Thanksgiving Day Menu

Quin is napping so Joel and I are taking the next little bit to get a move on with our Thanksgiving dinner. I set the table this morning. I went with a very simple center piece - a vase of parsley, a small pumpkin, and an acorn squash. I also pulled out our china and silver. This will be the first time since we got married that Joel and I have actually used these dishes. I need to bring them out more often because they are so pretty. Quin, however, will still be eating on plastic. Maybe next year I'll be able to trust him with something more fancy. We plan to eat around 4.

This year Joel had a great idea. I mentioned in a previous blog that Joel suggested we do something more nontraditional. I wasn't game for that so he suggested we do a "Thanksgiving Draft." We listed the 8 key components to a traditional meal, each selected 4 to be in charge of and put our own spin on the dish.

I am in charge of the following:

Turkey breast - smoked on the grill with pomegranate sauce (recipe in the current Cooking Light)

Cranberries - cranberry ice (recipe compliments of my grandma Bonnie)

"Other" colored veggie - shaved root veggie salad with parsley and lemon dressing (inspired by a salad I had at the Washington Grand Hyatt)

Dessert - Pumpkin Spice Cake (recipe via Martha Stewart)

Joel is in charge of:

Potato - potato pancakes

Green veggie - roasted broccoli and cauliflower

Stuffing - he's making this up and I'm still not sure what he decided on, it will be a surprise! 

Rolls - classic Pillsbury crescent rolls

It's been really fun for each of us to plan our parts. Sure, I'm going to miss Brussels sprouts and pumpkin pie, but we are definitely still getting all of the traditional Thanksgiving flavors. In fact, I think this year's meal is going to be on the lighter side. For this I am thankful!