Like many Americans, I’m thinking about food in preparation for Thanksgiving. Jon and I are hosting my parents, brother and aunt for brunch tomorrow morning, then we’ll be headed to Jon’s dad’s house for a nice big dinner and football. (Can I get a hallelujah for not trying to squeeze two huge Thanksgiving dinners into a single dinner hour?)
I’ve been thinking off and on over the last two weeks about various menu items, but haven’t done much planning ahead, so this afternoon is reserved for planning, grocery shopping and prepping the meal. As I sat down to plan my menu, I thought…why not share it with you? That way, we’re combining two of my favorite things: my darling readers, and talking about food.
A simple Thanksgiving brunch menu
I’ve learned from hosting meals at my house that the least fussy menus are always best. I like to make as much ahead of time as possible, and try to restrain myself from having too many items on the menu.
- Coffee, orange juice & lattes
- Homemade apple sauce (made in the crockpot overnight)
- Maple oatmeal scones
- Breakfast burritos
- For dessert: baked pumpkin & sour cream puddings
I’ll chop as many ingredients as I can the afternoon before, mix the pudding so it just needs to be baked on Thursday morning, and will put the apple sauce in the crock pot on Thanksgiving eve before bed. If you wish, the breakfast burritos themselves can be made the a day or two before and wrapped in foil, ready to bake in the oven or on the stovetop on Thanksgiving morning.
I’d love to hear what menu item you’re looking forward to most—leave a note (and a link!) in the comments!
A final note on gratitude
As I’m writing this, there are snow flurries outside my window, a hot cup of tea on my desk, a blanket around my legs and two sweet kittens dozing nearby. Planning the delicious food I’m going to make tomorrow is filling me with anticipation of the weekend I’m about to spend—two big meals surrounded by family tomorrow, followed by a fun weekend of visiting friends, quality time with family, decorating for Christmas and taking a lovely break from work.
I’m about to head to the grocery store, and there’s money in my bank account to pay for the wholesome, delicious ingredients I need, like farm-fresh eggs and local honey. I’m struck by how my needs are being met and exceeded…and I know not everyone is feeling that way right now.
This full-to-overflowing feeling in my chest prompted me to make a donation to my local food shelf today, in hopes that another soul in this town might be able to check one of the worries off their list this holiday season.
As you think about your own Thanksgiving celebration, I hope you can find a way to let your own abundance flow, so that what you have most of—love, time, talent or treasure—can be shared to enhance the lives of others.
As always, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading.
