Photo courtesy of apartment34.com.
Friendsgiving: an emerging holiday preceding or following November 25 in which you share the Thanksgiving dinner love with your friends.
There need not be any selling on the merits of this concept, as one day for family and one day for friends is really the best of both worlds. The only flaw comes into play with the food: do you eat Thanksgiving leftovers? Replicate the entire traditional meal? Order Chinese take out à la Christmas style? As none of these options sound particularly satisfying, I urge you to consider roping in America’s other favorite pastime – brunch.
Since a large brunch might not sound particularly appetizing after stuffing yourself the night before, the forgotten Saturday of Thanksgiving comes into play. Weekend brunch is arguably the best part of the week anyways, and having a day in between ensures more to look forward to than just a block of one or two days. This way you can have your Thanksgiving leftovers on Friday to keep up the Thanksgiving spirit but be somewhat done and ready for a little variation by Saturday.
Then comes the food, the most important part. Friendsgiving is all about coming together, so everyone should make a dish – the more fall inspired the better. There are endless recipes for pumpkin spice muffins, waffles, and donuts if you’re tasked with bringing something sweet, and as for savory, incorporating butternut squash or roasted tomatoes into an egg dish is an easy and themed move. Thanksgiving week falls on the tail end of fall and the beginning of the Christmas season, so incorporating hot chocolate into the mix is totally appropriate. As for dessert, pies are a must. The best parts of Thanksgiving, apple and pumpkin pie, are staples that must be present. As for the aesthetics, save your Thanksgiving table decorations. The nice napkins and elegant centerpieces should have another day of appreciation, and they’ll only add to the overall theme in a positive way.
In the end, it all comes down to the people. You want to share in the Thanksgiving spirit with another group of loved ones, and it’s about looking over the table for a second time and appreciating more of the good in your life. It’s only made better by the best meal of the day.
Gif courtesy of giphy.com.