A Thankful Success

Hosting our first Thanksgiving has come and gone and I am pleased to say that it totally went well! The food turned out great, the timing worked out wonderfully, and thanks to some planning ahead and pitch-in side dishes we were all able to do exactly what you're supposed to do on the big day. Eat, drink and enjoy being around those that make Thanksgiving worth it's name.

Here are a few photos of the day with some recipes coming up later this week!

{linen prep}

{turkey- buttered & stuffed}

{bar garnishes, ready to serve}

{bacon wrapped dates & goat cheese. chicken & brown sugar}

{Spanish staples- chorizo & manchego with some Edam sage}

{caramelized onion & brie puff}

{relish tray with cream cheese and B's homemade pepper jam}

{Abuela and Mama, two women who I am so thankful for and who have taught me everything I know about hosting and cooking}

{side buffet}

{the finished product, my first turkey}

{close up and carved}

{our table}

{fiesta ware and flowers}

{turkey holders and Godiva pumpkin truffles}

{my mom's turkey dish that has housed cranberry relish every year of my life}

{there was much to drink}

{lots of napping}

{mini pumpkin pies with homemade, spiked whipped cream}

And.... wait for it.....

{yes, people. A real turkey in full strut thanks to my husband's hunting skills. didn't see that one coming, did you?}

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is, by far, my favorite holiday. It's like Christmas without the pressure of gifts and lots of decoration. While I won't lie- I love gift giving and especially wrapping and decorating my house from head to toe- there is much to be said for a time when you can just gather with your family. Oh, and there's lots of food too- which never hurts!

So, this year, I hope you all have a lot to be thankful for! Wishing you a day full of warmth, love, and lots of good food!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hosting my favorite holiday, round one

This Thanksgiving will be different than any other, past or future. It is B and I's first married Thanksgiving in our new house and for the first time ever, we're hosting. This year is what we call the "off year" on my side because my mom's siblings will be with their in-laws and we alternate each year. While I absolutely love Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncles family, there is something to be said for a low-key Thanksgiving with just my parents, sister, and Los Abuelitos (my grandparents).

After the wedding, we thought it would be nice to give my parents a much deserved hosting break and have everyone over to our place which I am absolutely thrilled about! Given my love for planning dinner parties and the fact that Turkey Day has always been my favorite holiday of all time- I'm in love with the challenge of taking the reigns this year.  This is not to say that I haven't put my Mama and Abuela in charge of the dishes they are known for- that is a challenge I will always surrender to!

To plan our first Thanksgiving I've relied on some pretty awesome planning tools. And, while it might look like I am an out of control list-aholic, the lists I've made took just a few minutes to put together and will really save me some time, money and headache in the end!

To prepare, I started with a lot of research. I perused through my favorite foodie blogs and dog-eared lots of different cookbooks and Martha Stewart publication. Next, I used my super-nifty "Planning the Party" notepad, an amazing wedding gift from my friend, Maria! With the party planning notepad I marked down my  menu plans and an initial grocery list. It also had space for a preparation task list (ie. Pick up Turkey from Goose Market on Nov. 20th) and a spot for drink and decor needs. It's about the best thing ever.

From there, I used my super sweet Adel Zeller Grocery List notepad and made a list specific to each of the stores (supermarket, fine foods store, liquor store) that I plan on making my purchases. I tried to pin down where I could find the best quality ingredients at the best price and allocated my ingredients accordingly. In addition, I thought about which place would realistically have what I wanted (persimmons and quince aren't usually supermarket staples).

I also plan on making most of my appetizers the night before and the pie dough will be frozen a few days before.

All in all, I feel like I'm pretty ready to rock out a pretty good meal because in the end, it's about being grateful for the company you are feeding and enjoying every moment together.