Wining and Dining: Thanksgiving Edition

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I can't wait to laugh and celebrate with family.  There are about 20 of us.  When I first started dating my husband, I had to explain to him that there was no difference between my extended family and my immediate family.  My first cousins and I were raised like brothers and sisters. We were and still are always together.  Despite that, Thanksgiving never gets old.  It makes you stop and really think about the things that matter most in life and that's family--the people that pour into you every day, the people who have helped to shape who you are and the people who will be there whether you're on top or the bottom is falling out.

Growing up, our Thanksgiving table setting consisted of food everywhere.  It was a huge buffet that left us throwing out tons of food several days later after we couldn't take any more leftovers.  However, over the course of the past couple of years, my mother has stepped it up a notch and created tablescapes to tie into our celebration.  Here are some of my favorites that I've seen floating around the blogosphere this year.

via Design Sponge

Love the gold flatware! I found some inexpensive options at West Elm and Overstock. 

via HGTV 

There's nothing wrong with a little glitz at Thanksgiving!

 via HGTV

via Martha Stewart

via Wall Street Journal

A nice meal and a good wine is always my definition of a good time, and Thanksgiving is no exception. We just started adding wine to the Thanksgiving mix, and my mom and aunts are quickly warming up to it (thank goodness because my mom's idea of a good drink is a fuzzy naval circa 1980).  

My wine picks for this year...

For white wines, Rieslings and Pinot Grigio are always great pairs for all the flavors that come along with Thanksgiving day.  I have been attached to Urban, a German Rieslings, all year.  It goes great with sweet potatoes, turkey and herb-filled stuffing as well as popcorn, salmon, chinese...by itself (I think you get the point, I drink this all the time!).  The best part is it's under $20.

For red lovers, Au Bon Climat 2007 is complex and interesting and it's also around $20.  Try not to drink immediately after opening.  Instead, decant it and leave it for like 30 minutes--they say that it's unbalanced and leaving it open for a bit will push the fruity flavors to the top.

Any Thanksgiving wine recommendations? What will you be drinking? 

Happy Friday!