Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life… a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year.
Ray Stannard Baker, American journalist, historian, biographer, and author
Thanksgiving this year is an opportunity to think outside the box. Some traditions may be put on hold and some celebrations may be smaller than usual. But that doesn’t mean the holiday doesn’t have to feel any less special! Throw out your traditional playbook and look to a whole new menu. Or maybe find a way to bring some semblance of tradition to your friends, family, and neighbors, showing them you care even if you can’t do it in person. Whatever the case, here are just a few low-stress ideas to celebrate Thanksgiving in 2020 style!
Order To Go
If you want to cut yourself some slack this year, ordering side dishes is much less stressful than preparing an entire feast yourself. Even if you do want to make Grandma’s Famous Fruit Salad and that oyster stuffing you got the recipe for from an old Martha Stewart cookbook, it can be nice to supplement them with a few ready-made options. Consider going a step beyond to create the ultimate stress-free holiday meal and ordering your entire Thanksgiving meal to-go from the River Landing Clubhouse!
This holiday season the River Landing team are offering some delicious Thanksgiving To-Go options. The first is a complete take and heat meal for the whole family. You can enjoy the comfort of a home cooked meal and the luxury of spending more time with your family, while allowing someone else to do all the cooking! Of course, each order comes with heating directions and will be packaged in an easy-to-carry box.
If you don’t need a full feast consider the Thanksgiving To-Go for just two people. You can choose your main (Ham, Turkey, or Pork Loin) and get all of the sides (Red Skin Mashed Potatoes, Sage Sausage Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, and Yellow Squash Casserole), plus salad, sourdough bread, and your choice of Pecan or Pumpkin Pie!
Downsize Your Menu
Your guest list is likely to be much smaller than usual this year leading you to scale your menu back a bit. Consider cooking just drumsticks (think Renaissance Faire style vittles) or a turkey breast. Either may make more sense and especially if you don’t plan on repurposing the carcass for stock. You may even want to do something a little more non-traditional like preparing cornish game hens or Chicken Marbella. If you have a party of just two or three you can even consider halving recipes or making fewer sides.
Say Goodbye To Tradition
2020 may very well be the year to give family tradition the old heave-ho. Hold tight to the family, the friends, and the neighbors, but break free from the norm. Consider preparing something non-traditional. It is much easier to try something new when there is less of an audience and the stakes are not high. Don’t allow yourself to be held captive by a fried turkey or even a pumpkin pie with a generous portion of Cool Whip. Instead, bring out all the recipes you’ve saved through the years or sort through your Pinterest board for all the dishes you’ve been wanting to try. There is truth in the thought that any nice meal paired with a great bottle of wine and accompanied by a few special people can be just as meaningful as any Thanksgiving feast held before or yet to come!
As Baker said, “Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life.” So enjoy! Raise your glass to the sense of peace that can be found from a good meal, and a celebration of life itself. Happy Thanksgiving River Landing!
