First you should know that Thanksgiving and Easter are my favorite holidays. They are both #1 because it’s impossible for me to choose which I love more. But Thanksgiving, folks. My goodness, I love this holiday.
Like most families, we switch off every other year.. so one year we go with Mr. Miller’s family to the cabin for Thanksgiving, and on my year, I cook at home and host my own Thanksgiving. We have had this arrangement since we were married, so this was my fourth time cooking the traditional feast. For Thanksgiving hosting, I’d say 4th time’s the charm. I had zero calls to my mom, and I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed my day from start to finish without feeling overwhelmed or stressed out.
My sister came with her crew from California, my dad was here and my family of six. We hung out and cooked and snacked all day together, listening to good music and having great conversation. Because half of our guests were vegan, I saved myself some work by just cooking a turkey breast in stead of a full turkey. This has been my little trick when we don’t have a ton of turkey eaters. I just toss it in the crockpot with a half cup of orange juice, a can of cranberry sauce, and a packet of lipton onion soup mix and it’s the most deliciously moist turkey you’ll ever taste. I made my family’s favorite sweet potato casserole with a pecan crumble on top, my favorite green bean casserole (add a little Worcestershire and rosemary to make it pop!), Grandma Jorgensen’s stuffing recipe, of course Harlo’s favorite mashed potatoes (cream cheese is the secret ingredient there), and some fresh white rolls. My sister made hors d’oeuvres which included the most delicious veggie dip that I could’t get enough of (I’ll get the recipe!), roasted brussel sprouts, and our family’s traditional cheesecake. It was a “feast fit for a king” as Mr. Miller would say.
Because we Miller ladies love some decor; I put up an easy chalkboard banner from Target which I also made the place settings with, along with some festive pinwheels I’ve used for every holiday one way or another. I had some green garland from Major’s blessing that I knew would come in handy for more events. We busted out my pretty white dishes that I have collected over the years, as well as mason jar mugs. The buffalo check napkins were a recent score from the target $3 bins. Our table cloth was handmade by a dear family friend who recently passed, and some craft paper laid over top brought it all together. It was festive and simple – just the way I like it.
We truly had the happiest holiday and I am feeling so very thankful. As I laid in bed that night, I recounted all the other years I’ve cooked and how our family has grown in size and in love. My heart was filled to the tippy top as I counted each of my blessings that night. I’m so glad this life is mine.
