Thanksgiving. There is no word that perfectly melds “family,” “friends,” and “food.” It’s a holiday that celebrates togetherness while honoring the plenty of the harvest table. Like many families, our Catering by Michaels family takes pleasure in the traditions surrounding the holiday. Through traditions, we enrich our connections to those who mean so much to us.
Our Delivery Event Coordinators wanted to share a few of their time-honored observances that make Thanksgiving Thanksgiving!
Katie
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is a little different from what most people would call normal. Every year my mom roasts a turkey and my dad fries one—both are equally delicious! But since we have two turkeys, my sister and I each carve one. Several years ago when we started doing this, we would just have light conversation while carving our turkeys. Then one year I finished carving mine about 5 minutes before my sister and from then on it was a race to see who could carve their turkey the fastest.
You might hear this and think “wow that sounds dangerous” but there are rules. 1) you must carve the breast in slices, not huge chunks. 2) the drumstick has to be removed from the thigh. 3) if you cut yourself, you are automatically disqualified. 4) Presentation is everything. Attached
you will find a photo of my winning carved turkey from 2021. I am so excited to continue this tradition that makes an otherwise peaceful day slightly chaotic and dangerous.
I am also terribly excited to share one of my favorite holidays with our new baby girl, Sofie. She is going to be the cutest little turkey at the table.
Nicole
My husband, Adam and I, along with our four kids Giana, Stella, Mia and Luca travel to Indiana, which is the central gathering point for his family to celebrate Thanksgiving. For over a decade, the family has been coming together from Michigan, Tennessee, Illinois and Ohio. The past few years have been extra special since during COVID, we all joined in and built a house for us all to gather, not only for Thanksgiving but to enjoy year-round. We are quite the bunch—10 adults and 14 kids fill the house with laughter and memories year after year!
Everyone arrives on Wednesday and after we all settle ourselves in for an amazing long weekend, we kick off the festivities with an informal dinner and a night of games. The morning of Thanksgiving, we always start the day with my mother-in-law’s famous cinnamon rolls, homemade donuts and Asti… lots and lots of Asti! She prepares the turkeys for the crowd and the families make their special holiday side dish favorites to share. The other remaining nights of the weekend, we partner up to make dinner and there is never a shortage of food. We are always sad when Sunday afternoon rolls around and everyone packs up, but we know that means we had a great time and we can’t wait until we are all together again!
Megan
Every year we get together at my aunt’s home in Indiana for Thanksgiving. She loves to entertain and is a fabulous chef! We typically divide the menu up amongst the family, as we all love to cook and contribute. We always go heavy on the appetizers with wine and at least one specialty cocktail. My Aunt oversees the turkey and her famous mashed potatoes and stuffing, my cousin makes an incredible corn pudding and her green bean casserole while my mom makes her cranberry relish and homemade apple and pumpkin pies. We do slip in a salad and roasted root vegetables as well! The last few years we have done Thanksgiving cookie decorating for my young nieces and nephews, which is always a fun touch.
Thanksgiving is our family’s favorite holiday, so we always go above and beyond to make it feel special and send everyone home with leftovers. Before we all sit down for dinner, we go around the table and list what we are thankful for. There is always someone who sheds some tears because we have so much to be grateful for! This holiday is the epitome of warmth, love, and togetherness, and our family traditions make the holiday that much more meaningful.
Because we are so enamored with food, it’s no surprise Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays around our kitchens because food plays a starring role in these traditions. Every year, we look forward to preparing our dedicated Thanksgiving menu. We respect traditions as much as you do and craft our menu to help you set a bountiful table for your friends and family. From complete dinner packages to a la carte appetizers, displays, entrees, sides, and desserts, we are devoted to helping make your traditions as delicious as they are meaningful!
Contact Katie, Nicole, or Megan to find out how we can help you set a table that will make memories!
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