Thanksgiving Edit

To me, Thanksgiving is the exclamation mark on the Autumn season. A time to enjoy the bounty of the harvest and savor the last of the Fall leaves before we turn our attention to Christmas and the winter season.

In honor of my favorite holiday, I wanted to share a round-up of things to inspire and help as you get ready for your own Thanksgiving.

Image via Domino

The Menu—

First and foremost, I’ve got to share my go-to Thanksgiving Menu. I change things up here and there, but this is the basis for our meal each year. Sometimes tried and true is best!

• Blue Moon Brined Turkey
• Simple is Best Stuffing
• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
• Orange Bourbon Cranberry Sauce (soooo good!)
• Green Bean Casserole
• Salad and Bread

Pie Crust Tips + Tricks

I’m hoping to make a Homemade Pumpkin Pie this year for our Thanksgiving gathering. I’ve been working on my pie crust throughout the year, and I recently came across a few helpful articles from King Arthur Baking—

1. How to Make Pie Crust in Your Stand Mixer
2. All Butter Pie Crust (because I don’t use vegetable shortening and don’t have access to a good source for Lard.)
3. Pie Crust Decorating Basics / How to Crimp a Pie Crust (Video)

Other Dessert Ideas

We also usually make a Cheesecake for Thanksgiving because it’s my husband’s favorite, and it’s become a tradition.

And a few years ago I shared Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas If Pumpkin Pie Isn’t Your Thing. All of those options still look so tasty!

Decorating the Table

Moving right along to table decor. Aubergine/purple/magenta, as seen in the image at the top, will always have my heart, but for this year, I am in love with glittered pumpkins.

I would love to get 3-5 small, white pumpkins and add a gold glitter around the stem. I will run those down the center of the table with gold candlesticks. It’s pretty simple, but I think it will be lovely. I like the use of pumpkins or gourds to add a natural element to a Thanksgiving table.

Here’s a simple tutorial for glittered pumpkins—

Place your pumpkin in a box or tray to catch excess glitter. Paint the top of your pumpkin with Mod Podge and sprinkle the glitter over the wet glue. Shake off excess glitter and once the glue is dry, paint another layer of Mod Podge over the glitter to seal it.

—Childhood Magic

I also really like these Twig and Leaf Place Cards (via Bored Panda) to add some color and a little whimsy to the table.

Activities for the Kids

I’d like to do an activity with the kids during Thanksgiving week. I really like these trees with watercolor leaves on placemats. I can’t find any information on the original activity, but I would use this Leaves Coloring Page from Rae Ann Kelly.

Another idea is a Paper Leaf Table Runner. I like that this has simple materials and the kids could write things they are thankful for on each leaf before it’s all assembled. Maybe instead of using it as a table runner, I could either make it into a wreath or a garland for our mantel.

That’s all I’ve got for now. I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving full of good food and relaxing time with family and friends!