Thanksgiving is just around the corner — it’s time to start planning your feast! For one lucky winner this year, the turkey will be on us.
Starting today, you can enter for a chance to win a Willie Bird Organic Turkey and Apple & Spice Turkey Brine to take center stage at your celebration. Just leave a comment on this post by Thursday, November 8 at 6 p.m. (PT) telling us your favorite Thanksgiving tradition, and we’ll pick a winner at random. Want to know if you’re the lucky winner? We’ll email our prize winner on Friday 11/9, so be sure to check your inbox. Good luck!
What’s so special about Willie Bird turkeys? First of all, they’re fresh, not frozen, ensuring a juicy and flavorful bird. The turkeys are also free-range, raised on ranches in Sonoma county for the past 45 years without additives, hormones or antibiotics. Watch the video below to learn more.
489 comments
This Thanksgiving will be the first for me without a living parent or sibling. Hoping it will be okay. Wondering what to do about the big meal.
Spending time with family and giving thanks is what Thanksgiving is all about! Watching the Thanksgiving Day parades and football games are a given. So is running around in the yard with the kids and everyone helping to prepare one dish for the family dinner. And after dinner, there is always “The Nap”.
My Thanksgiving Tradition is carrying on with our family dinner despite our parents no longer being with us! My dad always made a German coffee cake just on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We called it Kuka! It was so special because dad only made it on those two holidays (it was a long and involved process). Mom did the big turkey with her own stuffing recipe of sausage, bread type that all adored! I make it to this day! Our dinner includes: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans w/bacon, jellied cranberry sauce and candied sweet potatoes. AND, pumpkin pie of course.
After dinner was finished and the clean-up done, the adults would get together and play pinochle!! A family tradition. Our dinner was early afternoon so there was plenty of time for leftovers…especially that delicious stuffing w/homemade gravy!!
That’s what I/we try to carry on to this day!!
Can I simply say what a aid to find somebody who truly knows what theyre
speaking about on the internet. You undoubtedly
know how one can carry an issue to light and make it
important. More folks must read this and understand
this side of the story. I cant believe youre no more in style because you undoubtedly have the gift.
I love big gatherings with friends and family.
Thanksgiving is special , it’s has always always been a treat for my sons to watch their mom prepare the meal from scratch. This year, Richmond who is profoundly deaf and Michel-Angelo who is autistic volunteered to prepare the turkey, but under my supervision of course. Edible or not, this year’s turkey dinner promises to be the best. I am thrilled.
Having everyone go around the table saying what they are thankful for that year. Plus just having the family together 🙂
My favorite Thanksgiving was when my portuguese grandmother-in-law cooked for me for the very 1st time as newlyweds.. She stuffed the turkey with homemade, chorizo, carrots, onions, garlic,Baby red potatoes,whole tomatoes,tons of herbs & spices, then layered orange wedges & fresh cranberries all around the bird along with fresh rosemary, thyme , and this homemade seasoning ”sWhich by the way would never share the engredients” because it was an old recipe from over 100 yrs back in her family from the Azores..1st she brined in oranges & tea for 2 days..Great memory..
Gathering in the kitchen to all cook together, laugh and share blunders and bloopers from the last Thanksgiving is a pure joy for me and my family!
Great Food ! Great Friends! & loads of Great Thinks to be thankful for—-
I love getting together and spending all day cooking a delicious meal with food you don’t usually eat al lyear round but is saved for this special occasion!
My favorite tradition is making and serving cornbread dressing from my mother’s recipe which she got from her grandmother. It would not feel like Thanksgiving without it. I’d love to serve it with a turkey this fine.
I’m going to make the Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pear and Thyme tonight, looks mouth watering. I was just finishing up my Thanksgiving dinner menu when I came across even more delicious recipes. Thank you!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is going around the table & saying what we are thankful for. We each also do an anonymous good deed to help others at this time.
I will cook like a mad woman for the two days straight leading up to Thanksgiving dinner because we don’t have all that much refrigerator space so I have to do a lot of cooking immediately before! (Yes, that’s 48+ hours of cooking straight!). I don’t mind the lack of sleep or loopiness that ensues because it truly is the best time of year! I usually cook for about 25 people and even with all those people, we’re fortunate to still have lots of leftovers to bring to to the local policemen and firemen in our town! It’s such a great feeling to provide a warm meal to those who serve us most! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 🙂
YUMMY! Turkey!!! Would love to try this. 🙂
My favorite tradition is hosting the family gathering. It’s a tradition my grandmother started before I was born. After she passed away I started having my family at my home. You never know how many will show up but that’s ok with me. It’s all about family, good food, great times and reminiscing. We make new memories. Above all we count the many blessings we share in this great nation. Looking forward to this years celebration!
Our Thanksgiving tradition is to have a non-traditional meal. We select a country and have a “traditional” meal from there. We’d love to win a turkey and have a traditional meal this year though.
Best thing about turkey day is sitting around the table with each family member sating what they are thankful for.
The best thing about turkey day is sitting around the table with each of my family members saying what they are thankful for. I love being with my family and friends who are family. I love cooking with my mom in the kitchen and now my daughter is carrying on the tradition.
Spending time with my family! The tradition of sitting down and each member of my family telling what they are thankful for. The tradition of spending time in the kitchen with my mom and daughter!
The best thing about turkey day is being with family. I love being in the kitchen cooking with my mom and now my daughter. So much to be thankful for!
Participating in the “Run To Feed The Hungry” before our big family dinner.
I would love to have an amazing thanksgiving turkey for my families celebration!
Having our neighbors and family getting together to cook and then eat with each other. Having all the elders and youngsters with us, telling stories, lots of great food with a mixutre of new and old dishes, and just being a big ‘family’!
Every thanksgiving we brine our turkey! We make Bell’s in the bird stuffing in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, and home made cranberry sauce.
We also watch the Macy’s parade all day long!
My favorite thanksgiving tradition is pulling family names for the people we are buying for Christmas. Then spending the next day finding the present!
I would LOVE to due a fresh turkey in brine this year
We watch Miracle on 34th Street and comment about how much my mother looked just like Natalie Wood as a child. She EATS it up! Ha! Good times…
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade always sets the tone. We have a lovely breakfast with homemade quiche. As soon as the parade is over we get down to business and put the final touches on our wonderful traditional dinner. It includes friends, family and “orphans” which simply means anyone who had no where to go.
Our Thanksgiving tradition in my family is to hang out in the kitchen as I prepare the feast. I do the cooking and my mom bakes. We really don’t leave the kitchen. We just hang out and enjoy each others company. Later in the day, we go and watch a movie. It might seem boring for a lot of people but it’s what we do in my family.
Favorite tradition is homemade dinner rolls and of course the pumpkin pie!!
Family dinners! Best time of year with fabulous food!!
Favorite Tradition – sitting down with family (this year, friends) and getting to hear stories that you’ve missed the rest of the year.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is when everyone goes around the table to say what they are thankful for. The kids always have the sweetest answers!
Love Thanksgiving — favorite recipe/tradition is oyster stuffing and a fried turkey coated with crunchy peanut butter. Yummmmmmie!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is being with family.
This turkey looks devine. My favorite tradition. Just watching the children. They grow so fast. The beautiful adults they are starting to become. The new additions to the family with all the nieces and nephews. Family tradition making the pies together.
We always play old-fashioned board games after the meal with dessert, coffee–and more wine!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is making place cards for our guests. My 3 daughters & I write on the inside of the cards the things that the person does that makes us thankful that they are part of our lives. It makes wonderful gifts for everyone and lets people know how special they are.
I don’t have any thanksgiving traditions. How sad is that? The one that I like the best that I’ve heard about though is a big family dinner. That would be so nice.
After a long drive (12 hours) to be with family and the wonderful traditional feast we climb to the M on the mountian in Bozeman MT
Then we are ready for leftovers and dessert
After the Celebration is complete ending the evening by reading “Cranberry Thanksgiving”. A children’s book that my parents read to us EVERY Thanksgiving…
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is just the simple joy of getting the whole family together for one big feast and enjoying the California weather 🙂
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is having the family get together and eat great food, watch some football and play games.
Favorite tradition is arguing about what to put in the stuffing, and then making two different kinds.
Thanksgiving is also my birthday this year and having our family together is the best part. We rarely all get to be together, but this year everyone will be there. A special turkey would be an additional treat. Thank you
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is playing a game of Trivial Pursuit with the whole family after Thanksgiving dinner. Lots of fun and competitiveness in my family!
At Thangsgiving, when we all gather around the table, we say the blessing and before andyone can begin to eat we must tell at least one thing we are grateful for.Next year, I plan to put up a special calendar for the month of November with a small envelope for each day. So those of us who maybe embarrassed to say something at our table can put it in an envelope as soon as they think about it. I saw that in one of my magazines. We have friends and extended family who gather together and sometimes they find it difficult to talk in front of others. There are so many things to be thankful for!
I think my favorite Thanksgiving tradition is just having everyone in the kitchen prepping the table and cooking/baking together while chatting. It’s a chance to spend time with everyone.
And, I can’t lie, stealing the turkey skin once it’s finished is great.
I love hanging out with my siblings on Thanksgiving. Regardless of food (although we all try to outdo each other with dises), we just love the opportunity for a little while to be together again.
My new favorite tradition for the last 8 years, I work Thanksgiving Day as a 911 Dispatcher, when my shift ends at 3pm I go home and we have a quiet Thanksgiving celebration with my immediate family, cooking and enjoying ourselves.
I like the day after I make my family’s favorite sandwich, turkey cranberry bacon & coleslaw on rye.
Eddie kaplan
My mother passed away in 2010 and we are continuing her family traditions at Thanksgiving with turkey and dressing, boiled country ham and collards, sweet potato casserole, broccoli-rice casserole, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, congealed salad, cranberry sauce,yeast rolls, sweet iced tea, and banana pudding for dessert. Y’all come now!
[…] much what it says on the tin. Leave a comment on this blog post at the Blender and you may be dining on a lovely free range turkey that you may or may not have brined in […]
Looking forward to the big day! We usually do the traditional thing. I couldn’t wait this year and decided to do a mock-dinner today : )
One of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving is the prep and planning…it’s make the actual day seems longer, almost a month long when I think back.
