Once upon a time, I use to work in retail. Honestly, it wasn’t that long ago, but I did meet some of the best friends I have from working in that industry, and that is how Friendsgiving came to be! The End.

Okay, let’s rewind. Friendsgiving started about four years ago, with one gap year because I was in school and there was NO WAY I would be cooking dinner for 20 something people while being in the smack dab middle of one of the hardest things I have ever done. Anyways, Kodi and I wanted to have a sit-down dinner and cook one of our favourite meals for everyone. Generally, Thanksgiving is spent with family, and then American Thanksgiving, we were all working, so it always fell between both those dates.

Every year, I say to myself, “That’s it. I am never doing this again”, and sure enough the next year everyone convinces me to do it again. It has become a tradition around here. This year was the 3rd year, and it was one of the less stressful years, and I declare it the last because you know, three times a charm (we will see about that).

Here are three things that I did to make it less stressful.

Make-ahead gravy

Making my gravy ahead of time means I won’t run out, and I can enjoy my company when they are here. Jamie Oliver inspired me on this recipe, and over the years, I have adjusted and made it my own.

Print Recipe

Make Ahead Recipe

Ingredients

2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1/2 white onion
2 lbs chicken wings
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
Splash Red wine
8 cups boiling water
4 tbsp flour
salt and pepper

Instructions

Pre heat the oven to 350
peel the onions, and wash the carrots and celery and roughly chop
place the vegetables and herbs into a roasting pan
take the chicken wings and break the bones using a rolling pin or the back of a knife
drizzle everything with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and poultry seasoning
give everything a toss to make sure it is evenly coated
cook for one hour or until everything is tender
once it is all cooked, pull out the roaster and give everything a smash using a potato smasher
over medium heat, give it a splash of red wine and sprinkle over the flour and pour over the 8 cups of boiling water
let simmer and reduce for about 30 minutes or until the consistency you like
taste and season to perfection
store in a airtight container in the fridge for a few days before or freeze in the freezer until ready to serve
the day of, add extra turkey juice to the mix and enjoy!

Assign dishes for others to bring

This is the best advice I can give anyone who wants to plan their Friendsgiving. Make a list of what you need for dinner, and make a view only google doc and let your guests pick what they want to make: Roasted Vegetables, asparagus, mashed potatoes, buns are always a must.

As controlling as it sounds, give them suggestions to bring so nothing is missed and so you don’t end up with 100 pounds of potatoes, no stuffing and a gallon of cranberries.
If people do not know how to cook, or don’t have the space to cook, ask them to purchase the ingredients and you will make it with them. It is fun, and you know what everyone is bringing. No surprises!!

Oh, and don’t forget the wine!

K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid)

This took me a while to figure it out. It doesn’t need to be elaborate. You are all there to enjoy a meal and have a few drinks and overeat. In the past, I had full table settings, elaborate centrepieces and goodies for everyone to take home.

This year, I used wine bottles and all the beautiful labels as a centrepiece and used my miss-matched table cloths and napkins. It was still memorable and fun. I did go a little bit extra and made everyone what are you thankful for cards and it was fun to go around and read what everyone had to say. I also was gifted a beautiful book from my Mom and Maria, and we passed it around, and all wrote in it.