Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? Check out our list of must have items so you can enjoy a stress free holiday.
Happy Friday!
Wow, another week has just flown by…again!
We feel like we say that week after week…but geez it really is going so fast.
This week Anne spent some time with her mom who’s having some health issues and AnnMarie is leaving on Sunday to visit her dad who was hospitalized the other day.
It’s really difficult to see our parents getting older and their health begin to decline.
Keep us both in your prayers or send us some good vibes as we navigate this time with our parents.
On the blog
This week Anne shared a new delicious recipe that would be perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
AnnMarie used to make a similar recipe from Pampered Chef that was so good but we haven’t had it in several years because it has a lot of sugar in it.
But Anne worked her magic and came up with an alternative that fits into our Trim Healthy Mama way of eating.
So not only is it sugar free it’s also low carb and keto friendly.
And the best part is it’s super easy to make…so click here to get the recipe!
This week is our monthly virtual supper club with our blogging buddies.
If you’re new to our blog we collaborate with several other bloggers each month to share dinner club party themes, tablescapes, recipes, menus, and entertaining inspiration.
It’s so much fun to come up with new ideas to bring to you every month.
Want to see our previous themes? Just click here to get them all.
This month our theme is a Friendsgiving brunch which is such a wonderful way to celebrate your relationships with your girlfriends before the craziness of the holiday rush.
AnnMarie styled a fabulous Friendsgiving tablescape by using items she already had at home to create a beautiful setting for friends.
Be on the look out for Anne’s blog post tomorrow with a brunch menu with some delicious recipes for your gathering.
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Friday Favorites: Thanksgiving Hosting Essentials
We usually spend Thanksgiving together since we live far from our immediate families and traveling over the holiday weekend is hard.
Christmas is easier for us to travel back home to see our families because we have more time for those long road trips north.
Since we were working on tablescapes, recipes, and menus for Friendsgiving we started talking about our plans for this Thanksgiving.
Our Thanksgiving gathering is usually a pretty large crowd so making sure we have everything we need to host helps take the stress out of the holiday.
Just our two families are 10 people then add in boyfriends and girlfriends and the number grows.
Often we share the holiday with friends who live in Virginia.
And sometimes some of our family or other friends join us for dinner too.
Today we want to share our must-have items for hosting Thanksgiving without the stress.
What Essentials Do You Need to Roast a Turkey
What’s Thanksgiving dinner without turkey?
Are we right?!
We’ve found some great deals for basic kitchen tools you’ll need to make a turkey.
And wait until you see the one splurge that AnnMarie’s husband Chris told her she needed to add to this list.
We think someone would love to have his own this year! lol
A nice big nonstick roasting pan with a removable rack is the first thing you’ll need to cook your turkey.
A baster, basting brush, and fat separator are also helpful while you’re roasting your bird.
Once he’s done a large cutting board with juice grooves and spikes stabilizes the meat while you’re carving it.
A meat thermometer allows you to be sure Tom Turkey is fully cooked.
Now you can certainly get a classic dial thermometer or even a digital option.
But if you really take your turkey roasting seriously then you may want to splurge on this super fancy smart meat thermometer that has Chris drooling.
Must Have Serving Pieces for Thanksgiving
When hosting Thanksgiving we always start with appetizers before we eat dinner.
It’s a time when we can chat around the kitchen island and enjoy each other’s company.
We’ve included serving pieces for appetizers, dinner, and dessert.
AnnMarie has this slate board and it’s great for serving cheese before dinner.
Write the names of each type of cheese with chalk right on the board and then it just washes off when you clean it later.
A cute pumpkin Acadia wood board is a fun option for serving anything from snacks to side dishes or even desserts.
Since we usually have so many people for Thanksgiving AnnMarie bought these plates that come with a serving rack from World Market.
They’re an affordable option if you don’t want to use paper plates. And they even come in a storage box so they’re easy to put away until the next year.
This set of silverware is another budget-friendly idea if you aren’t a fan of plasticware for the holidays.
Stemless wine glasses can be used for wine but also for water or other non-alcoholic beverages and they look so pretty when they all match on the table.
When it comes time to serve dinner this pretty platter is perfect for the turkey. Or grab a couple and use them to serve other food items as well.
Just like the turkey, we think pie is another essential element of Thanksgiving.
This ruffled pie dish would make any dessert look even more beautiful.
How to Host a Large Thanksgiving Gathering
We love celebrating Thanksgiving with our friends.
Actually, we call each other framily which is that lucky combination of friends who feel more like family.
You may be thinking well that’s sweet but seriously where do you fit all those people for a sit down meal?
AnnMarie just brings in a folding table or two depending on how many guests she has that year.
A couple of years ago she bought a piece of plywood that she had cut to the same width as her dining room table.
She just lays the wood over the folding table and covers it with a tablecloth so the tables are the same size.
And it’s a good thing Anne lives right across the street because between the two households they have enough folding chairs so that everyone has a seat.
A linen tablecloth and napkins add a special touch to the festivities rather than paper.
These burnt orange cotton napkins are affordable and such a pretty fall color for Thanksgiving.
We hope we’ve helped you make a list of must have items for hosting Thanksgiving this year.
What have you been shopping for this week? Have you found anything amazing?
We’d love to hear about it….just leave a comment below!
Click on any image to shop items from this post
If you have any questions or suggestions, contact us or leave a comment!
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