Getting together with Family and being Thankful for what we have received.
Thirty of my relatives all fitting into my grandmother’s small three bedroom house to eat Thanksgiving. We stay all day cramped, but happy.
I love watching the Thanksgiving Parade every morning while we cook!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to sit at my parent’s counter and cut the X in the chestnuts while my mom prepares all of the side dishes. It’s the one chance we get to chat before all the family arrives and the celebration begins!
Every Thanksgiving before we dig in, we light a special candle and after saying grace remember all of our family no longer with us. If only just for a moment, I can actually feel their presence.
I moved to Australia from the States, so now my new tradition here is making all of my international friends dress up like Indians and Pilgrims and all come to a big communal Thanksgiving dinner where I share all of my favorite Thanksgiving family dishes with my new family and friends.
Looks great. I’m going to try it.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving just before dinner. It puts us into the mood to express our gratitude of what we are blessed with what we have.
Mashed potatoes!
we always have a turkey for thanksgiving with stuffing and cranberries
Thank you for hosting this giveaway
Louis
pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com
We always have to get together and do the stuffing and then three is us help stuff the bird. We can’t change the stuffing and try something different. It always has to be sage and onion. Change is not an option.
We give thanks around the table and do a family picture
I can’t wait to taste it
Our favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to have our celebration at a designated relative’s home each year no matter where they live in the United States.
The day after Thanksgiving, my mother, my son, and I make chocolate dipped pretzels to give away to friends between then and Christmas. I love that 3 generations work together on the project.
For the past 4 years,I have made the best turkey ever..Noting beats williams sonoma turkey seasonings. And in Brasil we don’t even celebrate Thanksgiving…
Our family enjoys cooking together and remembering how fortunate we are to be blessed with our health and each other!
After stuffing ourselves, we’d head to empty bedrooms and nap. After the nap we’d have coffee, finish waking up, then decorate the Christmas Tree at my parents’ house.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is getting my home prepared weeks ahead of time, house cleaning and decorating with pumpkins used for Halloween. Turkey recipes may change, but we always have, Brussel sprouts, dressing with oysters and pumpkin pies are a must! Full tummies, good conversation and lots of love with family is shared in gratefulness.
Thanksgiving is being around my family. I just wish it was like it once was at my Grandparents house. Small house, lots of family.
My favorite tradition was a little strange. I would beg my mother the night before Thanksgiving to make sure she got me up early so I could watch her fix the turkey. When it was in the sink I would love to slap it on the butt and laugh. Luckily being the laid back mother she was she would allow me to slap the bird a few times then distract me by turning on the parade..
Turkey, with all the trimmings. We especially love cranberry sauces- we make at least two types
Cooking with the help of all them family members 13, 9, 6…the best meal is created
My turkey always looks good and tastes great!
Watching my mother tearing up the stuffing bread and getting the meat grinder out to grind up a pork chop and all the gizzardy-things,adding egg and a little clove and allspice…to make her super old fashioned, meat-packed stuffing. -We love it. A true family tradition. This is the first year, my sister and I are attemptng it on our own. Mom at 87 – and “a bit forgetful” – is ready to pass the torch and the recipe on to us. I hope we can live up to the tradition and truly create “Mom’s stuffing”.
Having lots of turkey and gravy! My daughter is very petite but somehow can eat her size in turkey and gravy.
Our family’s favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to share that for which we are thankful with the group who has gathered together. Each person also records this in a special album and we take a group picture. It’s fun to look back over the years at our comments and the photographs.
Sure hope to win!!
I love the dark meat of the turkey. We all head straight for it on Thanksgiving Day.
I enjoy making homemade apple pie from local orchard
apples using my grandmother’s recipe.
Favorite tradition is going around the table and everyone states what he or she is thankful for. And, my famous stuffing is another wonderful tradition!
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.
It’s wonderful to get together with family and enjoy
good food,esp. fresh turkey.
I always enjoy a fresh bird over frozen. It is so convenient
to not have to defrost and the taste is superior!
It is a tie between running 5 miles in Nashville’s Boulevard Bolt, all proceeds go to feed the local homeless population, and eating pie for breakfast in the days following Thanksgiving.
Fried Turkey and Macy’s parade!
I make a crazy recipe that I made up that my grandchildren crave. It’s called, Pumpkin Something. Delicious!!
Our thanksgiving tradition is starts with each of us makeing a delicious hors d’oeurves to share. Once everyone has loaded up a medley of tasty little treats and snacks we all gather around ( used to be a radio, but now it is an iPod hooked Up to the stereo) and we listen to Stuart McLean tell the story about Dave and Morley cooking the thanksgiving turkey. I love this tradition and it always makes me smile to see so many generations in our family enjoy such a simple tradition, a tradition of the past that we continue to share with future gerations. Everyone love this tradition, there are lots of laughs and talks about “Dave” and how he may be just like members of our family. Since marrying my husband we also have spread the tradition to his family as well.
If you haven’t heard this story, you have to listen to it ! It’s hilarious !!!
Stuart McLean – Dave and Morley
We always must have a delicious cranberry jello that my mom has made for yours. My kids say it’s not Thanksgiving without it. I’ve always wanted to get an organic bird, so it would be great to win.
The tradition has become sweet potato souffle that my sister makes. It was a joke the first year because it was so soupy, but she has since perfected the pie and it is actually pretty good.This is the first year our Dad won’t be with us, he is in a nursing home. We will go and visit with him after we eat and will take him some soft food and chopped up some turkey in the food processor. We hope to be able to arrange for him to be brought to my sister’s house for Christmas.
Every Thanksgiving morning, my family watches the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade and looks through the papers and adverstisements for the next day. We never go out shopping, but its fun to look through them, swap ideas, and spend the time together.
We like to invite a family to share in our thanksgiving. We watch the parade and have homemade pecan cinnamon rolls.
We order a fresh turkey brine it overnight and bar b quest with coals and apple wood. Our kids are now taking over the tradition.
my family tradition is my New England sausage and apple cranberry stuffing. I have to make a double receipe, with 1/3 in the 20lb bird and the other 2/3’s in a casserole dish.
Everyone comes with plastic containers for leftovers to take back home.
Last year I had a 20lb bird that had 6 extra turkey legs. It seems everyone fights over the two turkey legs from the grandchildren 6 and 9 to my 88 year old father.So to make them all happy we have a very strange bird that gets served with 6 to 8 legs.
Happy Holidays to All!
Our family enjoys a cross-cultural Thanksgiving dinner, including specialties from multiple countries as represented by our extended family.
My favorite tradition is pumpkin chiffon pie. Lighter than regular!
Family tradition, I always get up early and do all the cookin.
We have hosted Thanksgiving for 30+ years for our family the tradition is to have dinner at about 2:00, then we play pictionary. Most of the family spends the night so we can get bargains first thing in the morning before we meet up for a movie. It’s a great three days.
anything & everything! & the gathering of loved ones, friends & family & those who have nowhere to go!!
crispy turkey skin & mashers!
creamed spinach!
We love to bring our great gulf oysters to the table. Always nice to have oyster stuffing with our lovely bird! Yum
every year we make the JUJU for the turkey- its a condiment of mayo, Worcestershire, jap jelly, current jelly, lemon juice, pepper, cloves & allspice… slurrrrp…..
My Mom’s home make stuffing.
Fresh cooked Cranberries.
Going to technique classes at williams sonoma and adding 1 or 2 new dishes every year. I have been going for the last 6 years.
Every Thanksgiving Eve the whole family gets together to get the turkey and stuffing ready because we eat at noon. My job, because I’m the youngest, is to beat the eggs and add the fresh cubed bread and mix until smooth. Now that job has been passed down to my daughter! Nothing tastes better than my Mom’s turkey and stuffing ….
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is the annual family football game before we eat the big meal!
Eating a second dinner later in the night!
I love spending the day in the kitchen cooking with the whole family. Happy holidays!
Celebrating with my daughters who live within a mile of each other in Brooklyn. Since they can’t be home for Thanksgiving…I travel to see them. Cooking a homemade meal in their small kitchen, I use all the dishes they own and frequently have them run to the nearby deli for the forgotton ingredients. I’m grateful for our shared time together.
Looking forward to establishing new Thanksgiving traditions as we celebrate my husband’s successful brain surgery yesterday (Nov. 5) after a surprise brain tumor diagnosis two weeks ago!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to put in the effort to make the day like a small slice of my childhood Thanksgivings, for my own kids. We don’t have much family nearby, so it’s not a house full of people like back then, but it’s special and memory-making in its love and intimacy.
In my experience, brined turkeys do NOT look like that. But BOY are they good. . .and no slicing, they just FALL off the bone. Oh, YES. . .
I have been using the WIlliams-Sonoma buttermilk brine recipe since it came out, combined with the Apple-Sage spice blend brine mix, brining bags,turkey gravy base, etc. Love the site, all the cookware, recipes, and such. We usually do two 18-22 lb birds. One stuffed in and in the oven, the other Smoked or Rotisserie grilled with stuffing on the side.
Tradition – making tortellini for soup thanksgiving day with my family.
I want to win a Willie bird for thanksgiving!
Even though we’ve moved several states away from most of our family, we still share the same recipes for dishes on Thanksgiving — a tradition in continuing on the legacy of good home-cooked food!
My favorite tradition is all the little kids help make Thanksgiving Dinner.. Also, when my entire family gets together at the table and we all share stories and put aside our differences. Then everyone asks, “Where’s the pumpkin pie?”.
I absolutely love cooking Thanksgiving dinner!!! Everything from cranberry chutney to deciding what stuffing recipe to make and all the other side dishes. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!!!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is coming up with a new Thanksgiving-themed dessert each year. Every year I try and top the last with a whimsical and, of course, tasty dessert!
I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Our family tradition is that the menu is never the same year after year, we like to mix it up and try new things.
We go to dinner at my best friends house and have dinner, boy can she cook. I bake and take the pies. We talk, laugh, drink wine and eat.
