Since we had a full table, I thought it would be fun to make pretty place cards.
The two-sided patterned paper is by Amy Butler and came from Michaels. The product information is right here. I cut each individual paper in half to make a whole place card. Then printed out the names and stuck them on. Easy.
Instead of putting just names on the cards, I added a little twist. Since this was a time to be thankful, I included three unique traits about each loved one and put it on the back of their place card. These are their gifts that I am thankful they share with others.
So each card was personal.
I share this idea with you because I think it's a great thing to do for any dinner party, not just Thanksgiving. What a great way to let someone know what you appreciate about them. After all, the parts of ourselves we share with others are so much more valuable than the materials gifts we give. Don't you think?
This Thanksgiving I felt very blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people.
Everyone had a chance to read their card to the group. It was a hit. Here's my sweet husband reading his.
The little ones even loved it. I think they got a kick out of hearing an adult read a card describing what makes them special.
Prior to enjoying our dinner, there was a good bit of behind-the-scenes work. It was a monumental culinary day in our house...first time I had ever cooked a turkey! Thanks to this talented friend for giving me a complete tutorial some wonderful tips in making sure the bird was super juicy and flavorful. He's always full of so much great information. Love him.
I was surprised to see that the girls enjoyed helping. I mean, here was a gigantic headless bird weighing in at 15 pounds plopped right on our countertop. But they were game.
Here they are buttering it up.
The three of us cooked the turkey together from start to finish. I was so proud of them. The boys named the bird Bob.
After I nervously waited for about four hours, the turkey was finally cooked. And right on time. We handed it over to the man for proper cutting. Only one kink: as Peter started cutting it, he realized that I cooked the turkey completely upside down. Typical. The good news is that it still tasted good.
I couldn't have pulled this off without my partner in crime. We cooked up a storm...I think we did six casseroles plus desserts? What helped make it possible was planning a whole day of cooking the casseroles at once, just a few days before the feast. Then we just preheated them after the turkey was cooked. I highly recommend doing that, it's practical plus a lot of fun.
Good friends, family, yummy food and good times. So much to be thankful for.
