Update: Congratulations to Lillian, whose favorite Thanksgiving traditions include chocolate truffle tart and apple-cranberry crostata. Yum! Come back the first Friday of each month for a new giveaway.
The start of November marks the beginning of the hectic holiday season. Thanksgiving will be here in the blink of an eye, and in another blink, it will be Christmas and then a whole new year. Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving for 20 or an intimate Christmas brunch, this month’s giveaway — a stylish stacking dish from Layla Grace — will help you serve food like a pro.
A modern approach to the Victorian compote, this footed bowl is a versatile and stylish statement piece. Stack the three footed bowls to add dramatic height to your buffet table, or use them individually for side dishes or salads. Our lucky winner will get one of each size — small, medium and large.
To enter for a chance to win, just answer this month’s question in the comments below: What are your Thanksgiving traditions? A favorite holiday tune? A memorable recipe? Tell us about it.
You may only comment once to be considered, and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited by law. Only open to legal residents of 50 U.S., D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 years of age to win. All entries (comments) must be entered between 9:00 a.m. ET on November 2, 2012 and 12:00 p.m. ET on November 5, 2012. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of prize: $152. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a HGTV, 9721 Sherrill Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37932.
I just got married this past summer so I'm excited to start new family traditions with my husband
Thanksgiving has always been a special time for us. We always have dinner at 2:00. No exceptions. Lol We start the morning off with homemade pull a parts. My mom and I are in the kitchen by 6:00am preparing the family meal. My grandma was a huge help to us, but she passed away 3 years ago. The holidays have not been the same for my mom since. We put out lots of appetizers while the kids watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. After dinner we relax for a bit and then eat all those wonderful pies my mom and I have made. We finish the day playing family games and eating leftovers. The next day all the Christmas decorations come out. We love our family tradition.
Usually around Thanksgiving Eve, I am home from college, along with my older brother. My grandmother stays minutes away from my home. All of my cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and family friends meet up at my grandmothers house for a Thanksgiving breakfast. After breakfast we all head to the kitchen to help my grandmother cook her famous sweet potato pies. By 2 or 3 in the afternoon we all surround the family table and take turns telling what we were thankful for that year, and what we could do better the next year. We listen to Christmas carols sometimes and watch the younger kids perform! We all are pretty corny, so we always have a good time.
We always visit my in-laws for the holiday. My mother-in-law is a wonderful cook, and Grandma is even better. It's a ton of people in a small house, but it's wonderful and loud and noisy and exhausting and…I already said wonderful so…that's it!
My family always rotates between houses, but I am always in charge of making sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie! My two favorite dishes! And the day is not complete without watching the parade and some football!
My family has changed through the years…but there are 2 MUST tunes for me: Christmas Time from Charlie Brown Christmas Special and my other favorite holiday song, Little Drummer Boy
The song that lets me know that Christmas is here is Carol of the Bells! Love, love, love it.
I love to brine the turkey! It tastes great when you do that.
Corn souffle & oyster stuffing are favorites.
Our Thanksgiving dinner tradition always includes Stovetop Stuffing. I'm a fairly good cook, but I cannot make stuffing; it always comes out dry and tasteless. I've been given numerous "Failure Proof" recipes over the years, but it doesn't seem to matter. Every time I try to make homemade stuffing, the results are not good. It's a running joke with my family and I can only laugh about it.
We live in Raleigh and usually have Thanksgiving with my parents' best friends and their children (their daughter is also my best friend), who live in Orlando. Last year the 9 of us rented a house on Lake Marion in South Carolina. We use beloved recipes from both families, including succotash, mashed rutabagas, a ricotta pudding, and my Grandma's sweet potato casserole, of course. While the turkey is roasting, the only song playing on repeat is Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie. This year we are renting a beach house together on the South Carolina coast.
Lets see – we spend Christmas Eve with my husband's family – and our kids get to open their Christmas pajamas – then we spend Christmas day with my family! Last Christmas I started a new tradition – my daughter started high school – and so I got her a set of Christmas ornaments to save for her own first Christmas – and will continue to give her a new set each year until she is on her own – plus will start the same for each of my two boys when they start high school. Then when they get married, for their first Christmas I will give them a Nativity set. It just brings me so much joy to think I can have a small part in making their first Christmas as grownups something special
This time of the year is always very nostalgic for me. Having my family close to me is the best part about it! We always gather around the living room to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, It's a Wonderful Life, and eat my pumpkin cheesecake. The aromas of the season will constantly be invading your nostrils (in a good way) during Thanksgiving at my home. I just love the crisp air feel, the oranges, reds, yellows, and browns colors all around, the smell of spice, and the warmth that soothes your soul at this time of the year. But out of all the things that are around and that we do as a family, the most important thing I have ever done is giving back to the community. I love volunteering at our local benevolence by putting together food baskets to be sent out to needy family during this time of the year. It always brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face to be able to help someone else, something I learned from my mother YEARS ago. I love Autumn, one of my favorite seasons!
