Thursday, November 6, 2014
Thanksgiving Dinner - Coastal Style
Instead of “over the river and through the woods” it is
really nice to be “over the dunes and near the water” for Thanksgiving! Celebrating any holiday with family is a
special occasion but especially when you can do it at the beach. There are so many things to be thankful for
and a house by the shore is definitely a
great place to be this time of year.
Holidays can often be stressful though and they don’t have
to be with a little thoughtful planning you can have a beautifully decorated
home for the holiday, set a beautiful table and prepare a great meal to enjoy
with your family. Here are our tips for
a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner – coastal style!
Decor
 |
| via Indulgy.com |
We like to keep it simple and use natural elements as much
as possible. A grapevine wreath for thedoor with fall leaves and grasses and a shell or two or we love these wreaths created from driftwood as seen on Indulgy.
Place some pumpkins and fall foliage on the
front porch to greet guests. Add some
greenery, candles, pumpkins and clear vases of seashells to the mantle like the
one seen on Starfish
Cottage. This is all you need
and it can all be accomplished quickly and easily and will look fantastic.
 |
| via Starfish Cottage |
Tablescape
 |
| via Pinterest |
Set your table a day
or two before the big meal! This saves
time and helps to keep you focused on preparing your meal and enjoying family
on Thanksgiving day.
Centerpieces are easy if you keep it simple. We highly suggest keeping it low so guests
are able to talk to the person sitting across from them. We love using candles, hydrangeas and
pumpkins down the center of the table. Use
a piece of burlap for a quick, easy and inexpensive table runner.
Holiday meals are a time to bring out the pretty
dishes. Use a charger to ground the
plate and add some color.
 |
| via Emily Post |
Holiday meals are teachable moments for kids. Use this meal to teach them proper place
settings and to reinforce good manners. Brush
up on the rules at EmilyPost.com.
Menu
Plan your menu in advance.
Know what you’ll be cooking and make a plan. Research recipes and decide if you’ll try
anything new. The
Chew has a ton of great recipes for Thanksgiving dishes. Don’t be afraid to put a little coastal flair
on the dishes you’ll be serving. Coastal
Living gives a menu for a Cape
Cod Thanksgiving you may want to check out.
Prepare your shopping list in advance. Get as much as possible prepared
beforehand. There is a ton of prep work
that can be done in advance. After all
Thanksgiving dinner always seems to call for lots of chopping and dicing. Plan your cook times and create a
schedule. Know what should go in the
oven when. Ask for help. You shouldn’t be shy. Give guests jobs to do – they’ll all be
underfoot in the kitchen anyway so put them to work!
Relax and Enjoy!
You know that there will be moments when things get
hectic. A dish won’t turn out the way it
is supposed to or you could have sworn you bought that ingredient but it is
nowhere to be found. There’s also those
awkward moments when FAMILY gets together sometimes. This is when we say, take a deep breath, look
out the window at the ocean and have another sip of wine! Then relax and enjoy your family – time with
them at the beach is time to be cherished.
Happy Thanksgiving!
For more coastal Thanksgiving ideas and inspirations, check out our Pinterest board: http://www.pinterest.com/HousebytheShore/coastal-thanksgiving/
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