Today I’m super excited to share with each and every one of you the pictures and recipes from this year’s friendsgiving.
Friendsgiving for me started long before it was in vogue or “the blogger thing to do.” It started with the days of apartment living, dorms, and shared houses in college. With around 20 friends, we would pack our community into our small apartment and would use all of the ovens in our building to cook the feast. We had no dishwasher, the fridge and oven was apartment sized, and we lived up three flights of stairs. It was a beast, but was a tradition we looked forward to every year. It was nice to have moments of solace and celebration in middle of term papers, tests, and projects. We would have Friendsgiving the Tuesday night prior to Wednesday Thanksgiving travel. One of my favorite memories was the year the guys went hunting and we had 5 different kinds of meat at the dinner. Everything from wild turkey, deer, and rabbit and squirrel were on the menu. We were staying true to our Kentucky roots that year.
Since then life has evolved from paper plates and solo cups to white dishes and wine glasses, but the tradition stays the same. Every year before the holiday season is in full swing I sit down with my friends, roast a turkey, and enjoy a delicious meal. The day in the kitchen is long, but the night is fun, with friends relaxed, sleepy, and hearts and stomachs full.
The menu
With Thanksgiving comes the nostalgia of roasted turkeys, mashed potatoes, and grandma’s apple pie. Some years I just keep the dishes classic and other years, I mix it up a bit. This year was the first American Thanksgiving for many of my friends as most of them are from Austrailia. I opted to choose a few standbys and some new takes on Thanksgiving classics. When choosing menus, I try to always use recipes I’m familiar with. No one wants to conquer three new recipes in the same day. It causes unneeded stress.
Roasted Turkey with Apple Cider Brine from The Yellow Table
Apple Turkey Sausage Stuffing from Food Network
White wine garlic green beans (Mom’s recipe)
Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes from Anthropologie Blog
The bar
With the bar, I opt to go for a simple setup. I featuring a single, signature cocktail for appetizers and beer and wine for the rest of the day. My desk is in our living room, so I cleared off the top and made an additional serving space for the bar on it. (When it comes to smaller spaces it’s always good to think creatively!) This year the cocktail was my seasonal take on an old fashioned. Featuring some good Kentucky bourbon and local apple cider, it was a taste of everything that embodies fall and home. With this cocktail, I wrote out the recipe and left it on the bar and appointed someone bartender for the day. Know someone who loves drinks as well? Appoint them bartender and you’re freed up to tend to things in the kitchen.
The best part of Friendsgiving? The friends. While I’ve known some of these beautiful people for only a few months, they fill my days and process at school. There’s something lovely about knowing there’s always someone available for a chat, to process with, or go grab a cup of coffee. Throw in a few camping trips and I’m a happy, happy girl.
With Friendsgiving complete, I head to Seattle tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving with family and meet my newest little person. She’s one month old and I can’t wait. The holidays and travel will be in full swing! There are some great, great things coming your way this holiday season around the space and I’m so excited to share these projects with you once they are complete!
Do you have any go-to tips and tricks for planning your Thanksgiving? Any favorite recipes to share? I’d love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments below.