November 26th, 2014

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

Thanksgiving is a wonderful day that joins friends, family and loved ones to celebrate our incredible gift of life over a hearty meal.  Thanksgiving is also a day of traditions.  Thanksgiving traditions are often handed down among generations, or perhaps you enjoy creating new memories each year.

We reached out to many of our close friends who run incredible businesses around the state.  Here, they share their unique holiday traditions with you!

“Like a lot of Southerners, Thanksgiving involves food and football at my house.  Dinner is always late in the afternoon with lots of football (and snacking) after…

My favorite thing?  The turkey!

I like to put our bird in the smoker first thing in the morning. I typically rub it down with my favorite rib rub and olive oil the night before.  Then I place herbs, lemon, and garlic cloves in the cavity before trussing.  Want to know a secret?  Pork butt!  I always place the fattest, rub covered pork butt I can on the top rack of the smoker.  Throughout the day it renders it’s goodness all over the turkey!  That’s a delicious tradition I learned from my Mother (Thanks Mom!).”

Aven Whittington III, Caterer for Mangia Bene Catering
Home of Broad Street Baking Company, BRAVO!, & Sal and Mookies NYC Pizza Joint

“We gather for thanksgiving as a family and football is playing the entire day as we visit!  We eat, then all the girls in the family jump in the car and head to Material Girls to shop and see what they can find while I prep for the BIG Black Friday that will take place in only a few hours! We are from the reservoir area and Dogwood is my oldest store, so we open at 4am! Material Girls has a huge sale and it's literally my single most favorite day of the year! On Thanksgiving night I always have a few Material Girls employees over to spend the night, because we are so excited about Black Friday!”

Whitney Giordano Foster, Owner and Buyer of Material Girls and The Landing

“Thanksgiving in my family is always tons of food, family, friends, and thanks.  Growing up my sister and I were always responsible for helping mom snap beans or peel potatoes and that way we were included in the cooking. Dinner was blessed by Grandpa, and we ate super early so we could have 3 or 4 meals throughout the day. Of course, it’s not Thanksgiving without football on the TV in the afternoon and the windows open so the fall can be felt in full force.” 

Dixie Krauss, Catering Manager at Hilton Garden Inn Jackson Downtown, Formerly the Historic King Edward Hotel

“You may already know this, but my father is the internationally known artist, Rolland Golden, and holiday traditions have always been VERY big in my family.  He mentions some of this in his recently published memoirs:  Life, Love and Art in the French Quarter.  Here's what the Golden clan does for Thanksgiving - and have done, in one form or another, for over 40 years!

The night before Thanksgiving we begin preparing food for the next day.  On Thanksgiving morning we get up early and eat special cinnamon and orange rolls for breakfast.  Then the cooking continues and whoever isn't cooking gathered around the television to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parades.  While watching various college football bowl games, everyone snacks until dinner on onion soufflé dip, salmon spread, nuts, cornichons, summer sausage, pate, brie, French bread, and more!  Lunch is served around 2 pm and the menu usually consists of:  turkey, oyster bread dressing, cornbread dressing, giblet gravy, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, artichoke casserole, string bean casserole, tossed green salad, and biscuits.  For dessert we have pecan pie, apple pie a la mode, sweet potato pie, coffee and hot tea.  Before eating, though, my Uncle, a Brother of the Sacred Heart, Neal Golden, leads us in prayer, and then we go around the table and state what we're thankful for the past year.  For supper - if we get hungry late that night, we have turkey sandwiches.  Before turning in for the night, I begin preparing turkey stock for the Turkey-Andouille Gumbo I'll cook the following day, which is always served with potato salad and hot French Bread”. 

Carrie Golden Lambert, Marketing and Sales Director, Monmouth Historic Inn, Natchez

“Now that I’ve moved to Jackson, our families rotate Thanksgiving every year.  My favorite is when it’s my in-laws turn and the egg bowl is in Starkville; that means HAIL STATE! It is also nice to be back in Colorado enjoying my family and the snow that usually falls while there. Thanksgiving also means Christmas tree shopping is soon to follow; a tradition my husband and I have started the day after.” 

Alaina Reed, Catering Manager at Hilton Garden Inn Jackson Downtown, Formerly the Historic King Edward Hotel  

“When I first started going to Alli's family meals I thought it was crazy that they alternate turkey for SEAFOOD every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  One year they have turkey, like normal Americas, for Thanksgiving and the next year they have seafood! They do the same with Christmas. Seafood instead of Turkey just blew my mind about everything I thought I knew about Thanksgiving!

