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As Thanksgiving draws near, perhaps the biggest question that looms is just how you’ll prepare your prized turkey. You could go completely no-frills and stick with nothing but salt and pepper, or you could embrace brining.

But what about trying something new? This may sounds risky if you’ve had a tried-and-true method for countless Thanksgivings, but there’s not much risk at all if trying something new just involves any seasonings you already have in your kitchen. These new, pantry-friendly preparations are as flavorful as brining, yet almost as no-frills as salt and pepper. Here’s how to shake things up this year.

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Soon we’ll sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, one of the most anticipated meals of the year. But while we refer to this meal as dinner, many of us actually sit down to eat far earlier than we do for other dinners. During the week I regularly eat dinner sometime between 7 and 8 p.m., yet on Thanksgiving day, that time jumps up to 3 p.m. I’ve even eaten as early as noon!

Why is it that we eat Thanksgiving dinner so early, anyway?

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Brussels sprouts have been overlooked for slaw-style salads for far too long. After all, these tiny cabbages are tender and sweet, making them perfectly suited to slaws of all kinds. You can sub shredded sprouts in any one of your favorite slaw recipes, but here are five of our favorites.

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Here’s a Miracle Meal perfect for the weekend after Thanksgiving, when you can’t possibly eat another turkey sandwich but you’ve still got some lingering leftovers in the fridge. This skillet monkey bread starts with a can of biscuit dough, meaning you aren’t stuck in the kitchen doing more cooking (hello, you just roasted a whole turkey a few days ago). I recommend putting this in the oven while you dig out all the Christmas decorations.

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Anthropologie crushes it around the holidays. Year after year, the brand comes up with the cutest, most giftable items. There are always super-adorable ornaments (many of which are food-themed), a new version of the store’s iconic monogrammed mugs, various cheese boards, and more. In fact, it’s totally possible to shop for everyone on your list in one fell swoop. (We know what you’re thinking and, yes, there are plenty of gifts for your dad!)

Some Kitchn staffers were talking about the new holiday items the other day when we realized we were all in agreement about the single best thing to buy this time of year: coupe glasses! Hear us out.

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Hi, everyone. Hope you’re enjoying your Sunday morning. For those of you accustomed to receiving Sunday With Sisson in your inbox, I wanted to give you a heads up that the team and I are making some changes (just technical) with the newsletter and “Sunday With Sisson” for just a few weeks. Some of you may notice some temporary interruption in your email delivery from MDA. It’s all part of upgrading our systems. Unfortunately, there’s never a good time for these things.

In the meantime, I’ll be posting “Sunday With Sisson” letters each Sunday on the blog until we’re back to our full mailing capacity. Enjoy, and—as always—thanks for joining me here. 

Good morning, everybody.

So, California is on fire. You’ve probably heard the stories and seen the videos of people racing along burning highways to escape. It’s unlike anything the state has ever seen.

I no longer live in Malibu, but I did for 25 years, and my daughter Devyn has been living in our old Malibu house with her boyfriend and three dogs.

She was in the house last week as fire raced down the valley toward our home. They watched as it got closer and only left when the flames finally reached our backyard, assuming they had more time before it was upon them. They didn’t.

I was following along on live stream news from my place in Miami. When I saw local L.A. reporters standing on the street below our house with 30 foot flames roaring directly behind them, I called and told her to get the hell out. Devyn had no idea because the power and Internet were all cut. She and the dogs went to Santa Monica; her boyfriend stayed in Malibu to protect our house (successfully) and a few other friends’ homes in the area.

When I got confirmation that she was all right, I went to sleep. I’m a worrier—as longtime readers will know—but I went to bed with a clear mind, knowing that everyone was safe. Sure, I worried about the house, which has been on the market for a few months and contains 15 years of dearly held memories along with some lingering belongings, but I was also totally at peace with whatever happened. We’ve got insurance and houses are just stuff. The people who live in the house and the memories we form there are what matters. That sense of home doesn’t just disappear. It stays with you.

The house survived anyway, albeit with a fair amount of fire and water damage to two sides of it. Two of our neighbors weren’t so lucky and lost their homes entirely.

It’s interesting to me that just two weeks ago I was writing about the importance of practicing gratitude. These events asserted a real life reason why gratitude is so essential: life is fragile—and it can be taken away at any moment. Even if you think you have nothing, you have life, and the promise and opportunity that represents.

Gratitude asks us to resist the temptation to judge the height of our own fortune (or the depth of our misfortune) by comparison with others. It’s self-referencing, which is the seat of its power. So many things become possible when we operate from that place.

I’ve said before on the blog that Thanksgiving happens to be my favorite holiday. This year I’ll be celebrating its message more than ever.

Enjoy your Sunday, everybody, and a good holiday to you and yours.

Best,

Mark

The post Sunday With Sisson 11.18.18 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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It is officially the time of year when basically every day is either a holiday party or the holiday itself. In other words, ’tis the season for thoughtful, charming, and unique hostess gifts. “Thank you so much for having us!” a good hostess present says. Also, “Thank you for allowing us to drink red wine in your immaculate living room!”

I like to imagine I am the type of person who keeps a handful of small but lovely tokens on hand; tokens harvested from my many exotic travels. This would be evidence that I am the kind of person who plans in advance, and also proof that I am always thinking of others. I am not. I rarely plan for anything. Also, I don’t go that many places.

Still, it is something to aspire to. Someday may we all have well-stocked gift cabinets; wonderlands of objects just waiting to be presented to our many beautiful friends.

Until then, here are 10 delightfully inexpensive hostess gifts you can order on Amazon with free Prime shipping.

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During the winter holidays, I make plenty of pies so that everyone feels comfortable taking a big slab, but that also means I have some leftovers. Transforming apple pie leftovers into a stuffed French toast isn’t difficult at all. Crush up the filling and crust, stuff it into a generous slice of brioche or challah, give it a quick pan-fry, and bake it to finish. Not too shabby, eh?

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As much as I could easily pile my Thanksgiving plate with creamy mashed potatoes and rich, sausage-studded stuffing and be more than content with my selection, I do find it nice to squeeze one or two more side dishes on there that are a bit lighter. Something green or not so heavy is a nice contrast to the decadent favorites of the holiday and helps keep everything balanced, which is always my mantra at any meal — holiday or not. Here are 10 of those recipes to make room for at the table this year.

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If you’re thinking of tucking your slow cooker away for your big Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving celebrations, think again. Instead, let it help you make a big batch of warm cocktails — like mulled cider, Irish coffee, or eggnog lattes — to serve all your family and friends.

Like all slow cooker affairs, this is a hands-off approach, which is especially nice when so many other things have your attention on the big day. Plus, you can leave the slow cooker on the warm setting, so things will stay steamy for hours. Below you’ll find some of our favorite slow cooker sips. Cheers!

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