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Entertaining

Renee’s Table: Thanksgiving

Renee’s Table is my new series about celebrating everyday moments with food, family, and friends. First up, Thanksgiving! 

Renee’s Table is my new series about celebrating everyday moments with food, family, and friends. I could think of no better event to kick the series off than with Thanksgiving! 

This year, I hosted Thanksgiving with my family for the first time in two years, and I was beyond excited!  As soon as October hits, I start imagining how the day will look. The dishes, the napkins, the menu, the invitations. The little details that make the event truly special. By the time November rolls around, I’ve got nearly everything planned, my mock table laid out, and the invitations sent.

DECOR

The first step was to set the mood. I wanted the decor to be rustic, organic, with lots of personal touches. I wanted the table to feel intimate and inviting… just like Thanksgiving should!

Flowers and candles

For the centerpiece – a mixture of pumpkins, candles, and florals, in different shapes & sizes, scattered throughout the table.  To keep it feeling rustic, I used no tablecloth or runner, and instead opted for the natural dark wood finish of the table.

The napkins were simple, with an embroidered P to pay tribute to our family, and to complete the look, I mixed three sets of vintage silver napkin rings.

Table setting

For name cards, I sourced the cutest custom carved wooden names. These made for a unique touch to the table while also providing our guests with a lovely keepsake to take home at the end of the evening. 

MENU

What would the day be without an unforgettable menu? After all, it’s part of what makes Thanksgiving so special! 

Chips & Caviar

We started the meal with a few hors d’oeuvres, including one of my personal favorites, butter fried chips with Ossetra caviar, before leading into our meal, a traditional Thanksgiving feast with a few signature touches, and a take home meal for all our guests. I wanted to ensure no one went home hungry.

Beef Wellington

Fried or roasted turkey from a local organic farm, and a grass-fed beef wellington with shaved truffles were accompanied by a full spread of sides, including sage rosemary stuffing (or dressing for those of you in the south and midwest), honey glazed carrots, maple glazed yams, and crispy brussels sprouts.

For dessert, we offered our guests a trio of pies including pumpkin, bourbon pecan, and apple, all with the option of being served a la Mode.

COCKTAILS

Renee Parsons with drink

One of my favorite parts of any party is the drinks! It’s so much fun finding creative ways to dress up classic cocktails and turn them into something special (and tasty). For Thanksgiving this year, we crafted two signature cocktails, the Pumpkin Spiced Vanilla Old Fashioned, and the Fall Spice Negroni. Be sure to check out the recipes for both drinks in our Thanksgiving cocktail post here.

Since it was our first time having everyone together since 2019, and some new family members (welcome to the family, Lucy!) first Thanksgiving with my whole family, I wanted this year’s celebration to be particularly special. 

I was so grateful for the opportunity to have everyone in one place, and I can’t wait to host an even bigger celebration next year!