Often when we talk about favorite holidays, one that I absolutely love but that often gets overlooked is Thanksgiving. I know some people think it’s ridiculous to do anything Christmas-y before Thanksgiving, but to me, it all ties in. November and December are my favorite months of the year- because it’s all about family. At Christmastime we are celebrating the most precious gift we have ever been given, and Thanksgiving is really just an extension of that- giving thanks for all our precious gifts. I also love how there is just an understanding among everyone that these months are for family. I tend to unplug during these months and focus on what’s really important, and it’s rejuvenating.

But then, of course, there’s also the food ;). The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without food! Now typically we associate Thanksgiving dinner with the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, all that good stuff. But my family tried something a little different last year, and I think it just may be our new tradition!

Let me start by clarifying: my dad has never been a fan of Thanksgiving dinner. He was spoiled by a wonderful mother who made roast and mashed potatoes every week, and so to my dad, Thanksgiving food is boring- there’s nothing special about the food that is served (well, except for maybe the pie ;) ). Anyway, last year was a little crazy for my family- my mom gave birth to child number 10!! It was a fun and exciting thing for all of us, but it definitely meant my mom was a little more short on time! With Thanksgiving approaching, my mom realized that a big turkey dinner was just not in the cards for this year. Now, remember how my dad is not a big fan of typical Thanksgiving food? He has been joking (only kind of ;) ) about having a pizza buffet for Thanksgiving dinner for years. Well last year, his dreams came true :). My mom decided her homemade pizza would be a lot simpler, especially since there’s so many of us to help assemble pizzas! My dad was absolutely ecstatic- the whole night he couldn’t stop grinning and you might have thought he had just won $1 million dollars with how giddy he was! And really, everyone else was pretty excited about the prospect as well ;).

Suffice to say- it was such a fun Thanksgiving. My husband spent a lot of time in the kitchen helping my mom, and it was such a good bonding experience for them- but we all took turns and it was just a fun opportunity to all be together! Honestly, I feel like my mom was a little less stressed, and overall it was one of the best Thanksgivings I’ve had :). The pizza was a total success. My mom said it was going to be a one time thing…. But guess what we’re doing this year? ;)

Do you have any unique food your family has for Thanksgiving, or even special and unique dishes that are added to the typical Thanksgiving dinner? Whatever your family eats, enjoy the time you spend together, and make each moment count. Happy Thanksgiving :).