At the Oaks home, we enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday (Sunday) and we learned a few things that may help you!

1) Test the Pie BEFORE dinner!

I figure that, if someone has to do a quality control test on the chocolate pie and the Buttermilk pie...it might as well be me! 😂 YUM!! Whoops! Don't tell Kathy!!



2) Expect Your Guests to Arrive Late!

We told everyone that we would eat at 4:30. And, as it turned out, the turkey was ready right at 4:30! However, some people were running late and some of them were bringing side dishes for the meal (like my daughter Brennah who was bringing the Butterhorn Rolls)!

As you can see in this video, the turkey was ready but most of our guests hadn't arrived yet!

At that point, we faced a dilemma: Option A) wait for everyone to arrive even though some of the food might be cold. Or, Option B) begin eating so we can enjoy the turkey and other side dishes while they're piping hot!

We were hungry and the food smelled absolutely amazing. So, we went with Option B. 😁

Fortunately, by the time we gathered everyone, said the prayer to give thanks & bless the food, and filled our plates, the late-comers had arrived. We quickly put their side dishes on the table and added those sides to our plates.

So, it all worked out. But, it was less than ideal. My recommendation is: expect some of your guests to arrive late. If you tell everyone to arrive at 4:30, plan to eat at 5:00.

That way, if someone hits traffic or happens to get delayed it won't stress them or you out. Also, you won't have to face the dilemma we faced.

If you are going to someone else's house for dinner, plan to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early. This will give you time to visit and help with the meal.

3) Take Smaller Portions!

I took normal sized portions but there were many more side dishes than we usually eat. As a result, I had way too much food! It was delicious so, naturally, I ate it all. But, I was so full that I felt sick. The thought of eating pie afterwards made me feel like to vomit...which is a crying shame!


So, take a tip from Dan the Man: Do yourself a favor and take super small servings of each item. You can always go back for seconds if you like. That way, you won't overeat and feel sick afterwards. And, that way, you will be able to enjoy the delicious pies!!

4) Put Some Effort into the Table Setting

As you can see in the video above, Kathy used REAL plates and REAL glasses and set the table in advance! This may not seem like a big deal to you. In fact, this is probably a no-brainer for most of you. But, this is a first for us! And, when you consider that we've been married for 31 years...that's a big deal!

When I was a kid, my mom always set the table and used real plates and glasses for every meal. And, she always brought the food to the table at dinner time.

But, Kathy was raised differently. Her dad had a heart attack and passed away when she was 6 years old. There are nine kids in her family. So, life was quite difficult for her growing up. Her mom had to go get a job to provide for the family so Kathy was pretty much raised by her oldest sister.

Apparently, they always used paper plates and served the food buffet style. So, that is what we do! Admittedly, cleaning up after dinner is easier but I do like to eat on a real plate from time to time.

So, you can imagine my surprise when Kathy set the table for this Thanksgiving dinner. She had special napkins with turkeys on them for the occasion. And, she pulled out the nice wine glasses. Wow! This really helped to make the occasion feel special.

She even made a butter turkey! Naturally, we gobbled them up! 😉


We still went up to the stove buffet style to fill our plates with food...but baby steps!

I'm curious to know....what do you guys think? Do most of you put the food in the center of the table? Or do you serve the meal buffet style?

5) Serve Cecilia's Green Bean Casserole

My daughter-in-law, Cecilia, made this Green Bean Casserole recipe that was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!


She starts by sautéing fresh mushrooms and onions in butter with salt and garlic powder. Then, she adds a couple cans of cream of chicken and milk. And, she adds bacon pieces that she chopped into small chunks and fried.

She cooked the fresh green beans until they were soft and mixed everything together in a baking dish. She topped it with shredded cheese and baked it in the oven at 350° until the cheese was melted. She removed it from the oven and topped with fried onions and...OH BABY!! Was that ever good!!!

Obviously, this is my personal opinion. But, I really thought this made the meal. This green bean casserole went together so nicely with the turkey, mashed potatoes, corn and roll. Plus, the color of the fresh green beans really complimented the meal and made it look really appetizing.