I have my single Dad and my single Brother over for Thanksgiving every year and my kids are all home to share this holiday together. We put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving while everyone is home
We're starting a new Thanksgiving tradition now that we've bought the farm (ha ha ha -bought the farm-STILL funny). We're opening the barn up, setting long wooden tables in the field, and inviting servicemen from the base to come by for turkey, dressing, etc etc etc. as a thank you for serving gesture. Not enough for what they do but heartfelt, anyway.
chocolate truffle tart and apple cranberry crostata. For some reason it's not Thanksgiving without them. Mmmm.
We always put up our Christmas Tree the day after Thanksgiving, and the day before we spend in the kitchen preparing family favorites like sweet potato fluff.
The newest tradition we have is my husband's ridiculous potato gratin (ridiculous because the potatoes are deep fried before putting them in the pan). I always make my mom's apple crumb pie. But mostly the tradition is to get friends and family together and share a meal and be thankful for everything we have.
We are starting a new tradition this year and I can't wait! Thanksgiving at my house and lots of football.
Beautiful! We have the tradition of getting together and everyone brings their specialty. I bring my Cheese Flan! Yummy!!
We Travel to 3 different dinners! We have a favorite at each place we stop then it's Christmas tree shopping in the evening Love the way the house smells once it's up and we relax with leftovers!
My mom and aunt always make pumpkin rolls for friends and family. The smell from the kitchen is unforgettable.
We celebrate Thanksgiving twice. Once on the Saturday before with friends we may not see until New Year's Eve and on Thanksgiving Day with family. Usually we cram everyone into our dining room at two decked out tables.
These are so perfect for cookies, cashews, chocolates. I'm looking forward to getting out all the holiday decorations.
I put slips of paper out for all to write what they are thanlful for, we then read them at dinner
My family is very big on tradition and my favorite part of our family's Thanksgiving (and all of our holidays) is the toast. Every year we toast to our parents and grandparents thanking them for passing down their loving traditions!
Verenika and ham. Yum! Granny makes the same thing every year and I always look forward to being stuffed!
My mom and I cook Thanksgiving dinner together and then the rest of the family joins us to eat. We take turns telling what we are thankful for and then we put our Christmas tree up later that evening!
Tradition is Thanksgiving dinner at my house with all the finest china and crystal and real cloth napkins. It takes a long time to get everything ready and it looks so pretty when the table is full of good food and family.
I make my mother's stuffing and cranberry relish recipes to remember her. My MIL cooks a Cuban style pork roast and Congri while I make a traditional roast turkey and mashed potatoes. We have a mix of American and Cuban dishes for our Thanksgiving.
Going around the dinner table and sharing as a family what we are thankful for!
Spending time with family at my Aunt's house and eating wonderful food until we are too full to move!
Watching the Macy's Christmas Parade in our pjs while cooking for the Thanksgiving feast. Good times!
I Love Love Love this Serving Tray!!!
Round Table Giving Thanks. Making sure to remember what the spirit of the holiday's are really about.
Traditional Thanksgiving meal (turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pie, etc.) with as many family members and friends as can make it. Day after Thanksgiving is all out decorating for Christmas!
Broccoli salad! and put up Christmas tree the day after always! It's a rule!
Doesn't matter where we go I make apple and pumpkin pies. I make sure there is no "kids table" I think I was at one until I was 18.
On our street our small group of neighbors does a progressive dinner each year during the holidays, This would make a beautiful addition to my table when they visit my house
Board games!
we all stand tell what we're Thankful for. From the youngest to oldest.
We all gather at my Aunts house and everyone is in charge of bringing something. Then we thank, pray, and eat. Then its time for some football (football is very big in our family).
Our group of friends get together on the day after Thanksgiving for what we call "Fauxgiving". It's a chance to unwind after the holiday with fun cocktails and festive fall dishes.
We serve brined turkey with all the fixings, have family over as guests and spend the evening groaning from eating too much.
We video tape each child, asking what they are Thankful for. Memories to last a lifetime.
Thanksgiving tradition – fill the house with family and friends, slow down, savor a meal, toss a football and play in the leaves.
My family loves the left-over sandwiches so much that we started just making "left-over" sandwiches on Thanksgiving day instead of the formal meal! It's the best. All of the classic Thanksgiving foods served in a much more comfortable fashion!
Family and friend and lots of good food!
My family has a peanut butter pie that tastes like a fluffy peanut butter cup that's the size of your head. November just isn't November without it!!!!
The biggest thing is being with family…. but football, great food (especially fresh made potatoes and gravy) and getting ready for Black Friday!