Thanksgiving sure is different this year. But there is still so much to be thankful for.
It’s hard to believe the last time my extended family was all together was Christmas 2019. It’s even harder to believe we won’t all be together for Christmas 2020.
Our current public health recommendations here in Ottawa are to stay home as much as possible and not see people outside our household without social distancing and wearing masks.
So large Thanksgiving gatherings and the potluck styles that often accompanies them are out.
Cooking a turkey and stuffing isn’t such a big deal on it’s own, if you have family coming and bringing the appetizers, side dishes, drinks and desserts.
But doing it all on your own is like running a marathon.
It can be done, but it takes a lot of preparation.
Then there’s also the fact that the number of people around your table is going to be much smaller, so going about a full on thanksgiving meal with all the fixings is a lot of effort for a small family.
Luckily there are a lot of great options in our community that can help you have a traditional meal without doing all the work.
High-end grocers like Farm Boy offer prepared Thanksgiving dinners that can be ordered in advance, as do some local restaurants and hotels - Next and the Brookstreet Hotel are two examples in my community.
These are great options for people who just don’t have it in them to spend a big chunk of the weekend cooking.
But if, on the other hand, you’re the type who likes to rise to a challenge, who wants to give your family a home cooked Thanksgiving despite all the reasons not to, then I am here to help.
This week I am going to give you all the info you need to pull off Thanksgiving solo without killing yourself doing it. You also have my full permission so substitute any recipes in here for a shop bought version to make your life easier.
The first thing you need to do is make a meal plan and grocery list. You can use mine, or if you want to use your own recipes, make your own.
I’ll be making
- Bacon wrapped water chestnuts
- Dinner Rolls
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes with pecans and cranberries (recipe to be provided)
- Mashed Potatoes (your favourite recipe)
- Turkey & Stuffing (general directions to be provided)
- Pumpkin Pie (your favourite recipe)
- Apple Crisp
First, things, first.
Your plan to tackle this throughout the week:
(download your free copy here)
Now, your Grocery Lists
Below I’ve listed all the ingredients for all the above recipes, but only get what you need. You may have some of these things in your pantry already.
Next, the recipes!
Come back here on Friday morning to find all your recipes :)
I have never made my own Thanksgiving dinner from start to finish so this is very helpful! I love the menu items, thanks for sharing!