Getting up early to start the turkey and stuffing. Kids running in kitchen asking if it is done yet.Making a family recipie. I was taught as a little girl from my Mom and Grandmother.
I love my grandma’s pumpkin roll! I look forward to it all year.
Every year we go around the table after dinner and before dessert and everyone tells what they are thankful for. It was very poignant last year as my thirty-three year old daughter was recovering from a brain injury and my 58 year old cousin was dying from cancer and will not be with us this year. We will as always go around the table and say what we are thankful for. No dessert without telling us all what we are thankful for in this past year.
Besides the bad news this year we have a new grandchild joining us for her first Thanksgiving and my daughter continues to recover from her brain injury.
The joke in my family is that Willy Sonoma is my boyfriend as I make so much use of your recipes and food items.
Listening to Alice’s Restaurant.
Every year we have an early thanksgiving lunch where my family on my moms side stuffs themselves with delicious food, just a few hours later we travel to my dads side of the family were we get to do it all over again!!! Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday and if we got to experience a Williams-Sonoma turkey, it would mean even more to us!!! We love our turkey!!!!!
We carry on the tradition of my family with the Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing from my mother’s recipe, along with eating a turkey sandwich in the evening even though we are totally stuffed ourselves. However, the addition to this tradition in my family is that before the meal, those around the Thanksgiving table hold hands and say what they are thankful for.
Family get together, and beside turkey we always have fish. Then we put up our christmas tree.
We love eating the same food each year. Each person has something that they are incharge of making.
Oooo..that bird looks amazing.
My favorite tradition is sharing the big feast with extended family.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is eating snacks and watching the parade on TV.
Love all the fixings you have at William Sonoma for the Thanksgiving Turkey.
It is tradition to stuff the turkey with Cornbread Dressing. My entire family loves
it.
I love watching my family enjoy a meal I’ve spent hours preparing. It’s the best!
My best Thanksgiving was the last one before my Dad passed away. The entire family was there along with the extended family. Bird. We had his favorite turkey. Willie. Bird. We will have a another this year as well in rememberance. It would be great if it was free.
Organizing the ads and coupons for the next day of shopping & deals! ^_^
Having our family around the table each year, makes us very thankful. We laugh, eat, watch football, and enjoy each other. Now with little grandchildren, we continue our traditions and create new memories for them.
Every year, we try something new! I’ve attempted to tru and make a turkey 2 times. And totally amazed myself. I traditionally make ham as my speciality. My son is older now and is a great cook, but has never made a turkey before. This year he is challenging himself to making a turkey. Hope we win this, so he will get his chance to see how well he does. He has never failed is yet!
Getting together with family and friends and eating a fabulous turkey dinner with all the fixings.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is sharing a wonderful meal with family, then playing board games.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is meeting at my mother’s home the night before and working together to make the stuffing…it includes ham, onions, garlic, apples, walnuts, chestnuts, bread crumbs, butter, evaporated milk, raisins, and wine. No matter where we all spend Thanksgiving day, we always meet the night before at Mom’s.
Spending the day cooking with the Macys Parade in the background, being with family and eating all the delicious food we get only on Thanksgiving. Being thankful for all Gods blessings and trials that help us to grow.
Having a big Thanksgiving meal with the family, and watching movies after we finish dessert.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to go the whole nine yards to prepare a full Thanksgiving dinner for guests who have no local family to share the holiday. It makes for a full table and true thankfulness. My guests are thankful to be a part of a group and I am thankful to have a houseful. Happy Thanksgiving!
The hostess makes the turkey and dressing and the rest of the family bring the favorite side dishes. This is my year to make the turkey and just thinking of the brining process makes my mouth water.
Having everyone who was able to come for Thanksgiving pose for a picture with the turkey before its carved.
Our family tradition has always been to drive to our Aunt and Uncle’s home and eat the cliche meals for Thanksgiving…however, my husband and I just moved across the country and our Thanksgiving tradition will be different this month…with a little one coming on Christmas, it will be me and my husband with one turkey, in our apartment, sharing each other and the new gift God has given us. This by far, will be my favorite Thanksgiving new tradition:sharing time with just me and my husband and little one on thanksgiving.
My family and I collect recipes and ideas for weeks. We then spend a Friday night over pizza deciding on each course. There are the inevitable fights to keep in the good old stand-bys versus new additions. It makes everyone part of the planning and excited for the prep!
Just love this. All the recipes I have found here are wonderful. I especially like the Pumpkin Pecan Bread that I made from a mix that I got at the Williams-Sonoma store in South Windsor, CT. Really good–and the loaf pan I bought made it very special. I am going to make it again for Thanksgiving!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition? Making 6+ pies… for 2 people.
This looks so good. Please pick me.
Favorite Thanksgiving tradition is saying Thank you for all that we have.
Getting together with family and enjoyed home cooked food. Everything is homemade except for one dish of canned cranberry sauce, which is my husband’s favorite. The recipes have changed because I can’t eat gluten anymore, but it’s been fun getting creative with recipes!
I guess I should have mentioned what my favorite Thanksgiving tradition is, haha 🙂 We play board games every year. I add on as the years go by, so this year twister is being put in the mix and my kids are going down!
Going around the table sharing what we are each thankful for.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is getting together with my family. There was one Thanksgiving that I went to my sister’s house, she had just had her son and couldn’t make it home for the celebration so I fly down to celebrate with her and her family. My family had changed a lot but getting together with them is still the best part of Thanksgiving.
Turkey, please and more!
I would love to win a turkey this year. It would help, for sure.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is cooking with my family.
Yummmy the turkey time of year is the best time of the year
I love the tradition of feasting early, and all day long, on Thanksgiving Day, and watching football (throughout my childhood, it was watching the Lions lose). I love the turkey – the aroma that fills the house… I love the sweet potatoes and even the green bean casserole with the French’s toasted onions on top…… and then having room for the pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
Eating homemade yeast rolls for dessert.
Thanksgiving tradition is making homemade pie crust and pies with my mother.
going around the table with each person saying what they’re most thankful for
Getting up early to go pheasant hunting and coming home to the wonderful smells flowing from kitchen.
We have a fairly new tradition: Beer Car Turkey and fresh cranberry-orange relish with fresh green beans sautéed with fresh smoked pastured bacon. It is wonderful. The grilling gives us the gift of time with our family and friends. Priceless.
We have great friends that also don’t travel for the holiday, so every year we have them over and the challenge is to try at least one new recipe (I refer to them affectionately as our “guinea pigs”). We’ve had some superb items, and a few things that got left on the counter (by unanimous vote), but we always look forward to the surprise of the day!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is having my family stay the whole weekend. Putting up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving with the grandkids is the best!!
Favorite tradition at Thanksgiving–Family time! I come from a group of excellent and slightly competitive cooks. Last year we started a new tradition of awarding the (now coveted) “Golden Ladle” to an outstanding cook. The recipient is chosen by a popular vote from family and friends, based on dishes served for Thanksgiving.
I’d give the others a run for their money with the Willie Bird. 😉
We, too tell each other what we are most thankful for each year. When he was about 7, my brother thought and said. ” air conditioning. Well THINK about it!” Every year as we start the ritual, we all yell, “air conditioning!” And laugh even more considering we live in Maine!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is that the whole family gets together and cooks the feast…each person has their own dish to prepare and we even start with the baking the night before. Lot’s of cooks in the kitchen!
My annual breakfast date with my honey to stand in line & pick up heritage turkeys at our local co-op. 🙂
I’ve never been able to afford one but they sound terrific!
Love getting together with family …and playing taboo!! It gets fierce with aunts vs uncles : ) But so much fun!
Would love to win this turkey. It would be nice to serve a Willie turkey to my family. Happy Turkey Day!
I’m all about the sides! My favorite is my dad’s “Happy Pilgrim Sweet Potatoes” which are bourbon sweet potatoes with a pecan praline topping. To die for. I’ve been known to eat it for breakfast the next day.
This Turkey sounds delicious. We are making our first all GF Thanksgiving this year and will be looking for this one locally. Our favorite tradition is for everyone to say Thanks at the table, we love hearing the little kids thankful moments.
When my mother was living, we all watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade while she worked in the kitchen, periodically running out to the living room to see what we were oohing and aahing about. Now that she is gone, it’s working on the Thanksgiving dinner together with my sisters in our matching aprons reminding each other of how mom would have done it!
My favorite memories of Thanksgiving were of family gathered around the dinning table, with the excitement of that first bite of turkey after the blessing was said!
My fond memories of both my parents still being with us, my Dad cutting the turkey as my Mom
put all the fixings into serving dishes!
That’s what Thanksgiving meant to me ~~ FAMILY and GODS blessing for us all to be together!!
It was a meaningful and special tradition!
Getting together with loved ones for The Big Feast! I live this time of year when everyone refocuses on family, friends, good food and being thankful for the blessings we do have.
Being with my family and listening to all the ideas my kids have for gifts that they want from Santa Clause.
Making homemade noodles followed by scouring the Black Friday ads.
Favorite Tradition = Sitting around the table after the prayer and we go around the table and tell each other what we have to be thankful for. I also stuff a sugar pumkin with a wild rice stuffing.
My favorite tradition is visiting the in-laws in New England. Spending time with relatives and enjoying good food and company!
Family, great food, and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and football.
Our Thanksgiving tradition is an open house. We have so many friends that have to work on Thanksgiving or on call that they cannot make it home. So every year we open our home to those who want to feel the warmth of friends and family. Sometimes we have as many as 70 people show up. It makes us feel so good to do this. That is our tradition. An open home and an open heart.
What a wonderful way to have family and friends gathered around. I’m part Irish, Italian with a little Germany and let me tell you, we had some gatherings!
I remember so many different foods my Mother and Grandmothers would make! It was hard to choose a favorite. My Father’s Mother would make turnips and rudabaka a special way for my Grandpa and Dad, and my Mother’s Mom made the most delicious biscottis that no one had since been able to replicate. The pies, cakes, struefallas, stuffings, stuffed peppers, scalloped potatoes (all homemade from scratch, no boxes, cans or pre-made), mashed potatoes the gravies, the food was abundant, the fun, laughter and love … uncontainable and unending.
