We recently had a Friendsgiving, it was lovely! I was able to plan, prep and cook an entire Thanksgiving meal without missing the parade or not being able to fully enjoy a holiday with my small children. We go to my family’s for Thanksgiving so I don’t have to miss out on those things but I do miss out on the smells and memories in our own home, this way we have both. Here’s my party decor and prep.
I already hosted Thanksgiving this year so here’s some tips! 
Food
The turkey. I bought a frozen one from WholeFoods. I felt better about it then a fresh one from a regular store. I messed up and didn’t take my turkey out of the freezer soon enough so I couldn’t brine it. Also didn’t get the brine bucket so I couldn’t brine it anyway since it wouldn’t fit in anything! Still it was the best turkey I’ve ever eaten! I used Gordon Ramsey’s recipe. His idea of letting the turkey sit for over two hours after it cooked was great! Watch his video! It allowed me the extra time in the kitchen without having to worry about what the turkey was doing. It was still warm and easier to carve and I was able to make my gravy before my guess even got there! And the flavor!! And moist!!
So my turkey tips.
3 lbs more then the total you’ll be serving. We had 8 and my turkey was 11 lbs. Leftovers are important and we had just enough. Take it out of the freezer extra days in advance. It can stay in the refrigerator a couple of days after it’s thawed. Better to thaw early. If you plan on brining make sure you have a big enough pot bucket or bag. Let it rest after cooking at least two hours. Carve before your guests get there and make your gravy, keep it warm in a sauce pan.
I made stuffing, sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and homemade biscuits.
I made a loaf of bread for the stuffing a week before and put it in the freezer. And then two days before I made the stuffing and it stayed unbaked in the fridge. Same with the two casseroles. The day before I made my biscuits but didn’t bake them until that day. That was a mistake I should’ve made the dough and bake that day also.
The morning of I peeled and cut my potatoes. Those stayed in the refrigerator until I was ready to boil them. I used my Dutch oven which retains heat very well so even though I made my potatoes about half an hour before our guests got there they stayed nice and warm for dinner. The brussels sprouts were made the day of too.
When the turkey came out of the oven that’s when I had some extra time I watched a show with Anthony but next time that’s when I’ll make my biscuits. An hour before our guests were to arrive I boiled my potatoes and made my brussels sprouts. As they were cooking I put the side dishes in the oven and I carved the turkey and made my gravy. I have a small 1950s oven works great it’s just small. So I had a problem fitting all four side dishes in at one time. I could have put them all in foil pans because I know I can fit four of those but I picked all my special dishes so I was OK with waiting the extra 20 minutes to let the last one heat up. Although it stressed me out it didn’t really take that much longer. And then I baked my biscuits. Which didn’t rise that’s why next time I’m going to make the dough the same day! Still tasted good though!
The appetizer was really simple, I made cheese crackers early in the week served with olives and carrot sticks. Easy since we were going to be eating so much at dinner! If I had a bigger crowd and had more time between guests arriving and serving dinner I would have asked for another appetizer when someone offered something to bring.
Dessert was 3 pies, pumpkin pie, chocolate cream pie and apple crack pie. My friend brought the pumpkin and chocolate. So yummy! I ate those leftovers all myself!
Decor
I set my table that morning although I wish I did it the night before. One of my favorite stores had “thankful” salad plates on sale for $4 each. Times 8 people, I already have the salad plates, so for $4 I bought a metallic sharpie and made my own. My handwriting is almost childlike so it added a sweet touch! Also let my five year old write some. I baked them in the oven so they were waterproof. And I had Thanksgiving salad plates for four dollars total! The next thing I got was a table runner I already had but under it Kraft wrapping paper from the dollar store. It has a design so I just turned it over. I used it as the place cards by using the metallic sharpie again. Regular white plates from Bed Bath Beyond the catering packs I’ve had. Also where the salad plates came from. The napkins are dish towels from Ikea! 79 cents each and I love the style. I wash and fold those a week before so they were all set. Copper spray paint on votives I had, white mini pumpkins, leaves from outside and a bunch of flowers from Trader Joes for $6 in a painted mason jar finished the look! And it was on a budget!
Serving
Serving and finally sitting down to eat is always tricky! Remember how my pretty dishes didn’t fit in the oven? Well they didn’t fit on my buffet either! So a few dishes had to go on the table which is fine but I had to scramble to find pot holders. I also planned for us to pass all the dishes while we were sitting and then we would put them on the buffet right behind me. But they were too hot so we ended up having to do buffet style. I wish I planned better for that part. It all worked out though and we all had a nice time!
Final thoughts
It definitely causes stress but it really doesn’t need to! All the food will be done eventually, everyone will eat and be happy. It’s really about being with your family and friends, celebrating and being thankful!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Lemons and Chocolate 