Thanksgiving Tables and a Favorite Recipe

I have twenty three coming for Thanksgiving next week!   Reid and I have been hosting Thanksgiving for many years now so we pretty much have our routine down.  Reid smokes a turkey, I roast a turkey (yes, it's a bit of a contest), we make stuffings, mashed potatoes, a veggie, homemade gravy, and thankfully the rest is brought by our family.  We try new recipes but for the most part we've settled on our favorites, one of which I'm sharing at the end of the post.

Each year I also enjoy setting the table for the big dinner.  I like keeping the decorations to a minimum because I think the food should be the main attraction.  Each year I enjoy looking at pictures for inspiration but always drawn to the simpler table settings.  Below are some images I came across that I thought you would enjoy...

Better Homes and Gardens

Elle Decor

Better Homes and Gardens

Southern Living

Martha Steward

A couple cute kid's table settings....

Better Homes and Gardens

Better Homes and Gardens

I've tried various vegetable recipes but I keep going back to this one.  I tore the recipe out of a Wine Spectator magazine, November 2001 issue.  I highly recommend you cook the vegetables the day before so all you have to do is heat them up in the butter and herbs right before you sit down.  It's a beautiful dish that is yummy too!

Mixed Baby Vegetables in Herb Butter

2 cups baby white and orange carrots,  peeled (I use orange only)
2 cups haricot vert, cut on the diagonal (worth it to get the smaller green beans)
2 cups small brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
2 cups baby beets, assorted colors, peeled
2 cups baby squash, quartered
1/2 to 1 stick butter
1/4 cup each of chopped parsley and chives
A few leaves of tarragon, chopped fine
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot of boiling salted water blanch each of the vegetables until just cooked through, then quickly shock in ice water, to stop the cooking and preserve the color (can do this the day before...highly recommended!).  Add melted butter, season to taste with chopped herbs and a little salt and pepper.  Toss and serve immediately.  Serves 12.  One big caution...if using red beets, add them at the very end or your whole dish will turn pink!

Have a good rest of the week!