So, in memory of those times and those dear loved ones, especially those no longer with us, if I were to win this feast … I would want it donated to feed those who have gone through through “Sandy” and other such catstrophes. While I myself have little, my little is sufficient!
Thanksgiving family time is the very best! A great turkey makes it even better!
Family, Food and FOOTBALL!!!
For over 25 years my family celebrates Thanksgiving at my aunts house. Everyone brings a dish and she prepares the ham, Turkey and her wonderful dressing. She also makes her fried peach and apple pies that are to die for. We always make family pictures and a group picture. It is always so much fun to see how much the kids have grown..
One of my Favorite Thanksgiving Day Traditions is our family always invites anyone over for a feast that doesn’t have family in town or no place to go…The more the merrier…Just so much fun gathering with all our family, great friends and even new friends 🙂
Hi I keep trying to enter my comment and somehow it doesn’t work! I love Willie Bird turkeys – never had the organic. Please enter my name. Thanks a bunch! Happy Turkey Day!
My mom died in 1971 when I was a young girl but she lives on at the Thanksgiving table every year because of her “turkey” platter, plates and dinnerware that I am fortunate to have. She loved the plates and platter with the beautiful harvest colors and the big proud tom turkey in the center. I can’t remember a past Thanksgiving or imagine a future one without them. So every Thanksgiving, they are lovingly removed from the china cabinet, washed and set to grace the table. I look forward to it every year!
If our friends and family were asked to do a simple word association for my husband & I, they would most likely consider food to be a top contender. And, I’d say that’s fair because we focus much of our personal efforts on settings that involve a meal. Feeding them, spending time with them – this is how we say “I love you.” And for this, I am thankful.
My favorite Thanksgiving Tradition is, after my Mom cleans the turkey, we all gather around for The Turkey Dance. She grabs the bird under its wings, and hums a little ditty as she dances the bird all around the kitchen. Its silly, hilarious, and something I will do with my kids when The Burden of the Feast rests on my shoulders.
Whew, I’m so excited. I’ve had the famous Willie Bird and it is ALWAYS delicious! I’ve ordered the fresh, the smoked, but NEVER had the organic! Please enter my name in this fab contest! I’ll be watching! Thanks so very much. We’ll have a happy Thanksgiving and give thanks to God and to Willie Bird! 😉
As our Thanksgiving menu items grew over the years and my three sons grew up I tried to trim back a bit. After the hew and cry died down I now have each of them make and bring their favorite dish. If you aren’t willing to give it up then you bring it!
One of the best traditions is pie baking with my son and husband, seeing them together just enjoying each other’s company. Love spending that special dinner with a nice table setting. My son helps making origami napkins 🙂
mmm YUM!
My Thanksgiving Trad is that I have to make the gravy (which rock because I have a secret W-S ingredient) and the stuffing which I use fresh white mushrooms! taste-eeee!
My favorite Thanksgivng tradition is watching the parade on TV in my pajamas.
Favorite food is my stepmom’s mashed potatoes and brown gravy. Favorite tradition is going bowling after dinner (which sadly we didn’t do last year, will need to make up for that).
The stuffing is what makes it and I would go with a Chestnut one. Then lots of veggies and a great gravy. Now that makes for a feast
My mashed potatoes are famous in my family – really – lots of real butter and whole milk – you can’t go wrong 🙂
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is the delicious Thanksgiving Sandwich, the day after Thanksgiving : )
Our favorite Thanksgiving tradition is taking a walk in the cooler outdoors to enjoy the nature that surrounds us. We like to walk by a small local lake and then come home to have a toasty fireplace and cook, gather and enjoy the meal together. We even place a plate on the floor for out dog.
The rest of the day is football and family games!
Every Thanksgiving for several years my son would bring home a young man, we considered a son, for dinner and afterwards we would watch the Godfather movie. There were only two installments then but we enjoyed them and the company immensely.
My favorite thanksgiving tradition has been making pumpkin pies from scratch and giving some away. We also do something fun in the morning before the big meal like we were in the local parade one year 🙂
Thanksgiving is the family together, eating too much wonderful food and preparing for the shopping, visiting and more wonderful food eating that lasts through New Year’s!!
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I NEED this bird for Thanksgiving…the economy, no job etc. I adore cooking but simply can’t afford a full feast this year
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is having cranberry sauce with cranberries my mother picks in Alaska.
Every year we enjoy a wonderful meal with family and friends. We spend time together and share the things we are thankful for!
We just love to be with our family and enjoy food, laughter, and life! That’s the Thanksgiving tradition!
I always make a fruit salad that my grandmother used to make. Its the best fruit salad I’ve had!
Our tradition is the “turkey bowl”. We play touch football . . . adults and kids, jocks and non-jocks. It doesn’t matter what the weather is!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition has always been watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning, then MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (the original black and white 1947 version) later that afternoon.
Every year my son cooks Thanksgiving dinner for all of us ,much to the delight of his two little girls ,aged 4 and 14 months old . This year the family has had terrible news that their 14 month old is fighting AML a form of leukemia in New York Morgan Stanley Children’s hospital . I would like to win this turkey to provide them with a real Thanksgiving dinner in her room . He won’t have to cook as per tradition but they will be together ..thank you
My favorite part of thanksgiving is being with my family and having fun together. I never know how many of those opportunities we will have to make them.
This looks so plump and juicy, will look good on our Thanksgiving table!
Waking up in morning and sharing with my wife what I’m thankful for over the past year…it always starts with waking up next to her! Then let the day begin, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, cooking, family & friends, & football to name a few things.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is family and friends gathering around a strictly traditional Thanksgiving dinner (I tried roast beef one year and Dad wanted to know when I was serving the turkey. Needless to say, The hosting family member never messed with tradition from then on, and Dad’s been dead for 12 years).
Decorating a grown ‘s up table and next to it a children’s table and gathering the family all around with the same Italian dressing my family has made for over 60 years! Playing games and enjoying being thankful!
Our favorite tradition is sitting around the table and talking about past family events/stories and laughing at ourselves. Laughter is the best part of it and continues throughout the weekend.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is getting in the kitchen with my Mom, sister, aunts and cousins and cooking together…talking, laughing, tasting and spending time together putting the meal together for family and friends.
So many great products to try and Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to get started on that
Our thanksgiving is centered around family traditions form the past and some new ones as well. We make cranberry relish using a recipe that has been made in our family for years. And then we take time to really listen to each other as we tell what we are truly thankful for this year. THis is followed by a “Thankfulness Challenge” for the next year!
Beyond the bird (which is the star), I love making all of the homemade mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing and stuffing! It’s just not the same without it all.
What a beautiful bird! He would go great with all my fixin’s on Thanksgiving Day!
Pie! My favorite tradition is pie! I make apple, and blueberry, pumpkin and pecan, all decorated with my WS autumn leaf pie crust cutters. Mmmm!
OUr favorite traditions are centered around family…we make a cranberry sauce handed down through the family and new dishes that have become family favorites. And best of all we take time to really listen to each other as we tell what we are thankful for…..and then my mom always comes up with a “Thankfulness Challenge” for each of us for the next year!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition in our house is beginning on November 1st we have a “thankful jar” on the counter. As the days progress toward Thanksgiving family members are encouraged to write a note of what they are thankful for with their name and drop it in the jar. On Thanksgiving after dinner is served the jar is passed around the table and each person picks a note out of the jar and reads it aloud to everyone at the table. It is really fun and can be very heart warming.
my mom is real sick and I wish her to enjoy this turkey with my family. It won’t be the same without her. Eating with my entire family at my house with power!
Our favorite Thanksgiving tradition is after we have finished eating, everyone in the room stands up to tell what they are thankful for. This makes Thanksgiving even more cherished!
I want a “Willie Bird”, please. Thanksgiving with our kids and grand kids is a wonderful opportunity to look back and forward to our many blessings. On another note, would your company consider donating turkeys to those in the North East who have lost so much? This generous effort would be most appreciated by all.
O HELLO Willie Bird! Please pick me! I am having 2 thanksgivings in the same week. 1 for my cooking club and 1 for my family & friends! This Willie Bird would surely impress either crowd. TOUGH CHOICE if I won
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is that it’s the same thing every year. I actually really love the consistency of the menu, the people, the time, and knowing where I’ll be on that Thursday.
Making it all from scratch with the cooking knowledge passed down from 4 generations of awesome women!
My favorite part of Thanksgiving is seeing just how many people we can fit in the kitchen – everyone has to pitch in!
I have a growing family and would be really lovely to serve a Fresh Turkey from your Farms for Thanksgiving. I live in the South however was raised by my Yankee Mom and my family truly loves our Traditional Stuffing.
I love beautifully decorating my table and preparing an unbelievable feast for family and friends. My favorite tradition is after grace, we each say what we are thankful for. I am very fortunate to always being thankful to Williams-Sonoma for helping me prepare for The Lewis families favorite holiday.
I could really use an organic bird for Thanksgiving this year. I would be great!
Family,Friends, Football and Food! Parade in the Morning and “Christmas Vacation,” with Chevy Chase!
My family and my sister’s family get together at the lake for fabulous food, outdoor adventures, and football! My favorite time of the year!
I have two young children and I love to do small things that create lasting memories. This year upon the suggestion of others, we have a thanks jar and slips of paper on our kitchen table throughout November. Everytime we feel thankful, at least once a day we write down the reason. My son who is five comes up with some of the best. On thanksgiving, I will be baking a dozen or so into small rolls and when we break bread as they say, we will read them aloud. The rest will be put in our advent calendar so that by day throughout November and December we can reflect upon what life has given to us. It is so easy, especially with children, to be wrapped up in the holiday gimmes… It is my hope this tradition will help us keep it all in perspective.
My favorite is after everyone has eaten, there is a moment of shared silence, there is a happiness in knowing that everyone ate well.
My Mom’s dressing!