I’m not sure if it is really a tradition or a personal challenge, but every since I was young I loved to shop for the turkey for the sole purpose of finding the largest one I could and it had to be larger than the previous years.  I mean who doesn’t take pleasure in watching their family try to figure out how to cook a massive bird that wont fit in the oven.”

Adam and Alli Hudson of Adam + Alli Photography

“Each year my family and I celebrate Thanksgiving with my family that live in Nashville TN. My husband and I stay at the Gaylord Resort where we go Married at July 4,2009. We always remind our son Alvin III this is where mom and daddy got married. But to make a long story short he love the ice and light show at the Gaylord resort.”

Tamisha Thomas of Epic Dance & Fitness

“My love of Thanksgiving goes hand in hand with my love of autumn. Thanksgiving is the most relaxing and comforting holiday of the whole year.  Mostly free from commercialization, and free of the stress of consumerism that has killed the spirit of Christmas, Thanksgiving is all about sitting down to a good meal with family and friends, catching up with the ones you love and counting your blessings.

One of those blessings for my family is a particular dish: we LOVE our chicken and dressing. It's been a tradition as long as my memory. When my paternal Mamaw was alive, she served hers up in a deep "Tom & Jerry" bowl, which I now have and use for the same thing. My Mom serves my Grandma's recipe, heavy on the sage and black pepper. Delicious!  Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without it.”

Lisa Harrison, Frameblender Films, 662.202.2366

“On Thanksgiving, we get together on my mom’s side of the family. She is the middle child of 5 so there are a lot of people at the holiday (around 40). While all the women get up early to cook, the men usually get up to squeeze a Turkey Day hunt in. Usually everyone brings one dish, but my mom’s macaroni and cheese is always the most popular. We also have some fantastic dressing that is not made by our family. We always get our dressing from Ms. Evelyn at Bovina Café—it’s the best! We eat A LOT then usually unwind by watching football and playing cards- usually Dirty Canasta. That means there are wild cards involved. These games usually get really heated. Sometimes we switch it up and play Progressive Rummy. In the afternoon, we usually take my other grandparents a plate of leftovers (because there is usually so much that everyone is able to eat it through the whole weekend) and go and visit with them into the evening. When we were younger, we usually went back to the other side of the family’s house and played Kick the Can or Hide and Go Seek. Since there are so many cousins, this was usually a good time! Now that we are all older and married, we have to go to our in-laws’ house and incorporate those holiday traditions into the mix.

Thanksgiving Menu:
Turkey
Ham
Macaroni and Cheese
Dressing with meat
Dressing without meat
Green Beans
Sweet Potato Casserole
Hashbrown Casserole
Potato Salad (because apparently we don’t have enough potatoes lol)
Cranberries
Deviled Eggs
Fruit Salad
Some Surprise Something brought by Aunt Christine (my PawPaw’s sister)
Dinner Rolls
Dessert is always a tossup- Texas Delight, Strawberry Congealed Salad, Pecan Pie, Chocolate Pie and something that our family friend Kimball Bufkin will bring as a surprise (usually this strawberry tiered something that is very tasty) but she always brings something to WOW us over”

Laura Beth Strickland, Communications Manager, Vicksburg CVB

If you are in the Natchez area, head over to Monmouth for an unforgettable Thanksgiving feast.  “Create memories to treasure for years to come with an authentic Antebellum dining experience.  Join us for Thanksgiving Dinner in Restaurant 1818 at Monmouth Historic Inn.  Seating is available at the Main Dining Table, as well as separate tables in the double parlor.  Dining at the Main Dining Table has become a tradition for some families throughout the year.  What a wonderful way for your loved ones to enjoy Thanksgiving! 

Call 601.442.5852 for reservations, seating times, and menu, or to view their menu online go to:  http://www.monmouthhistoricinn.com/holiday-menu.html. 
Please call 601.442.5852 to find out more about Monmouth's Thanksgiving Overnight Stay Specials for those staying with us anytime from Wed.- Fri. (Nov. 26-Nov. 28).”

We wish you all a very warm and happy Thanksgiving!
{Blog by Mitchell Walters}

{Chao Photography Photos 1-4}
{Mary Moment Photography Photos 5-7}
{Stephanie Hea Photo 8}