Thanksgiving is the one day a year that combines two of my favorite things: family and unabashed, food gluttony. Since it’s just a week away (pull out your stretchiest clothing!), here are some of the details that I plan on incorporating into this year’s meal.
Place cards are a necessity anytime you have a party of more than six people (our dinner will have close to 25). I embossed gold names onto simple tags with stamps, then using twine, attached a few neutral feathers. I also picked up some walnuts for added table decor and used a small pile of them to allow the place card to sit up straight.
Alcohol flows pretty liberally during the meal, but I really enjoy sipping on a cocktail while all the food is being prepped. This year we’re serving a variation of an Old Fashioned, incorporating cranberries to bring in some tartness and a little cinnamon for a touch of spice.
Ingredients:
– 10 fresh cranberries
– 2 sugar cubes (or 3/4 tsp of sugar)
– 1/8 tsp of cinnamon (optional)
– 2 dashes of bitters (either Angostura, or my preferred version, Hella Bitters Aromatic)
– 2″ strip of orange peel
– 2 oz rye whiskey or bourbon (I used Bulleit Rye)
– ice
Recipe:
1. Place cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, orange peel and bitters into a tumbler glass, add a touch of water. Muddle the ingredients until the sugar is broken up and mixed well.
2. Add whiskey and ice, stir to mix, then serve.
And to make sure everyone can take home leftovers, we’re providing guests with recycled to-go boxes. This is a win win as it helps with clean-up while giving friends and family the necessary supplies for the next day’s turkey sandwich (the best part of the meal).