I remember going hunting for our turkey with my Uncle’s. I never thought any turkey’s since have tasted as good as those back then. May have to try a Willie bird.
spending thanksgiving with my family at the beach in NJ
Eating!
… making favorite dishes from food stained recipe cards – remember recipe cards
I want to win! Yummy!
Favorite Thanksgiving tradition? It was eating all the nuts and fruit my mom would lay out…nuts in a shell with that fingerpoppin nutcracker we had to use…and listening to my dad have a hissy over something not turning out right. I could care less about bird and the spuds…it was the PIES my parents made that totally made holiday. They weren’t great cooks, but oh my…they could bake up a storm!!! Pudding pies,mincemeat,pumpkin…the pumpkin roll too..with cream cheese and pineapple filling…hotdiggity! My 13 yr old son says his favorite thing is the canned cranberry sauce. God bless him.
Going to a movie after the BIG meal!
I must say that my favorite tradition is a full day of activities starting with everyone being responsible for preparing a particular dish for the meal; a good game of football played out in the back field; dinner served on place settings handed down from my great great grandmother; and the capped off with naps and football on tv!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is after the extended family leaves we jet our pajamas on, tear the kitchen up again and make left-over turkey sandwiches.
We moved across the country from the rest of our family, so the very first year we had thanksgiving just the four of us, my mom was really upset an lonely. So me and my sister (9 and 7 at the time) decided to become assistant chefs and help make the whole dinner. Now I’m 18 and me and my sister both have our specialties for dinner that we make every year.
Our thanksgiving tradition starts with watching the parade while starting to cook. Then follow that up with watching football and eating. Would love to try a Willie Bird this year! 🙂
My favorite tradition is a big family portrait around a tree that has grown up with all of us and is now watching over generations of our family!
Eating turkey, stuffing, Guatemalan cabbage and pumpkin pie. Then watch some football and fall asleep on the couch with a big smile on my face.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition…Each family member selects1 of their favorite food dishes [does not have to be a traditional Thanksgiving dish] then along with the cranberry salad, beans, potatoes, corn, dressing, turkey and all the trimmings we have additional foods for the feast! Sometimes we have an overload of chocolate…sometimes seafood….one year it was all asian spring rolls and fried rice..each year is different and everyone looks forward to the ‘extra’ unusual foods.
…giving thanks, getting Mr. Bird ready for his oven debut… dropping off baked goods in the morning to the homeless shelter in Charlotte, NC..followed by the parade, only to end up with a great dinner and blessings for what people who were brave enough gave us all those years ago! 😀
Homemade cranberry sauce and blue Hubbard squash! Two of my favorites! And of course, the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade!
Enjoy great company, great food and A LOT OF WINE!
Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition? The food coma that follows.
My mom always invited anybody and everybody that didnt have a place to go on thanksgiving. Since we didn’t have much money ourselves she always had enough food and giving spirit to go around. My brother is carrying on the tradition with his family.
Our family tradition for Thanksgiving is the time we all spend in the kitchen together the night before. We usually order pizza or Chinese food and then spend the whole evening making 4 kinds of pies from scratch, my special sausage and cranberry stuffing , prepping the fresh veggies and cooking the largest turkey breast I can find so we’ll have extra white meat in addition to our whole turkey which I cook on Thanksgiving Day. I also drag out the special homemade decorations that my girls made when they were little.
I’m cooking my turkey in the wood fired oven……yum!!!!
We are very lucky to spend Thanksgiving at our cousin’s home each year. We have a great time with family and the food is awesome, but there are no leftovers. So the day after Thanksgiving my daughter cooks a turkey at our house and her friends all bring their favorite side dishes. That way we can have leftover turkey for awesome turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce sandwiches – my favorite!
I have spent so many Thanksgivings with friends and family. I love those memories and making new ones each year.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is that we bring our pets to dinner, they’re family too!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is after the turkey is all carved up, selfishly having the carcass to myself, and picking off the meat left on its bones.
Aside from my mom’s mashed potatoes and gravy, my favorite Thanksgiving tradition is gathering the family around to play board games after dinner. It’s always a blast!
My most heartfelt part of Thanksgiving is when we pray before our Festive Thanksgiving Dinner & thank God for each other & the food we are about to receive!
Wild rice dressing…….a family favorite!
Our favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to make stuffing that is baked in the bird (for those who love it moist) and putting stuffing in a baking pan and then in the oven (for those who love that crunchy outside bits and nice moist interior.
Ham! Its the only time of year I eat it and I eat a ton!
I know must people do pumpkin pie but we always make spice cake and apple pie, but the cake is always a pumpkin shape.
Our family gathers together, holds hands, and gives thanks for each one present at the table. Our kitchen is the most popular gathering place…..and we make a toast to the bird!
Family togetherness is our tradition…
My dad makes lefse every year at Thanksgiving, can’t wait!!!
Our family is ever growing and changing and Thanksgiving is the one holiday that we ALL get together. Family from out of state often come with their in-laws and it has always been a casual and friendly gathering with the more the merrier spirit. The group usually consists of at least 25 people.
My uncle from Maryland brings dozens of oysters for an appetizer which I enjoy as well as the variety of pies that are offered (the record was 15 one year when my grandmother was still alive and baking!) but neither are my favorite tradition. My favorite tradition is that before dinner, we all stand in a circle holding hands and each person says why they are thankful. After everyone has had their turn, we all sing Edelweiss Grace. It sounds corny, but it really is very special. We have a wide range of religious beliefs and practices, yet everyone participates.
A few years ago, my father and my aunt both had been diagnosed with cancer and it was quite emotional and comforting that we practiced this tradition. I’m happy to say they are both in remission now. This year will be another emotional one since it is the first Thanksgiving without my grandmother. She passed away at the age of 100 earlier this year. I think we will all miss her at this year’s gathering, but will all be thankful that we had her in our lives.
As my four children have grown, their favorite tradition is to make the antipasto. My husband began this tradition with them when they were very young. When it is finished, they head off to the Oconee Diner for breakfast. I’ve eliminated the macaroni and the meatballs, etc. because I realized that after making everything from scratch, they didn’t have room to fully appreciate the centerpiece of the day, our turkey. We enjoy the day with family and friends. My motto is there is always room for one more!
My favorite tradition is everyone sharing what they’re thankful for, and my Aunt Betty’s Snicker Pie! Yummy!!!!
I love eating breakfast with my family and watching the Thanksgiving parade!
We do a family get together and everyone brings their favorite dish, this a fun tradition that includes everyone and adds some variety to the meal, too! 🙂
Every year all my husband’s family comes to my house for Thanksgiving dinner. Some tears it’s been 16, some years up to 22, with kids and kids of kids. Two sisters moved away this year, so it will be the first time in 26 years that someone will be missing.
My favorite part of Thanksgiving are the aromas coming from the kitchen. The turkey roasting, the sage dressing baking, apple pies on the counter. Getting together with family make it a fantastic celebration of thanks.
My two kids set/decorate the dinner table for the family and since my husband and I grew up in the Midwest, we have a divided house as far as football teams. The losing team- either Green Bay Packers or Detroit Lions- has to do the dishes! Go Pack Go!
Besides all the awesome food, including chestnut-cornbread stuffing and freshly roasted pumpkin pie, we go around the table and share what we are thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I don’t have a favorite Thanksgiving Tradition but my favorite thing is cooking and eating turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie!
My favorite thanksgiving tradition is stuffing with lots and lots of sage!
Making rosemary garlic yams…should make them more than once per year!
Family and friends all are welcome and being together is the best tradition.
Favorite tradition is lounging around watching football and then eating awesome food!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is one that has been new to me over the past 7 years. I have been camping each Thanksgiving weekend with friends. We all bring out our Turkeys and the Turkey Fryer out to the desert where we spend the weekend on an off road adventure. We share our birds, and sides with about 25+ friends and it’s so much fun. I still like to bring sweet potatoes, pumpkin pies, mashed potatoes and gravy along for the ride! It is time spent with good friends and family in a stark and surreal environment!
Love that my family each brings something to dinner to share -even if it is just wine, you always need wine!!!
I loved when the meal was over and dishes were done, my Mom and I would pick the turkey bones clean in order to start the soup and to have meat for sandwiches later. I loved the smell of the kitchen and the turkey, and the thought of meals to come. Mom just died on October 30th and she will be missed throughout this holiday season. But the tradition will continue – and I will be thinking of her throughout the day.
My favorite tradition is our pre-thanksgiving Thanksgiving, with all our college friends. We all went to school in Iowa and ended up in the Seattle area. Great chance to catch up and say what we are thankful for.
my favorite thanksgiving tradition are turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce.
Gathering the family together to eat a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, before we dig in…we take a moment to go around the table and talk about what we are grateful for.
My oldest daughter always your turkey . Using the Traditionally brine and apple. It’s the best alway. Looking forward to again this year.
We watch the parade on tv and then the guys start watching football games while the ladies finish up the dinner and we eat at halftime!
Favorite Thanksgiving tradition has to be the giblet stuffing my grandmother makes when we all get together at her house. Followed by vegging out on the couch watching football after the food coma from a heaping plate of Thanksgiving favorites finally kicks in!
Oh how we love getting together and making the best food and hanging out with all of our family! I just love the holidays!
I want a small organic heritage turkey this year
I love the white meat with lots of cranberries
all over it. So I want that turkey
What a fantastic contest! Yes I would love to serve this to my family on Thanksgiving. This year is a bit of a struggle for us as it it with so many, but I too want to keep the tradition alive and have one truly special meal each year with people whom I love the most.
My favorite tradition is eating then going through the sale papers for black friday shopping!
Our biggest tradition is joining with family & friends to give thanks for the blessings of the year.
Part of my tradition starts by helping at the Community United San Jose group which is “Delivering “The Good Choices” Program, helping kids make better choices for a better future” and then going on vacation with my sister and celebrating my birthday.
Favorite Thanksgiving tradition is the family sitting down ready to feast on delicious turkey and fixings and going around the table each saying what we are thankful for!
