Thanksgiving might be the best time of the year. There's no real pressure, just a time to gather with family and friends in whatever way makes you thankful. We asked our leaders about favorite Thanksgiving traditions, recipes, and with who and where they'll be celebrating this Thanksgiving. Check out what they had to share!
"Every year we go for a Thanksgiving ski and surf to start the day. I also always make my mom's cornbread stuffing (original hand-typed, 1960's recipe pictured here - bake at 350 for an hour)"
"I’ll be spending the day with my parents, and friends who are the family we chose for a Thanksgiving pot luck. No particular recipes or anything, just a fun day with friends and family."
"Our favorite tradition? I put matching Christmas pjs on my
Daughter's beds on Thanksgiving so we can wear them all month leading up to Christmas and match each other. We also also get our tree and decorate in our matching pjs."
"We always run the Turkey Trot and have a big gathering of friend and family after the trot. Here's my Turkey Trot trophy!"
(Way to go Betty!)
"I actually cook a Turkey with my Mom's stuffing recipe. This might be the one thing I cook because it’s hard to mess up a turkey.
"We watch football, eat yummy food, play games (LCR to be exact), and take naps! I love gathering around the table with my parents, sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and the simplicity of it all…no worries about gifts, etc. Just enjoying each other’s company!
"We'll be in Austin & I always make my great grandmother's apple pie!"
"Thanksgiving is our FAVORITE! We typically host my family, my husband’s family, and several friends and some times their family too! In 2019 we had 35 people! SO FUN!
The recipes always change a bit depending on our creativity at the time, but it's always amazing.
The only staple is our Grandmother’s Buttermilk Pie!"
"We’re celebrating Thanksgiving at home in San Diego and start each Thanksgiving morning with a neighborhood 5K Turkey Trot that long time iGnite friend and former member Lauren McVey organizes. Always a great time and fun and healthy way to start our day among friends and neighbors!"
The day before Thanksgiving, Austin Youth Fitness hosts a family 5k run starting at Westenfield Park. My kids and I love this tradition, and hanging with neighbors and friends at the park afterward.
Another favorite tradition is on Thanksgiving day, after the mid-day feast, the kids and adults in our family play games - including some or all of the following: football, “knock out” basketball, “World Cup” soccer, and
“whiffle” baseball.
My 2 “must make” Thanksgiving side-dishes are: my husband, David’s beet borsch and glazed sweet potatoes!
My single friends and I, normally go for a hike, and I always make a roasted butternut squash soup, salad, or a french green bean dish with healthy helping of cheese.
We like a laid back, chill Thanksgiving. Since it's all about family and gratitude, it’s one of my favorite holidays of the year! The weather is usually beautiful, so we walk the Turkey Trot or do our own family walk around the lake, then come home to get started on our beer turkey. The guys spend the day basting the beer turkey which takes about five hours on the grill while I get the sides ready. We also get a few games of bags in (corn hole) before we eat!
I love everything about Thanksgiving! Our Thanksgivings are very traditional, delicious and lazy-- consisting of family time, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, enjoy a big feast of all the Thanksgiving classics, a game of football, watching football and naps. It's heaven!