Cream

While the whole concept of hosting Thanksgiving for the first-time is daunting, this plans seems do-able. Planning is key, so I'll be sharing some tips and planning tools along the way. We can do it (she whispers to herself in doubt)!

Party Time -- Afternoon Dessert Shower

In the midst of all the moving craziness, we still wanted to make time to celebrate with our Chicago friends. One of my dearest friends is expecting her first child, so I was honored to co-host a couples baby shower for she and her husband. We met as PR interns and caused some serious ruckus in this town for a few years, so naturally we hosted this fete at a bar. Just kidding, our house is in shambles and it was a large party, so we opted for the private party room at a local pub.

In an effort to keep things more casual for the dudes and to keep costs reasonable, my co-host and I decided to do an early afternoon dessert shower. Since it wasn't at mealtime, we felt comfortable only offering snacks and desserts. And WERE there desserts! Oh my! Full menu below. 

Afternoon Dessert Shower

Treats for 35 People

Mixed Fruit Tray

Mixed Cheese Platter with Crackers

Mom-To-Be's-Favorite Carrot Cake

Mixed Berry Mascarpone Tart

Lemon Panna Cotta with Blueberry Sauce

Double Chocolate Cookies

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

I contributed the Carrot Cake, Mixed Berry Mascarpone Tart and Panna Cotta, with my co-hosts tackling the cupcakes and cookies.

The Carrot Cake was a personal request of the Mom-to-Be, so I followed Martha Stewart's recipe. While it was delicious, it was a bit of pain. The cake is so moist that it was difficult to stack and frost. Thank goodness for the pecans on the outsides to cover my errors! Tip from an expert -- face the ugly side toward the wall and no one will know ;)

Recipes to come for the Tart and Panna Cotta. Those were the real winners!

My friend is planning a nautical-themed nursery, so I tried to pull-in those colors in the decor. The table linens were a quick hem-tape job and I made the flag pennant as my gift. Love when party decorations can be reused!

How cute is this gal? It was such a pleasure to celebrate the coming babe.