My favorite tradition of Thanksgiving is being in the kitchen with family and cooking all kinds of foods including desserts. The smells all meld together filling the house with warmth and comfort.
Being immigrants TG is a foreign holiday to our family so we are very thankful for this quentesential American hiliday as it allows us to have an annual family reunion each year. We do our best to rotate the venue so all can have an oppertunity to host our large gathering of 80 to 120 family members. We have a great tradition of inviting anyone from work, school, church etc.n who are alone on this day so our numbers varies. We mix our island food with the traditional American meals to come up with an ecclectic menu; Jerk Turkey, curried goa, pine apple pork chops, baked ham, rice & peas, curry turkey, jerk chicken, yams, babanas (green), plaintains, soup, calaloo-greens, and. MUCH more! We love our time together and look forward to it all year!
Favorite Thanksgiving tradition listening to my house full of laughter and stories and the aroma of foods cooking while my family are all together than later we all go hiking and after we eat we watch movies together. Happy Thanksgiving!
Most of my married life, we have lived too far from family to celebrate the holiday with them, but I have always and as long as I’m physically able, will always prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition? As soon as we are sitting at the table with everyone and family bickering stops and we enjoy each others company. Until it’s time to clear the table. Maybe that’s why we put so much food on the table? to keep us there longer.
Smoked turkey legs… Thanksgiving, caveman style!
Getting together with family and enjoying great food that we prepared from family recipes.
Our favorite tradition at Thanksgiving is the turkey 🙂 that and all the family and friend that gather to spend the entire day together! Great food and great company make for a great day— ending the day off by sharing one thing we are most thankful for! I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving!
Starting new traditions with my husband and our two boys (ages 1&2). One new tradition is making Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Bars from the Williams Sonoma website. With Williams Sonoma Pecan Pumpkin Bread and Pecan Pumpkin Butter. In my goldtouch baking pan. Love Williams Sonoma.
All my family…my kids and their families which include my 5 grandchildren, my first husband and sometimes even his parents, along with our previous neighbors who some years bring her mom, …come to our home for Thanksgiving dinner. It is fun and loud and crazy! Usually after our meal, my daughter who is a chiropractor adjusts us all, which is an unusual tradition for the holidays!
We go to our family farm have a great meal, watch some football and go out target shooting. Nebraska thanksgiving.
Macy’s parade & talking to my sister in law by phone while sitting in front of the oven. I call her right after the turkey goes in the oven.
We eat late lunch around 1….cover everything up with cling wrap and put in the fridge….then uncover everything and have round two for dinner!
I cannot wait for Thanksgiving every year. Not only do we get to partake in a delicious feast, but we get to spend an entire day with family; watching football, opening up a favortie bottle of J vineyards champagne, and cooking in the kitchen with my mom. My mom is stellar in the kitchen and always uses free range chicken, grass fed beef, and organically grown produce and proteins. I’ve learned so much from her, in the kitchen and in life. Cheers the Thanksgiving 2012!
I have always loved feeling that I have the whole day to make one special meal for family and friends. Each year as we gather to enjoy our traditional favorites with one or two new recipes thrown in, we give thanks for our family and friends. I know it’s corny but my husband and kids laugh because I always watch Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life while the bird roasts. LOL. They even bought me my own copies in case it’s not on the television which it usually is. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
What I love is all the preparations. Starting on Wednesday evening, my two daughters and I slice, dice, mix, bake, brine, set the table, you name it, to make sure everything is beautiful and ready for the big day. My husband and two sons also help with cleaning and last minute tasks – and our oldest son usually brings a pie. It is really the time spent together that I cherish the most! I think I look forward to this holiday the most of all!!
Our favorite tradition is getting up early to get ready for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, cooking throughout the day, and then enjoying the evening with good food and friends.
Every year we say our family prayer in a circle and then we go around the circle to give each person sometime to tell what they are thankful for this year. I’m thankful this year that I married the most wonderful man on this Thanksgiving day 20 years ago. We are going through hard medical condtions this year and thankful for Duke Cancer Center also! We all have so much to be thankful for even in our dark days!
Cornbread dressing is still my favorite, and always will be. Just wish I could make it as well as my grandmother used to…I miss it, and her!
Smoking and grilling a huge turkey. It makes my neighbors crazy with the smell!!
My favourite thanksgiving tradition would have to be the turkey trots and also the amount of food there is.
My favorite tradiition is the one I’m starting this year: To run a 10k on Thanksgiving morning. It benefits the regional food so those in need will get help and it benefits me for how good I feel and how thankful I am to be able to do it when many others are too sick.
Food…family…football
saying thanks, eat delicious food and watch football
Would it be bad if I won two years in a row? It was so much fun winning and cooking this turkey last year and I’ve got some ideas in store that would make use of another one. 😉 It’s become our tradition to experiemtn with different methods of cooking the bird each year now!
Our favorite Thanksgiving tradition is stuffing ourselves in time to collapse on the sofa to watch football!
When i was younger i wanted to write down my mom’s recipes so that i would have them to keep, and as she was telling me how she made her dressing , after she had everything mixed she then said to have your daddy come and taste it and i did write that down in my recipe. My mom and dad have passed away but that has alway’s stayed with me . So when i make my dressing , I always call my husband in the kitchen to taste my dressing to get his approval before i go further. And i guess i always will. Thanksgiving will always be special to me cause i know my parents left me such special memories.
Getting together with family and friends and enjoying good food.
It’s very hard to find a fresh, tasteful Turkey in the middle of Texas. Williams-Sonoma’s Turkey’s are the Best! I hope I win one.
Every year on Thanksgiving after making a Pecan Pie from scratch, we always watch the Thanksgiving episode of Charlie Brown and The Wizard of Oz because it was always the only two things on the TV when my dad was little and didn’t have many channels so he passed his traditions on to us and we added the Pecan Pie to make it our own!
Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
Mainly all the food and family. Uncle Joe’s chili on Wednesday, Four turkeys (oven baked, deep fried, smoked, and rottissere) on Thanksgiving, and Deep Fried Food Friday. This great family gathering does now include a 6K Turkey Trot on Sat to balance all the other food from Wed-Fri!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition with my family is taking our traditional after dinner walk to make room for dessert. 🙂
fighting over who gets the most turkey skin,, ha h a
My favorite tradition was sending our Mom off with her grandchildren to the movies early in the afternoon of Thanksgiving while the “kids” finished up preparing the family meal. Even though she’s no longer celebrating with us, the grandkids still talk about that special time with her. Sigh!
I love waking up, turning on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the kids (and for the adults), followed by the National Dog Show. Cooking goes on all day. I am in the military, so we don’t get to go home every year. But last year, I pulled off a big gathering at my grandma’s house. A game of touch football even commenced with the dads and boys. It’s a tradition I will try to keep going when we do get to go home. This year, unfortunately, we can’t go home. After all the hoopla, we sit down to eat, talk and just have a good time. Just when we seem full, we have room for pie =)
I have been making Thanksgiving for 30 years. Everyone comes to my home. Before dinner we are all seated at the table and, one by one, talk about why we are thankful for something that we experienced during the past year. Then we agree how thankful we are to live in the USA and why it is such a great country. And we always enjoy at least one new dish that I have prepared for that year’s dinner.
My favorite tradition is starting new traditions. Last year was the first time I made a thanksgiving dinner. So I’m starting new traditions which hopefully include a real whole turkey. Last year we just did a boneless turkey breast. My goal is to have a thanksgiving table that looks like its out of a magazine. Another new tradition making Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Bars out of Williams Sonoma Pecan Pumpkin Bread and Pecan Pumpkin Butter.
My Korean family and my husband’s Irish/Colombian/German family get together once a year during Thanksgiving at my house for a traditional turkey dinner. Tableware and linens from WS make it complete.
Back when I was a kid, we always had my aunts and uncles come to our house for Thanksgiving dinner. My dad did calligraphy as a side job, and had taught me how to do his Old English style of lettering, so I got ‘volunteered’ to make up place tags for everyone. I did fine on the various Uncles, but I had an ‘oops!’ on the Aunts… All of my Aunts became Anut or Anuty! Everyone got a good laugh out of it, and we still talk about the ‘Anuties’.
Getting together with friends and family. Going to the high school football game. Watching the parade.
Making my dad’s cornbread stuffing!
…would love me some turkey and dressing…
Relaxing, watching the parade, foodball, enjoying the best meal of the year, searching the ads, sleeping fast and woohoo – black friday!!! My first Thanksgiving off in six years – this year the above list is more than a pipe dream. So excited!!!
Would love to try a fresh organic turkey this year! My favorite tradition is my mom and making
Pies together. Every year we try to top the year before. One year we made 28 pies! (for about 10 people…). I love Thanksgiving!
When I was growing up I loved waking up on Thanksgiving morning and listening to my mother moving around the kitchen, already cooking our Thanksgiving dinner. The sounds were so comforting and I miss them more each year. Now I like smuggling on the couch with my two little guys watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
Singing “Over the River and thru the Woods” with all of the kids!! You can almost imagine a sleigh and snow!1 Yea!
If the gravy turns out,so will the football:)
My favorite tradition is that wonderful sleep after you’re full!
So sorry for Willie, but yes indeed to my tummy!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is discussing what we are all thankful about over a wonderful meal. It’s the quality time together that means the most!
After Thanksgiving dinner, we have a little”ring in the holiday season” by lighting a huge pine tree in the yard with Christmas lights and blasting one of our favorite Christmas songs each year. Our neighbors now wait for the call and come out in their yards to see!
We all make thank you leaved and a put them on a tree. It is always fun to see what the kids come up with.
My FAVORITE Thanksgiving tradition~ my dad making every pie possible and preparing an amazing turkey. Somewhere in there we threw in almond champagne. Awesome family + Awesome food = A Happy Thanksgiving!
My favorite tradition is so pull out my grandmothers old handwritten recipe cards and plan the thanksgiving dinner with my mother. Now the tradition passes on to my daughter. There is nothing like wholesome old recipes. One of my favorites is her fresh cranberry-orange relish. So many that just makes my mouth water thinking about it.
Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings and football!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is the just sheer amount of food my mom makes for the holiday. She goes all out, a turkey, a ham, sweet potato casserole, english pea casserole, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, rolls, it is a feast to behold.
I’m going to a sr potluck and would love to be able to bring a flavorful, wonderful turkey. Dialysis has left me with not energy to cook…
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is every memeber of the family picking and cooking their own part of the meal. Then when it is time to eat we all compliment each other on how good our food is. The kids love it! There were a few years there that chocolate chip cookies were on the menu as a regular 🙂
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is spending it with family, of course! I have now made it an annual tradition to host at our home – thanks to my father, who grew up on a turkey farm in NH! No way we can go wrong with our turkey!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is waking up early to help my dad make the pies — I loved using the pastry cutter to make the pie crust. Then convincing my mom to take a break in the kitchen and sit down to watch the Macy’s Parade with me. The parade is just one of the reasons I fell in love with NYC. Thanksgiving – the New Year is just the most magical time in the city!
Fresh pear & cranberry sause, lovingly handing it down to my daughter this year.
Pulling out the Christmas decorations is my favorite Thanksgiving tradition.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is watching the Macy’ Thanksgiving Day Parade. I’ve been watching it all my life. Love it!
MY FAVORITE THANKSGIVING TRADITION IS COOKING THE TURKEY AND SWEET POTATO PIES,AND HOME MADE DRESSING,MY FAMILY ALL COME OVER TO EAT THERE MOM TURKEY AND DRESSING, PIES,BEEN DOING THIS FOR 35 YEARS NOW.
Shopping at WS makes me feel like I can conquer any recipe!!!
Going to the Thanksgiving day parade in Philadelphia with family, mom, dad, sisters, aunts and uncles and cousins. Always great memories!!
Our favorite tradition is watching the Twilight Zone, after everyone has been stuffed to the gills. It’s a great way to relax and make room for pumpkin pie.
Thanksgiving has been kind of sad the past three years. The table has been very quiet as our younger son hasn’t been home but in Germany going to school and pursuing his dream of being a professional soccer player. Thanksgiving was always his favorite holiday and he’d love to help me in the kitchen so needless to say, the last three holiday’s have been pretty teary for this mom. This year, we decided to start a new tradition and bring a good ol’ fashioned American Thanksgiving to him. I’m planning it like it’s a military operation – freezing applesauce, cranberry sauce, homemade pies and breads – all to ship over with us on the plane, my one worry is the turkey. Getting a whole turkey in Germany where he lives is no easy task. If we win, this Willie Bird will be taking quite the trip and very much appreciated by a 19 year old young man waiting patiently for “all the trimmings” so far from home.
We moved to Alabama 12 years ago and since then we have been hosting the Underhill family Thanksgiving. One of my favorite traditions is going to Williams-Sonoma the Saturday before and buying something new for the kitchen. It is a family outing, everyone in my family loves to cook and help with thanksgiving dinner so it is a great family tradition!
I love feeling like I have a whole day to prepare one meal. It’s so great to have the family there and to eat the same family recipes we have been used to with one or two new ones each year. Happy Thankgiving to all of you. I know it’s corny but I always watch Miracle on 34th Street and It’s A Wonderful Life while the bird roasts. Lol
Imy tradition is past on from many generations. Just this past year it is my turn… I now have grandchildren on all sides of the dinner table. I make roasted turkey with all the trimmings. Fresh greens included. Happy Thankshiving to all. My very own recipes are on this simple tradition book.
favorite tradition – cooking, eating and having nice time with the family
I love to cook for the family. I like to ask every guest what they are thankful for.
My new favorite Thanksgiving tradition is making cranberry sauce for my husband. Before we were married, he had never had cranberry sauce (not even from a jar or a can!), and I will never forget the way his face lit up when he smelled it cooking for the first time. Now he’s sure to get extra cranberries, so that I can make plenty of extra cranberry sauce and he can have his own secret stash in the fridge, and a backup secret stash in the freezer! He’s so cute!
Hi, the tradition for my family and friends at our table is that we thank the cooks and then go around the table and mention whatever has been worthy of mentioning for the past year, thoughts of those who are not at the table, thanks for a great year, thanks for health. Depending on age and sensibility of participants you never know for sure what will be mentioned. An example, a precocious three year old mentioned that he gives thanks and hopes that he dies in his sleep when he dies, needless to say jaws dropped and then we all thought of a great grandma who had passed in her sleep and the minor bird had just repeated the glad thought of those who loved her.
Stuffing, any stuffing………… herb bread stuffing, oyster stuffing, cornbread stuffing, stuffing, stuffing, stuffing……………..MMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!
Thanksgiving was a wonderful Holiday in my family…a time to be thankful for all who were still with us and watching great football together by the fireside in the Adirondacks..Your Family is the best part..I still love the Holiday, but my Grandparents, Father, Mother and both my sisters have gone to be Angels of God..I am now am going through my Pink Journey with this Cancer thing, so if I thought it was a special time before, it is priceless now, and I am so thankful for the people I have left in my life to share a wonderful holiday with..HAPPY THANKSGIVING…and don’t forget the best part..the Waldorf Salad…yummy!!!!
My favorite tradition is the gathering of family; I’ve hosted every year since I graduated from college (save one). This year, my husband and I are expecting our first child due one week after Thanksgiving . . . so we’re hosting again, but on a much lighter scale!
My sister-in-law’s pumpkin souffle! It’s a huge crowd-pleaser.
Because my husband is in the Air Force, our favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to invite all of the Airmen in his squadron who live in the dorms & have no way to make it home (and no way to cook Thanksgiving dinner) over to our house for a big meal and lots of take-home goodies. I prep and cook for days, but I am rewarded a 100 times over when I bring smiles to the faces of the young men and women of our Air Force serving far from home. This year will be the biggest one yet!
Would LOVE to share this turkey with friends up in CT. We’re taking Amtrak from Winter Park, FL to Penn Station (we think!!) for Thanksgiving and will bringing a bunch of different ingredients from home so they don’t have to worry about it. We HOPE it will be a gift of food AND us 🙂 We also hope they’ve gassed up their generator………………….
My favorite Turkey Tradition is spending the day (ok, and the day before at minimum!) in the kitchen! I love putting my apron on and preparing such an evenful dinner for my family. The tighter the pants feel…the better I cooked! Of course, the devouring of the food is over waaay too fast. All that work! But, it was totally worth it. Because I love the random pickings that occur from small hands (and hubby’s hands!) as I cook and bake. You know they all gotta test it first!
Our family has been singing the Johnny Appleseed grace song since all the now adult children were little. This tradition will be passed down to the next generation because everyone agrees that we can’t start our Thanksgiving meal without singing this.
Every Thanksgiving while sitting at the table before eating, each and everyone of our family members and friends give thanks for something special in our lives. That has always been our tradition and I’m quite sure it will always continue.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is one that is somewhat unusual for most. But for all of the Italian Americans it might not be that strange. We have all of the traditional Thanksgiving food and preperations plus…..Pasta, Sausage & Peppers, Meatballs, Italian Bread, and more. The great thing about this is that there is no way on earth that we could eat all of this food in one night so everyone knows that each one of us will have enough take home for a weeks worth of meals. It’s so crazy that we all bring the wildest containers for our take-out…Chinese Take-Out Boxes included. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
The best part of Thanksgiving is all the food.
My favorite family tradition is that my husband and I cook the biggest turkey we can get along with all of the traditional sides, enjoy it with our two boys and sit by the fireplace, watch football and don’t leave the house all day as this is the one day of the holiday season we decided not to travel and just be with eachother.
The best part of Thanksgiving is the craft table for the babies. They have so much fun and when daddy is deployed we send his personalized craft in advance. There is nothing like a Thanksgiving family meal when we are all together.
Buying what I can afford..or even waiting in line for a handout as I have done for a food giveaway once a week by zip-code…so I could get some food for myself,my neighbors,etc. I share with everyone I can in my building..2 other families right now.I live on Social Security and it is hard to get by each month as I am basically house-bound.. I used to buy the whole meals from Safeway and share with everyone,neighbors on trays..cannot do that now. A whole turkey I could cook would be great, I would have my caregiver cook it or help me cook it and slice it and portion it for myself and the neighbors and share..and make turkey soup with the carcass for another few meals. So it would greatly be appreciated and a welcome gift. Happy Holidays William Sonoma!
Spending time with my family.
We are Italian so we always start the meal with Ravioli…then we have more traditional dishes. Comfort food with friends and family make it a favorite holiday! Also, from San Fran but I moved away…so I sure do miss having a Willie Bird! <3
We’ve been married for 6 years and now have two little boys. So far every year has been different. We’ve gone to Florida by ourselves in the past, we’ve stayed in Chicago watching the parade, or celebrating with family in Michigan. I’m sure we’ll develop our own traditions soon!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is waking up and having a cup of coffee and my moms pumpkin bread with cream cheese while watching the Macy’s Day Parade in my p.j.’s with my family.
Gathering the family together for a huge dinner and watching football.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is the Turkey-Off between my mom and me. Each of us would battle head-to-head to see which one of us could prepare the most scrumptious turkey! Of course, both turkeys are always gobbled right up!
For more than a few years now, we have been celebrating Thansgiving with my boss and his extended family. He loves Thanksgiving (calls it “his holiday”) and always hosts a large gathering that includes his family, friends, staff, and anyone else who needs somewhere to go! The group is always different, with some famliar faces every year, yet we all feel like we are at home. So thankful every year for this tradition!
Nom nom nom nom… (That’s how to call a Thanksgiving turkey)
NEWLYWED SOUP! a/k/a Aunt Gallia’s Soup. A Pennsylvania Dutch tradition for the day after. Stew the carcass and then add ALL the leftovers to create a wonderful bowl of soup that just recreates Thanksgiving in every spoonful! WONDERFUL!
We have saved a hand print felt turkey our son made in pre-school, (he is now in his twenties) We wait until the table is set and the food is out and hang the turkey on the dining room wall. Then all together we say “It’s not Thanksgiving until Matthew’s Tom Turkey is hung, Happy Thanksgiving!”
easy…. good food, and lots of football…. and for fun, the “Friends” episode with Rachel making the 1/2 a trifle and 1/2 a shepherd’s pie…
Getting together with family & having a great meal!
