Hey, did you hear? California’s in lockdown again. GOOD TIMES. So one thing’s for sure: This year Thanksgiving will look very, very different for most of us. It’s OK if you aren’t feeling particularly celebratory, and decide to just skip it – those emotions are 1000% valid and understandable. Thanksgiving has always been sort of a crapshoot holiday for us – sometimes we were with Kendrick’s family, sometimes we were with mine, sometimes were with friends (and if you’re wondering whether looking at those posts I just linked to made me cry, the answer is: yes. obviously), and sometimes we crashed other people’s celebrations. So it’s not like there are any huge traditions that we’ll be breaking. But still: I miss my parents. You might be missing yours, too.
TL;DR, I think we can all agree that it’s not an especially jolly holiday season.
But! Hunkering down with some carbohydrates until this cursed year is over isn’t the worst idea I’ve ever heard, and Thanksgiving Week seems like as good a time to get started as any.
Shall we do a recipe rundown?!
Sides & Snacks
- Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Apples & Feta (this is a truly excellent healthy side dish alternative if you’re in that kind of a mood, which I am not)
- Broccoli Salad with Grapes and Crispy Bacon
- Orange-Cranberry and Cream Cheese Crackers
- Sauteed Lemon-Garlic Kale
- Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Caviar
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Apple Salad with Avocado, Pomegranate & Blue Cheese
- Honey-Glazed Carrots
More Sides & Snacks
- Citrusy Quinoa Salad with Pomegranates & Cranberries
- Super-Simple Pumpkin Soup
- Butternut Squash, Apple & Pecan Salad
- Last-Minute Biscuits
- Asparagus, Bacon & New Potato Salad
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Butternut Squash Soup
For The Days When You’re Just Feeling Cozy
Sweet Things
- Easy (And Incredible) Lemon Curd
- Hearts On An (Apple) Pie
- Thomas Keller’s Lemon Tart
- Orange-Poppyseed Loaf Cake
- Banana-Nutella Bread
- The New York Times’ Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever
- Easy Chocolate Hazelnut Crostata
- Two-Ingredient Nutella Brownies
- Raspberry Oat Loaf Cake
- Oreo Truffles
- Peppermint Bark
- 5-Minute Chocolate-Banana Cream Pie
- Sugared Cranberries
…And Your Official Holiday Cocktail: The Paloma.