17 Nov What We’re Thankful For This Year

Reflections, Traditions, and Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving is the kickoff to the season when our homes really come to life. Working side by side in the kitchen to chop, peel, prep, and cook. Rediscovering handwritten family recipes, lovingly worn thin over the years and splattered with the drippings of holidays past. Breaking bread together, expressing our gratitude for our many blessings and our wonder at just how those kids could have grown so fast. Indulging in an extra slice of pie and tossing the football in our backyards – or lounging on the couch to catch the game on TV.

We are grateful for you – this wonderful community of friends, colleagues, partners, and clients we have the privilege of working with throughout the year. In this article, our team has shared some of our favorite Thanksgiving traditions, recipes, and what we are grateful for. We hope you enjoy it.

Here are a few of our team’s favorite Thanksgiving traditions:

“My favorite part of Thanksgiving is a walk outside in the Vermont woods with my family after we’ve enjoyed all of our favorite dishes we’ve spent days preparing.” – Madison Cota

“Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It starts on Wednesday when my daughter and I make homemade cranberry sauce and apple pie. My favorite tradition is sitting around the dining table and having all family members say what they are grateful for. This includes everyone – including all kids young and old! After dinner, we play games and have lots of laughs! It’s all about being together and I drag it out as long as possible. No one goes home early!” – Cindy Ryan

“My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is walking the five-mile Feaster Five in Andover prior to eating on Thanksgiving Day.” – Kevin Campbell

“My favorite part of Thanksgiving is after the meal and we share new and old stories with one another.” – Gregg Johnson

“Our Thanksgiving starts with the Reading vs Stoneham game! Then, we travel to Maine for a quiet outdoor weekend of stacking wood and relaxing by the fire.” – Erica Palm

“My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the simplicity of the day – spending time with family, enjoying a wonderful meal and a little football on TV or in the backyard is always fun too!” – Bruce Johnson

And a couple of our favorite recipes to share:

Thanksgiving Stuffing – Shared by Madison Cota

Ingredients:
1 medium onion
1 package of mushroom
3 stalks of celery
1 roll of sausage
2 bags of Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix
2 containers of chicken broth

Directions:

• Wash and dry all produce.
• In a large sauce pot heat a dollop of olive oil.
• Cook sausage and be sure to crumble it into smaller pieces while it cooks.
• While sausage is cooking chop onion, mushrooms, and celery into smaller manageable pieces.
• Run onion, mushrooms, and celery through a food processor.
• Add processed produce to sausage and cook lightly.
• Add both bags of stuffing mix to the pot.
• Add both containers of broth to the pot. If the mixture is dry, add water one cup at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Sweet Potato Mash – Shared by Erica Palm

Roast sweet potatoes covered in olive oil, salt, and pepper with sliced yellow onion at 450 for 20 min or until golden brown.

After cooling a bit, add to the food processor with cream, butter, and fresh sage (additional seasoning with salt and pepper to taste) and whip until a smooth texture. You can make it ahead and warm them up on the stovetop so they are hot when you are ready to eat.