Thanksgiving Time

In a couple of short days, most of us will be surrounded by family and/or friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. I’ll never forget the first time we hosted Thanksgiving three years ago. I thought that being a married gal automatically meant my husband and I could magically throw together the perfect Thanksgiving.

Ha.

My mother came to our house early to bring her dishes, and to make sure I was still breathing (she knows best, right?). She found me in my pajamas with a sink full of dishes, no more counter space for prep and well, I was two steps away from crying (Ok, I actually did cry…), drinking, calling a restaurant to tell them “YOU WIN”. I learned a lot about hosting a holiday meal that year, and I have my mom to thank for that. I was so stressed about how much more had to be done, that I couldn’t even tell my husband how he could help me. I was overwhelmed, but since most of the recipes I was working on were Mom’s recipes, it was easy for her to step in and help out. By the time guests arrived, the food was ready, my hair was brushed and there was counter space in our kitchen again.

Moms are awesome, aren’t they? (Actually, if it wasn’t for Mom AND my husband, I probably wouldn’t have hosted a meal again…)

I felt like last Christmas was our first big hosting success. I felt like my husband and I truly had everything under control. When my in-laws arrived and asked what was needed, I wasn’t flustered at all. In fact, we really didn’t need help…I was sort of proud of us. I immediately called my Mom as people were eating to tell her that I did it without crying. 🙂 It was a proud moment…for real.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who cried the first time they hosted a holiday meal?

Anyway, I wanted to share some of our family/friend’s favorite dishes with y’all. I may have made them at different times of the year, but they have all been hits, which I think would still be perfect for a Thanksgiving feast. If you are a last minute planner like me, feel free to squeeze one of these recipes in for the holiday!

Appetizers:

Crawfish Cheesecake
Mini Crawfish Pies
Cheese Fondue
Spicy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Side Dishes:

Spinach, Strawberry, Pecan and Feta Salad
Grilled Corn Grits
Mom’s Cornbread Dressing
Mom’s Sweet Potato Casserole

Desserts:

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Pie
Pecan Pie Macarons
Turkey Cake Pops

What are your family/friend’s favorite dishes for Thanksgiving? Please share them!