Where’s all the Thanksgiving love? Most stores don’t give Thanksgiving any respect. We go from all the hullabaloo of Halloween straight to Christmas. Think about it. By August, most retailers start stocking pumpkins and ghoulish decor. By Nov. 1, the Christmas trees, candy canes and twinkling lights start lining the aisles at every store. What happened to Thanksgiving?
I want to give Thanksgiving its day. It’s always been one of my favorite holidays because it’s centered around my two favorite things-food and family. You don’t have to buy candy, presents or spend a whole weekend decorating. The simple universal message of Thanksgiving is to be thankful.
However, as a Thanksgiving Day host to my family, there’s still a lot to do. I must clean the house, set tables and orchestrate a family feast. Because I do love the holiday, I make an effort to make it fun like the other holidays.
Even though it’s not as easy to find Thanksgiving day frills and decor, I still give it a Martha Stewart touch. I add a little element of surprise to the food whether it’s a turkey shaped cheese ball or a cornucopia crafted from breadsticks. Table decor is never a vase of flowers. Instead, it’s turkeys crafted from knit gloves, glittery pumpkins or coastal decor. Don’t forget fashion accessories such as a turkey hat or pilgrim outfit. We’ve done both.
Here are a few local ways to jazz up your Thanksgiving holiday. I know it’s not Halloween or Christmas, but you can still treat it like the grand holiday it is. I’m thankful for our wonderful local businesses, so let’s thank them by adding some of their products to our Thanksgiving holiday.
Coastal pumpkins: Bring some coastal vibes to your Thanksgiving Day table setting. Forget the traditional orange, yellow and brown color palette. Have fun with these handcrafted fabric pumpkins made by a local artist at Sunshine & Sweetpeas’s Coastal Decor. Details like the rope, starfish and driftwood add to the nautical theme. Complete the look with some seashells or starfish scattered on the table.
Sunshine & Sweetpea’s Coastal Decor, 2114 Great Neck Square
A sweet turkey: Why not have your table setting and eat it too? Add another turkey to the table.
Go to Plaza Bakery and get a turkey shaped cookie for each place setting. You’ll find pie shaped cookies too. These tasty vanilla sugar cookies are decorated with handmade sugar icing. Your table will look great, and guests can eat their treat or take it home for later.
Plaza Bakery, 1940 Laskin Road
A fashion statement: Most people dress up for the Thanksgiving feast. Typically, women wear warm fall colors and conservative outfits. On Halloween, people dress in costumes. On Christmas Day, people wear matching pajamas, Santa hats and Christmas sweaters. So, let’s have some fun with fashion on Thanksgiving. Gypsy Soul Boutique has some funky and classy pumpkin accessories that will make a bold fashion statement on Thanksgiving. My favorite find was an artistic pumpkin necklace with a chunky silver chain.
Gypsy Soul Boutique, 1703 Mediterranean Ave.
A twist on the classic pumpkin and pecan pie: Let’s make the grand finale of the feast be a special treat. There’s nothing wrong with traditional pies, but let’s jazz up the dessert and make it the star. I found two pies from Gerald’s Ice Cream that are made from scratch and can be preordered until Nov. 17. They’re a nod to the classic pumpkin and pecan pies but have a little something extra. One is a pumpkin mousse with a walnut crust and white chocolate topping, and the other is chocolate pecan pie. Instead of an apple pie, order some of their apple pie ice cream that boasts big pieces of pie crust in each spoonful.
Gerald’s Ice Cream Bar, 1612 Laskin Road
Lee Belote jlbelote@verizon.net
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