This year's table was all about less stress, more food. The rule: nothing that needs me at the stove in the last hour.
What actually got made:
- A classic turkey, but roasted low and slow so nobody has to hover over it
- Roasted red pepper & white bean stew as the vegetarian centerpiece (it was quietly the most popular dish)
- Mashed potatoes with brown butter — no shortcuts on this one
- The strawberry galette recipe, adapted into a strawberry-rhubarb pie because rhubarb season ended and I panicked
- Lemon ricotta pancakes for breakfast the next day, which is the real holiday
The biggest change: I stopped trying to make everything from scratch. Store-bought dinner rolls, pre-made gravy base, one jar of good jam. The table looked identical; my blood pressure did not.