How to Prep for a Beautiful Thanksgiving Dinner will review the 3 major aspects of any successful get together. Guest list, food and decor.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, for three reasons, carbs don’t count on Thanksgiving, thankful people are nicer and it is the official day the holiday season starts. That is if you don’t halloween of course; for this blog we will leave the witches aside and focus on cozy decor, delicious food and a gratitude mindset.
Guest List
How many people are you inviting is crucial; since it is very important for amount of food and side dishes you have to prep. In addition, the second very crucial aspect on regards to your guest list is the group’s mindset. After all, you want to have an amazing dinner, surrounded with positive, supportive people who enjoy each others company. Knowing we are blessed just by being able to get together, see each other and have a delicious meal.
Here are some tips on how to bring the energy up in a gathering where not everybody may know each other, or some feuds may be brewing.
- Greet all your guests with enthusiasm and tell them how thankful you are they were able to join the celebration.
- Genuine compliments about other people are the key, and remember a compliment is about the other person, not about you. Be smart, commenting about someones weight is not Thanksgiving approved subject of conversation. Nor it is asking about people you know your guests are having a feud with.
- In general, avoid bringing up useless gossip and criticism about anybody. Energetically speaking, gossip and criticism are a downer, they just are! Instead, talk about positive news; it does not matter if it they are about family members or the world at large. Remember, it is all about inspiring people to feel good.
- Be wise, be kind, be supportive and try to lift people up; do not ask people about sensitive matters. If you are really worried about them; and want to help, schedule a subsequent one on one outing with them.
- Remember people remember how you make them feel, and feeling blessed is amazing!
Food to Prep for a Beautiful Thanksgiving Dinner
Here is a list of dishes often found at my family’s Thanksgiving dinner; yes, we are truly blessed!
Charcuterie tray with a mixture of delicious cold cuts, cheeses, dried fruit, fruit preserves, nuts, bread and crackers.
Thanksgiving Turkey, oven baked for hours, moist, delicious gravy and cranberry jam on top. yum yum yum!
Thanksgiving Ham , call me cheesy, but love it when it is decorated with pineapple wreaths and cherries.
Green beans, boiled and sautéed, tossed with pieces of bacon and slivered almonds.
Mashed Yams casserole with salted butter, juice, orange zest, cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and decorated with mini marshmallows.
Russian Salad: Diced boiled potatoes, peas and carrots tossed in a mayo, mustard salt and pepper dressing.
Apple and pumpkin pies with coffee (regular and decaf).
I will work on getting the recipes from the different family members who prepare the dishes, it would be awesome to share them on a blog post, stay tuned.
Decor
Decor helps set the mood, and you don’t need to go overboard; after all, the food you are sharing should be the focus.
A really cute fall inspired table runner, a few Thanksgiving trivets to protect your furniture and a couple of lettering signs around the house reminding everybody to be thankful and grateful will do.
Personally, I love when bathrooms have some sort of holiday reminder or inspirational decoration. It is a room that is often overlooked, and if you think about it, it is the one place you have your guest’s full attention at least for a few minutes.
