The Things That Matter For Thanksgiving

One of my decluttering mantras is ‘Make Space For The Things That Matter.’ I like it because it implies editing, prioritization and balance. Over the years I’ve discovered the things that matter for Thanksgiving. It’s a tricky holiday to host due to the number of dishes, coordination of kitchen appliances and timing.

I feel like in this season of midlife I’ve hit my hosting sweet spot. I’ve curated a suite of tools that not only are functional but a pleasure to look at and visually enhance the process of cooking the meal. I set a table that isn’t perfectly matched but beautifully turned out. And most importantly I’ve nailed the timing so that instead of being a snappy stress-ball I can visit with my people while prep is happening and it all feels warm and wonderful.

So this blog is a departure from decluttering, which will resume next week. Instead I’m sharing the things that matter if you’re hosting Thanksgiving, at least, the things that matter to me!

The Things That Matter For The Turkey

One of the things that matter for Thanksgiving is the turkey (duh!) and I’ve found the difference-maker for mine is the brine. I’m sharing my brine recipe, passed on by a chef friend from college – it’s truly bad-ass!

Scotty’s Bad-Ass Turkey brine

6 Qt Water 

3 cups of Molasses or Honey 

1 lb kosher salt 

1 TBS of red chili flakes 

½ cup of Juniper Berries 

5 bay leaves 

½ cup of fresh minced garlic 

½ bunch of thyme 

Bring to a boil, cool down to under 41 degrees and brine the bird for at least 24 hours.

I brine my turkey in a brining bucket for 24 hours. Besides the taste & juiciness the brine gives the bird, I also like it because it’s low-maintenance – no messy rubbing things into or underneath the skin!

My first few Thanksgivings were riddled with stress about the ‘doneness’ of the turkey. My meat thermometers were hard to read and only semi-reliable. Now I’ve found one I love and it’s so great I bought 2 because I couldn’t decide which color I wanted! (Any time I can procure kitchen tools that complement my kitchen colors I get more excited than I should.) This thermometer is Wire-Cutter-recommended and so easy to use with no room for error. So that Thanksgiving friction point has successfully been eliminated!

Gravy is another thing that matters for the turkey and to make a good gravy you need a good fat-separator. I used (and broken) multiple versions over the years but since I got this one all others have been decluttered! Once again, the theme is easy to use – anything that removes friction from cooking is a thing that matters for Thanksgiving!

The Tools that Matter In The Kitchen

Now for the things that matter for Thanksgiving: Beautiful Tools edition. These are the beauties that are highly functional while rating equally high on aesthetics. They are not cheap but in this case you pay for quality and it’s unlikely you will ever need to replace them.

My favorite tool in this category is my Kitchen Aid Mixer. It does mashed-potato duty in style! I love this appliance so much because they make it in so many colors and it’s so nice looking that it qualifies as decor for your kitchen. I didn’t have one for many years but now that I do I have no idea what I did without it!

Another hard-working yet beautiful tool is the Le Creuset Dutch Oven. I make Thomas Keller’s Butternut Squash Soup With Brown Butter in mine. Like the mixer, this dutch oven comes in so many colors you can for sure pick one that goes beautifully in your kitchen and looks great while you’re casually stirring soup on the stove!

Thanksgiving pies deserve a fashionable dish. In the years before I hosted Thanksgiving I was in charge of pies and had a bunch  of pie dishes for the job. I still make pies but I’ve since decluttered any metal or plain glass pie dishes in favor of Emile Henry. And while I don’t do cake at Thanksgiving I do like to have bagels & pastries available for my houseguests. I use this domed cake plate to serve them – it’s perfect (and beautiful) to leave on the counter so anyone can help themselves when it’s convenient for them.

The Things That Matter For The Table

Now for me, at the top of the list of the things that matter for Thanksgiving is the table.

As I insist on having just one table (don’t ask me why, no good reason) it presents somewhat of a creative challenge. The things that matter for the table include:

• Enough place settings
• Extending the table length
• Comfortable seating
• A beautiful tablescape

I have 22 for Thanksgiving this year. I have pllace settings covered between my china and my mother’s (USE your china, friends!) Plus a friend is helping fill the silver and water-goblet gaps.I solved the table-length question with a piece of custom-cut plywood (did you know Home Depot will custom-cut for you? I didn’t!) that will sit on top of a folding table. I will use several of these neutral tablecloths to give the illusion of one long table. As for seating,technically I have enough chairs if I use the folding Costco ones I bought years ago and HATE.  They do not complement my beautiful table, nor are they comfortable (important as I have multiple guests in their 80s) and frankly I hate the sight of them. So this year I went on a search for an alternative and found these lovely folding upholstered chairs. 

And with the question of accommodating 22 people addressed, I can put my energy into a colorful, borrowed from nature, dramatic tablescape – by far the thing that matters most to me at the table. I can’t wait to get started!

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving full of excellent food, beautiful tables and alive with the people who matter to you!