CONTACT US

Greg Welch ContructionGreg Welch Contruction
Greg Welch Contruction
  • Kitchen
  • Living & Dining
  • BATH
  • Custom Features
  • Architectural Style
  • Upcoming Projects
  • About GWC
Menu back  

Perfect Thanksgiving, Perfect Family Home

Just having a beautiful home doesn’t make a perfect holiday dinner.

Yes, it helps to have the ability to dim the lighting beautifully so it cascades off the beautifully set China…and a large space for a table for many makes for a cozy, yet comfortable dining experience…and the leaves that crunch under your boots as you enter a gorgeously-decorated, autumn-inspired front entryway helps too! But it’s really the atmosphere created by the smells, laughter, and company of your loved ones that creates the perfect Thanksgiving!

So how do you make the most of your food, company, and home to create a “perfect” Thanksgiving? With careful consideration of all these elements, delivered in a package that’s perfectly “you!”

The Perfect Thanksgiving Food

The key to a delicious spread to to stick closely to your comfort zone in the kitchen. Avoid the temptation to try a complicated new recipe for the first time, and stick with sides and menu options you’re comfortable with. No one says you HAVE to have the typical turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy. If you make a killer London Broil with roasted root veggies…do that! The key to hosting is a host or hostess who is relaxed, confident, and not so preoccupied with cooking that they forget about their guests. Here are a few of our favorite little-hassle Thanksgiving recipes, as well as some tips for hassle-free Thanksgiving cooking:

Jalapeno Cranberry Dip Appetizer

Herb-Roasted Turkey

Mushroom Sausage Stuffing

Cabernet Cranberry Sauce

Twice-Bakes Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow Surprise

Mini Pumpkin Pies (no extra dishes required)

The Perfect Thanksgiving Tablescape

A beautifully set table sparks the palette and invites conversation. Keep the tablescape beautiful, but simple, with a centerpiece that’s not too high or big to obstruct vision or conversation. Fill the table with appetizing elements that enhance the meal, rather than compete with it; for example, herbs, foliage, pumpkins, cranberries, and cornucopias.

You can also use the table as an opportunity to commemorate the occasion, by having guest sign the tablecloth, or make brown paper place mats where guests can write down what they are thankful for this year, and where the kids can color.

The Perfect Conversation

There’s nothing worse than a silent dinner. But you can avoid this by creating a list of Turkey Table Topics to prompt conversation. Some ideas include questions like,

  • What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
  • What’s your most memorable Thanksgiving?
  • Would you have rather been a Pilgrim or a Native American?
  • What’s your least favorite Thanksgiving dish?
  • What are you most looking forward to in the next year?

Modern Parents Messy Kids has free, Printable Conversation Starters Centered Around Gratitude which can be used throughout the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Perfect Lighting

Don’t forget to set the mood with good lighting! Whether you are a “by candlelight” kind of host, or like a perfectly lit space created with overhead lighting, the way you light up your space creates a mood for the dinner. Play with (or easily install if needed), dimmer switches in your dining space, and don’t forget to add ambiance with outdoor lighting in the entry way and outdoor spaces as well!

The Perfect Spirits

Finally, to finish off the perfect Thanksgiving, don’t forget the festive holiday spirits. Don’t limit yourself to a nice bottle of wine. There are a variety of fall-flavored festive spirits you can create like:

Cranberry and Rosemary Sangria

Honeycrisp Apple Sangria

Sparkling Pumpkin Cider Beertail

Apple Cider Moscow Mules

The key to a “perfect” Thanksgiving isn’t perfection at all; rather, it’s the thoughtful approach to creating a dinner party that’s fun, interactive and perfectly–you!

SHARE
Related posts
A Christmas Tree for Any Kind of Architecture
December 3, 2015
Pretty Pumpkin Ideas, Minus the Mess
October 3, 2015
SEARCH
RECENT POSTS
  • A Christmas Tree for Any Kind of Architecture
    December 3, 2015
  • Perfect Thanksgiving, Perfect Family Home
    November 10, 2015
  • Pretty Pumpkin Ideas, Minus the Mess
    October 3, 2015
  • Welcome Fall at Your Front Door
    September 10, 2015
  • GWC Receives Green Building Award for The Bungalows Project
    August 11, 2015
ARCHIVES
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
GREG WELCH CONSTRUCTION
cell: 541.420.1497 | office: 541.633.7786
CCB #158486
SUPPLIERS MAP
BUILDERTREND LOGIN