Give it a try! You won't be disappointed!

You may also want to try some weird Eggnog combinations.


People have been raving about a Cook'n newsletter article on this topic that was published back in December of 2020. I haven't tried it yet but those who have say that it was really delicious, fun, and unique!

6) Prepare a Thankful Message to Share

As the meal was winding down and people were almost done eating, Kathy asked for everyone's attention and shared a personal experience that she recently had which helped her see things in life differently.


This experience helped her to feel a greater sense of gratitude for the many blessings that she has received. This realization helped her to feel happier and less stressed!

When she finished sharing this personal experience, others joined in and the conversation shifted in a way that gave everyone the opportunity to express gratitude. There was a pleasant, peaceful spirit that came down from heaven and filled our hearts. It is hard to describe but it was as real as anything you can imagine.

If you are like us, preparing Thanksgiving dinner and managing all the moving parts can be hectic. But, take some time in advance to think of a personal experience or a thoughtful message that you can share.

You may even want to go around the room expressing gratitude for each person at the table. You may want to share a special scripture or read a poem. Just keep in mind that this is no ordinary meal.

Remember...we are spiritual beings having a human experience. We need food to sustain our physical bodies but we also crave spiritual experiences as well. So, think of ways to provide this during your Thanksgiving meal and this will go down as a Thanksgiving dinner that will be remembered through the ages!

7) Play a Fun Game!

We always play the Annual Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving Day. And, I highly recommend this.

But, I'm not much of a board game kind of a guy. If you've read my previous articles, you know that I'd rather watch a football game after Thanksgiving dinner than play a board game. Playing board games for me is like fingernails on a chalkboard. I'm tired from working all week and sometimes I just want to relax!

But, there are a few games that I can recommend that guys like me will really enjoy.

The game Bank! is a simple dice game that is super fun.


It's free and it can be played with as few as 4 people or with as many as 15 (or more).

Install the free app on your phone to make it super easy to keep score. We like to screencast the app to the TV so everyone can see the score anytime they want. Just remember to search the App Store for the word "bank!" with an exclamation. Otherwise, you will get all kinds of banking apps instead.

The game we played yesterday was called The Game of Things and it was super fun. We were literally rolling on the floor with laughter.


It's super simple. You just pick a topic, write a response, and then guess who said what.

For example, in one case, the prompt was "Things a cannibal thinks while eating dinner..." The answers that each person in the family gave were:

1. I like my meat fresh to death
2. Hey! Who ate all the white meat?
3. Overcooked. Whoever made this deserves to die...
4. Are they fat free?
5. Their wife
6. Dat a$$
7. Their fingernail biting habit
8. Getting teeth stuck in their teeth

Once the answers are all submitted, the first person tries to guess who said what.

So, for example, Kathy guessed that Brennah said "Are they fat free?" Brennah said "no." So the next person in the family makes a guess. If they guess correctly, that person is out of the game for that round and the person who guessed correctly gets a point. Then, the person who guessed correctly gets to guess again until they get it wrong.

Finally, whoever has the funniest response gets a point.

So, when coming up with a response to the prompt, you want to try to make it funny but you also want to give a response that makes it difficult for people to know it was you who gave it.

It was a hoot. It was super simple and super fun. We were laughing and cackling.

To make it super easy, my daughter, Brennah, uses Survey Monkey to send the question to everyone's phones. Then, she sends a text message with a screenshot of the responses.

You may think of another game or activity to do. But, think of something. Years from now, nobody will remember watching football on TV...but they will remember laughing and having fun together.

This is a quick photo of us playing with the babies and playing this game...with the TV off. I should have snapped a photo when we were all laughing...but...oh well. I did the best I could!


To add to the fun, my son Jackson and his wife Kenzie dressed their baby in a shirt that said "Big Brother" and waited to see if anyone noticed. That was how they announced that they're pregnant and expecting another baby. YAY!!! That definitely added to the excitement and thrill of the occasion.

I hope these tips help you to have the best Thanksgiving dinner ever! If you have any other ideas to share, please add a comment below.

God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving!!