My favorite thing at Thanksgiving was waking up to the smell of my Mom stuffing in the morning she would get up at 6 am pull the bread apart then cut the celery onions melt the butter get the bird inners out put them in a pot , then make sure the bird was clean inside then put the bird in the big roasting pan stuff the bird an making sure us kids didn’t eat all the uncooked stuffing lol . I miss my mother an her Thanksgivings an waking up to that smell of good food to come .
I’ve always loved making pies (with my mom when I was younger) and the cranberry sauce. Without them, it just couldn’t be Thanksgiving!
I love Thanksgiving! One of my favorite traditions is making turkey salad with the left over turkey. It is always super yummy and it makes Thanksgiving last a little longer.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is waking up in the morning and just watching the parade with my son. I can remember doing this with my Dad when I was younger and I love the opportunity to do the same with my son. Hopefully he’ll do the same with his some day.
For the past 10 years, my husband deep fries the turkey. So far, we’ve been lucky not to get rain. The crispy skin is amazing!
Chilly outside, but inside my grandmother’s kitchen it was warm and cozy and filled with love and heavenly smells. Standing on the stool to help her stir giblet gravy or going to the china cabinet to get the special turkey serving dish for the cranberry sauce. (It was a very important job!)
That house is gone now and the turkey dish with it – destroyed by a late night fire after my grandparents passed away. But the memories – how they linger. And how I try to emulate them each year now with my own grandchildren.
The best tradition of all is getting together with friends and family over a great meal.
Watching the high school football game together and coming home to warm drinks and food!
Traditional oven roasted turkey and a nice afternoon nap.
Getting together with family and friends.
We just bought our first home! We’re going to start making some beautiful Thanksgiving Day traditions of our own! I’m going to try a new stuffing with dried cranberries!
WE PRAY AND EAT GOOD!
I think the best Thanksgiving tradition is getting the whole family together at the dinner table, no matter what’s on it 🙂
Turkey is the best season of the year!
My favorite tradition is having the whole gang converge on the kitchen to cook up a storm the day before. Afterwards, we have a slumber party with the out-of-towners.
For my family, there have always been two things traditionally included with Thanksgiving dinner: Poteca and Pumpkin Pie. Both recipes handed down through the generations. Poteca (or poviteca) is a traditional Yugoslavian gathering bread that has a walnut & brown sugar filling. A legacy of Grandma Petra, who emigrated to the US from Yugoslavia in the late 1900’s. The pie recipe uses eggnog and whole milk instead of evaporated to create a rich, custardy pie. I’ve been fortunate to live in an area that has a chain of stores which carries eggnog year-round.
Since getting married I’ve kind of changed our Thanksgiving around a little.. My husband was a Marine when we got married and I would cook two meals.. One for everyone at our house and one for everyone who was working that night. Now that he is out I still invite people who don’t have family, or a place to go, over for dinner. I think that opening my home to people so they aren’t alone on a family oriented holiday has become my favorite tradition.
Favourite Thanksgiving Tradition is making sure to have the Table all set the night before and all the sides prepped to cook fresh for a delicous “All -Homemade & Home-Baked” Thanksgiving Meal that we all are Thankful for all the rest of the Year ! :o)
We also love to share our meal with friends – and especially with someone that would be alone on Thanksgivng – its all about Love – Thanks & Unity in our Home !
Just attended turkey tutorial at the naplesFl store! Dee Dee was great as usual! Can’t wait to get started with all of my new turkey knowledge! Thanks Williams Sonoma!!!
My favorite holiday tradition was seeking allthe women in my family in the kitchen cooking, bickering, laughing in their own special language that women who have been together forever have.
Would love to win one. Favorite tradition go to family for dinner.
Making many pumkin pies wth maple syrup and a bit of cayenne pepper mixed in with the other spices!! So New England!!!!
Love our standard menu, we have it every year but it’s tradition!
It starts with the food but no matter how much food, how little food, good bad or burnt, it’s a time to hang out with friends and family. Time to reconnect. Tme to enjoy the company and good times with great conversations!
First Thanksgiving in USA, so much to be thankful for 🙂
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is my whole family getting together for a wonderful meal!! We have all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings. Turkey, dressing, sweet-potato pie, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie 🙂
Our family bundles up and heads into NYC to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We come home, eat dinner thankful to be with all of our family, capping off the day relaxing and watching Miracle on 34th Street!
Traditional Thanksgiving with a turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, and green bean casserole, is my family’s favorite meal of the year!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is getting up early and making 2 pies while the parade is on!
Every year I spend the entire day cooking, using my favorite recipes from Williams Sonoma of course!! The kids come home and we spend the day together. When we all sit down for dinner each person tells what he/she is thankful for. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday…no rush, no gifts, just a laid back weekend with the family.
Going to my Uncle’s bar/restaurant and everyone brings food and brings extra guests. We meet new “family every year” Everyone always brings new foods to try.
Can’t wait for Thanksgiving. Time to be with family and friends and give thanks. My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is remaking some of my moms recipes she use to make when I was little. She passed away in ’08 and being able to make dinner for my family with my moms recipes makes me Thankful I did get 28 years with my mom
This turkey would be so tasty – roasted to perfection, after sitting in the Brine mixture a
for required time. There are only two of us here, but I would share with my Mom’s Nursing Home staff on 22 November!
My favorite tradition is that we select everyone’s “must haves” for the holiday. My sister-in-law must have 7 layer salad, my husband must have green bean salad, my brother must have cranberries of some sort, and I must have stuffing. Turkey, mashed potatoes, scalloped corn, gravy, and pumpkin pie are a known quantity and are required.
Would love to make Willie Bird Organic Turkey a new tradition at my family table. The current tradition is keeping our meal traditional with all the trimmings.
Favourite Thanksgiving Tradition is making sure to have the Table all set the night before and all the sides prepped to cook fresh for a delicous “All -Homemade & Home-Baked” Thanksgiving Meal that we all are Thankfull for all the rest of the Year ! :o)
We also love to share our meal with friends – and especially with someone that would be alone on Thanksgivng – its all about Love – Thanks & Unity in our Home !
We eat an early Thanksgiving lunch and then we leave to go to the beach. It’s a way to fully relax away from everything and enjoy the 4 day weekend!
Do not need to say anymore than Turkey, Gravey and Dressing. I look forward to this each and every year.
My favorite thanksgiving day tradition is the mashed potato contest. I always make my famous mashed potatoes and we have another guest challenge me, but I always win 🙂 and of course football!!!
To me Thanksgiving personifies warmth, family, peace and gratefulness, all by the fireplace!!!
Favorite tradition ~ making my mother in law’s sour cream apple pie, which I continue to do even though she died 16 years ago.
My Favorite Thanksgiving tradition, by far is stuffing the Willie Bird with our Heirloom Dressing that has been in our Family for many generations. Making the Sausage, Sage-Giblet Dressing absolutely to perfection is a tradition worth making over and over again!
I want my Turkey organic and fresh killed!
Nothing beats celebrating with my family especially when they live at a distance.
Eating, visiting, football, & online shopping!
I love eating leftovers while getting the house ready for Christmas!
My favourite tradition is breaking the wishbone afterwards. I have two siblings, so it’s always a fight to see who gets to do it, but my mom always seems to have more than one so that we all get our chance!
We have had the same sides my enitre life and some only on Thanksgiving like homemade cranberry relish and stuffing from scratch.
I would love to have this for Thanksgiving to send to my granddaughter.
we always go around the table and say what we’re thankful for this year
My favorite tradition is making everything from scratch, even caramelized sweet potatoes. But brining the turkey well is crucial to complete the perfect meal!
My favorite thanksgiving tradition is lounging around in our pjs in front of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with our teenage kids and plenty of coffee…..we have a hectic day ahead, so that relaxation as a family is cherished.
Helping my mom in the kitchen all day and watching my dad carve the turkey
My favorite tradition is cooking and spending time with friends and loved ones and celebrating all that we have to be thankful for.
My Favorite tradition is just before we eat the people I love most are at the table and we get a chance to say what we are thankful for..
On Friday of Thanksgiving having an oyster roast and watching The Christmas Story for the first time!!
Our tradition is to be with family. We are a young family so we are just starting new family traditions, which is so fun. It’s like having a blank slate!
I always loved Thanksgiving because as a poor family, it was one of only a few times each year we got to get out mom’s finest and matching dishes and flatware. We also got a chance to set the table beautifully; with seven kids, most meals were informal, at best. Having my relatives over was also a highlight. The aromas of the meal, the traditions and family grace all added to the memories, which I continue to hold fast in my heart.
My favorite Thanksgiving family tradition would have to be getting together with family and enjoying the most delicious meal of the year!
Our family gathers around the table and we each take turns telling the others what we are thankful for in our lives.
Watching Football with my family.
I love my family’s tradition of picking names for our Holdiay secret-santa after our Thanksgiving meal. And of course TURKEY!
Love eating the leftovers while getting the house ready for Christmas after Thanksgiving! It’s a tradition that tastes great!!!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is going around the table saying what we are each thankful for. It may seem corny, but I like it 🙂
My mom’s homemade cranberry sauces, homemade gravy, a great bottle or two of red wine and discussion regarding upcoming Christmas plans.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is making orange-cranberry sauce – it lasts for days and I put it on everything!
Our favorite Thanksgiving tradition is definitely watching the Macy’s parade, followed by Miracle on 34th Street.
Our tradition is homemade cranberry sauce from a vintage recipe!
Every year on Thanksgiving we listen to “Alice’s Restaurant” by Arlo Guthrie, our local station used to play it every year at noon but now we have our own copy!
My mom has been buying Willie birds for years! They are the best! Traditionally we brine the bird and barbeque it. My daughter is a vegetarian and so we also have lentil loaf along with turkey and all the trimmings. Love Thanksgiving!!
Favorite Thanksgiving tradition? I just love getting together with family and eating good food!