So Much To Be Thankful for…and more!

Thanksgiving Is For Being Thankful

We wish you a memorable Thanksgiving shared with friends and family. Here, at Luxe du Jour we will be home watching football by the fire, enjoying time with our 93 year old Dad and THEN the big event…Thanksgiving dinner!

Fortunately, we have a lot to be thankful for and will start out the holiday season feeling blessed for all that we enjoy in our lives. We definitely prefer to take time to celebrate Thanksgiving before rushing in to Christmas.

How do you feel about the Christmas “madness” starting in late October? We plan to take time to enjoy every minute and not rush through and make this all about the shopping and gifts.

The Big Event

Ok, back to Thanksgiving…Turkey has always been our main course and the hubs makes the absolute best dressing EVER filled with an herby bread mixture, with spicy sausage and apples. He uses the traditional Betty Crocker recipe as his guide and adds a few items to make the dressing extra special.

We plan to nosh on a roasted shrimp cocktail with spicy dipping sauce, prior to the big feast. We do not like to have anything too heavy before the meal.

A small mandarin orange salad with toasted almonds starts off the meal. It is light and refreshing and super simple. Just place some assorted salad greens in a bowl, add the orange segments, some thinly sliced red onion and the almonds. The dressing is just vinegar and oil with a teaspoon of dijon and some honey to add some sweetness. Easy peasy!

With the turkey we serve some very traditional sides. Sour cream smashed potatoes, fresh green beans, fresh cranberry sauce and of course the yummy dressing. We do not bother with rolls or sweet potato casserole. Our feeling is that it is so filling that it takes away from the other items that we would rather enjoy.

Gotta save room for pie! Our dear friend dropped off a traditional Mississippi Chocolate Pecan Pie – oh my! Cannot wait to have this with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. We will also have pumpkin pie, as this is one of the hubs favorites. By the way, both of these pies are so delicious with your morning coffee for a decadent breakfast (who knew).

A Good Wine Pairing To Make The Meal Special…And An Inviting Tablescape

A good wine pairing featuring a nice full-bodied red wine rounds off this delicious meal. This year we will have a bottle of Pride Vineyards Syrah. Some folks prefer a white wine with poultry, but we love the cabernet with all of the flavors of this meal.

We always like to set a festive table and this year we incorporated some blue and white dishes. It all works with the neutral fall colors. Our coastal decor and crystal candles also worked well with the other items. Mixing and matching items makes the table setting more interesting. Add in some natural items such as pinecones and our favorite bird napkin rings to give a relaxed “look”.

So, what are you having for Thanksgiving dinner?

We hope that you have a wonderful time filled with joy and happiness. We are so grateful for your support over the years and send you blessings from us at Luxe du Jour.