Thankful

"Dining with one's friends and beloved family is certainly one of life's primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisying and eternal." -Julia Chld.


Thanksgiving.
How can another Thanksgiving be over, done and gone? Wasn't it just Halloween? 


My sister in law, Ashley, and my brother, Will, hosted our families and it was a lovely evening. Ashley created a cozy tablescape for us with pumpkins and candles alit with floating cranberries. Simple elegance! She wrote our names on leaves for our place cards. Mom brought the turkey and I fixed my favorite side dishes {sweet potatoes, macaroni & cheese, corn casserole!} and it all came together beautifully. Good food {good wine} and a house full of smiling faces and content tummies. What could be better? Maybe for a few more hours together? As I get older, I long for holidays to linger longer, move about in slow-motion if possible, so I can savor every bit of it all the more. 

On Thanksgiving morning, I watch the Macy's Day Parade - it's one of those traditions that I hold dear and even though the Parade is more Broadway show driven as years go by, it's still great fun watching the ballooons and floats come down the crowded New York City streets. One of my favorite movies is Miracle on 34th Street so it echos the Parade's charm very well. Even if I'm preparing food, I like to have it on in the background; my kitchen is all the merrier for it.


When I asked my 11yr old what was his favorite part of the meal -"the stuffing and mashed potatoes." While the meal as a whole is something I crave and practically smell the week before ... my essentials are always the macaroni & cheese then the mashed sweet potatoes {mixed with orange juice and brown sugar, baked/topped with marshmallows}. When I was growing up, I have fond memories of my grandmother fixing these side dishes and to this day, they have to be somewhere on the table for me to know it's really Thanksgiving!


I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Did you celebrate small or big? What are your favorite parts of Thanksgiving? I'd love to know! 

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