Thanksgiving Planning Tools

    

    This year I find myself working on my favorite holiday.  And somehow I've convinced myself that it's totally realistic for me to cook two separate Thanksgiving meals this year.  You see, we'll be doing Thanksgiving with our friends this year -- an elaborate 10 course meal that I can't wait to share pictures of!  But I also want to cook a traditional meal so we can have the copious amount of leftovers that I'm used to from Thanksgiving back home.  Side note: I have cried over leftovers y'all, they're that important.  Just ask my mom about the great sweet potato heist of 2009. 

    Two Thanksgivings is what we're used to.  When we go back home to Virginia we eat at Kevin's parent's house and my mom's house.  So two Thanksgivings is what we shall have this year as well.  Here we are, one week out and I have planned very little.  You see, I've made parts of a Turkey Day meal before but never the whole thing.  I did a big shopping trip and just kind of bought stuff that I thought should be included.  It's like I'm just asking to become a stressed out crazy mess come next Thursday.  I'll be that person running into people in the grocery store and staring blankly at the potatoes like I'm not in anybody's way.  Don't you hate those people?  So I've turned to some of the professionals to help me prepare for the big day.  Here are my top five picks for best web planning tools for a flawless Thanksgiving.

Number One: Martha Stewart
Martha is of course the reigning queen of holiday preparation.  But her recent Twitter pics have revealed that she does have some flaws (okay one).  The woman cannot take a good food pic to save her life. Thank goodness Martha because we've all felt inferior for years.  Anyway, her planner is comprehensive but also assumes that you started planning two weeks ago...

Number Two: Cooks Illustrated via Crate and Barrel
Crate and Barrel's planner is organized and thorough if you're making a traditional meal.  It covers all the basics and is really user friendly.

Number Three: The Bon Appetit Thanksgiving Manual App
This is the one I have personally been using. It's available for several different devices and has both traditional and contemporary recipes.  The best part is you can sync its menu planner with your own phone's calendar to remind you virtually of when you should be doing things.  You can use one of their pre-set menus or create a custom menu.

Number Four: Better Homes and Gardens
This is less of a planner and more a home base for all things Thanksgiving-- from decorating to a video on how to carve a turkey.  Perfect for newbie hosts and hostesses like me.  I would totally be that person that takes that beautiful bird out of the oven and then asks myself "$#*@, now what do I do?" 

Number Five: Design Finch

Her "Gobble Guide" is free and available pre-filled or blank to meet your planning needs.  I will definitely be using the blank one for my meal.  I was going to make my own, but I love a free printable.  What a time saver!

 Happy planning everyone!

Blogger Event: Moksa Cambridge

Last week, Blog and Tweet Boston put on an event at Moksa Cambridge, a Pan Asian tapas restaurant in Central Square.  It was my first blogging event and I met so many great people.  I loved bonding over drinks and food -- my favorite way to bond!  The service was great.  The staff created a menu just for us and really took into account everyone's dietary needs which was awesome.  I love that just because I happened to order a vegetarian entree, they made sure to ask me if I would like a vegetarian second course as well.  It was just really attentive and thoughtful service.  Here's the run-down on what we were served!

We were greeted by our bartender for the night, Noon, who happens to be their resident wine expert so we knew that both the cocktail and the wine pairings were going to be delicious!  First up was a warm rum punch with grilled pineapple served in a mason jar.  (P.S. - drinks served in mason jars are totally the way to any southern girl's heart.)

We were sat at two long tables in the dining area for our four course meal.  We were served some delicious dumplings to get us started.

The first course was Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with curry and soybean.  This was one of the best squash soups I've ever had.  Sometimes they can be so one-note but this one had so much flavor.  It was paired with the Fall Manhattan.  A drink made with bourbon, roasted squash, cider, and honey.  It was strong but good.

The second course was a spicy tuna dumpling platter with mango sauce served atop guacamole.  This was my favorite course of the night.  It really showed off the restaurant's concept of being a "Pan-Asian Tapas" destination.  In an attempt to slow down on the alcohol, I paired this with the wine option Furmint 2011 "Love Over $". 

For our third course, we were offered our choice of Kung Pao Angel Hair, 7 Spice Crusted Salmon, and Paneer Masala.  I made an unusually vegetarian choice for myself and chose the Paneer Masala.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  I'll take any dish that showcases cheese.  It was great.  Plenty of onions and peppers and just the right amount of sauce.  I again chose the wine pairing.

The dessert course was a warm coconut rice pudding with pumpkin bits.  I went back in forth on which drink I wanted to pair it with until the waiter told me that the cocktail was "amazing."   It was my favorite drink of the night.  Who knew that I loved warm cocktails so much?  Thanks Moksa for teaching me something about myself.  It was called the Milk and Honey, a drink of cognac, milk, and Boston Honey.

Check out their event calendar for upcoming events or just stop in for some of their wonderful cocktails and tapas.  This place is known for their cocktails, and their offering of game nights and a private event space are just the icing on the cake.  Thanks to Moksa and Blog and Tweet Boston for putting on a great event!  See you both soon!

*Dinner and drinks were compliments of Moksa Restaurant, but all opinions are my own.

Artsy Apple Picking

Today's chilly temps have me reminiscing about what may have been the last warm day of the year.  It was the perfect day for the now cliche fall activity of apple picking.  I have been wanting to go for years, but somehow this was our first trip.  We made it an artsy picture-taking adventure then followed up with some house hunting.  We have no plans to move anytime soon--we love our city condo-- but ever since I was a little girl I've loved going to open houses and I've really never stopped.  It's always smart to see what's out there, know the market, and plan for the future.  

Anyway back to the apple picking.  We went to Smolak Farm in Andover, Massachusetts.  It was cute but crowded.  Some of the highlights? The cider donuts were completely amazing!  I'm pretty sure I've never met a donut I didn't like though so really my opinion counts for nothing.

Here are some highlights of the day.

Does anyone else like to make everyday adventures more fun with some artsy pictures and/or donuts?  I think they both make any day a little bit better.  Oh and I finished the day up with this easy peasy Pinterest-inspired "recipe": crock-pot caramel.  Perfect fall day.

*Linking up with Shanna