Last Minute Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Thanksgiving

We're in the home stretch guys! Thanksgiving is T-2 days and I've already started wearing my stretchy yoga pants in preparation. Let's get a few tips and tricks for the PERFECT Thanksgiving out of the way and if you have any outstanding questions - leave a comment below so I can help make sure we're locked and loaded for Thursday!

 

First - Remember when I told you we created a custom menu for your table this year? Well, here is the WGC menu! Designed by Heather from River & Bridge who's a genius and makes all my design dreams come true! Just print out as many copies as you need and then trim the edges and boom!

Second - Wine Pairings. Some years I've gone off the deep end and gone crazy with wine pairings - but this year I'm keeping it simple. A red, a white, and a sparkling wine. After talking to many sommeliers in the past few weeks as I do my research here's what I've narrowed it down to:

Red: For Thanksgiving it's either a Pinot Noir (which is a younger wine with fruity flavors like plums, strawberries, cherries, and raspberries) or a Syrah (which has some stronger spice and black pepper notes and can be a bit smoky if you get an older one)

White: Personally I'm not a Chardonnay fan - so I stick to either a Chenin Blanc (which is spicy and slightly sweet with high acidity) or a Sauvignon Blanc (which is more light and crisp, with herbaceous flavors and high acidity)

Sparkling: I'm a BIG fan of sparkles so anything sparkling is always on brand for me! Just make sure when you're grabbing a bottle of sparklers it's labeled brut (which means it is dry) and not a sweet sparkling wine. And ask around when you're shopping, I like to switch it up between Cava, Prosecco, Champagne and Sparkling Wine! They are all delish.

Third - Table Settings! We're keeping it simple this year. Here's the run down... You'll need a dinner plate, a salad plate, 2 forks, 1 knife, 1 spoon, 3 wine glasses if you're really going for it (or 2 if you're trying to save on dishes. You can easily move from a white wine to a red wine and save yourself some hassle later) and a napkin. Simple! We added some flowers and a few white pumpkins for a classic touch and it's perfect if you ask me!

Fourth - Flowers. I'm a fan of a super organic arrangement so we picked a color palate, bought a bunch of flowers within that realm and then put them in a large vase for a statement piece in the middle of the table. There are a few smaller arrangements here and there for an added pop of color!

Fifth - Just a few more tips and tricks that might help you between now and then!

• If you haven't already started to brine your turkey - today's the day. Here's my recipe for success
• Don't forget to take the innards out of the turkey. I did that 2 years ago and while the turkey was still perfect, I was embarrassed when I carved it in front of 14 people.
• Speaking of which, carve the turkey before you get to the table. It's messy. No one needs to witness that.
• Set the table the night before!
• Have you started prepping dinner!? You should. Here's my timeline.
• Stick all white and sparkling wines in the fridge NOW!
• Clean off all your serving dishes that have been in storage all year. Assign dishes for each recipe with a little post-it note for easy reference come Thursday.
• and most importantly - have fun!!!!

Photography by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Prop Styling Amy Paliwoda / Props by Casa de Perrin and The Surface Library / Recipes by What’s Gaby Cooking