Post-game Analysis (i.e. what I learned from Thanksgiving)
Happy Monday!
I have LOVED receiving all your emails, comments and DM’s from your Thanksgiving successes. Hearing from you truly brings me so much joy. Thank you for being a part of my community!
I’m not much of a shopper, so I’m afraid I don’t have a Gift Guide for you all. Maybe next week I can post my favorite gift guides from other people/sites LOL! But I wanted to share some thoughts about my own Thanksgiving. I always write notes to myself for the following year. It helps me plan better and with more ease. I put the notes in my menu and timeline word document. I leave myself very detailed notes such as:
Any family drama😜
Turkey size and cook time;
How much of each recipe I had leftover;
What was a hit and what wasn’t;
Serving pieces I used;
Anything I would like to do differently next time or anything that would be helpful to remember.
For the first time ever, I honestly was not hung up on how the food turned out. I figured it would be good enough, but I was relishing being with my husband and my kids. We had the best time together and we enjoyed our family and friends on the day of. That is the most important thing to me. The rest is gravy, so to speak. That said, here were some of the notes I made to myself that I can share with you.
The BEST thing I did was not wear dressy shoes. I usually cook in sneakers or Crocs up until an hour or two before guests arrive and then I change into nicer shoes. Forget it. This year, I bought these Velvet Birkenstocks and wore them the whole night. They were adorable and beyond comfortable and I am never going back. The next day I had no lower back pain or leg tightness. In fact, I am going to buy the midnight furry ones. Would be such a great gift!
If I am being honest, the hit of our Thanksgiving dinner was a new addition to the menu - Parker House rolls made by Hubs in our new Breville Joule Air Fryer Pro countertop oven/toaster oven. This oven is my new obsession and favorite new appliance. Not sponsored in any way, but we are obsessed with it and are using it nonstop. This oven has a proofing feature, and an app so you program it and it changes the temp automatically. It also has an air fryer feature. And it fits a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, so we had it in use all day on Thanksgiving. I could go on and on.
I made too much food. I read my notes for the last few years and thought I planned appropriately, but I didn’t follow my own advice which is “know your crowd.” My crowd this year was not a big eating crowd. Plus, we had more total side dishes than usual, so the more things you make, the less you have to make of them.
I shouldn’t mess with a good thing. Again, more advice of my own I didn’t follow. I was seduced by claims of this or that being the best pie crust recipe and I made 5 different alternative pie doughs, one of which was the one I have been making forever. It’s basic and I thought, maybe there is something more special out there, more flaky, more wonderful. Verdict: the other ones were not as good!! My pie crust recipe is perfect as is.
I received a new meat thermometer free in a swag bag at an event I attended. I figured that anything I was getting for free was probably not that good. WRONG! This thermometer is fantastic and very inexpensive. It is a probe that you stick in the meat when you put it in the oven and then the thermostat unit goes on the outside of your oven. So you know exactly when the meat achieves the temp you desire. No constantly opening the oven door and probing the meat. I just bought one for my mom.
I finally followed through with one of my annual threats and the sky did not fall. Every year I ask if I can take the crunchy cauliflower off the menu (we eat it as an appetizer) and every year there’s a revolt. So this year I asked if someone else could do the last minute frying. CRICKETS. So I stood my ground because it was not easy for me to do that recipe without help in the last hour before serving the full dinner. We made it on Monday Instagram live and that was that! Note to self: if something doesn’t work for me, I can say no.
I saw a lot more turkey alternatives this year on social media and I am intrigued - fish, ribs, smoked chicken. The wheels are turning.
Lastly, Hanukkah and Christmas are coming. I offer gift certificates for my online classes. Also, I will sign and personalize any of my cookbooks purchased through Pages Bookstore in Manhattan Beach. You order the book through them with instructions on what you want me to say to whom I inscribe the book(s), I sign and they hold for you to pick up or mail to you or the gift recipient!
I just filmed my December Holiday cooking class and it is truly one of my best! I also included an extra bonus recipe! My monthly online cooking class is just like my in-person classes used to be with all the same instruction, tips, exclusive, new recipes, product suggestions and substitution advice. Look out for the email this week when the class becomes available!
xx, Pamela