Thanks for Giving: Part One - Ditch the Dinner

Alright, we have 9 days until Thanksgiving or as I call it, Thanks for Giving.  I am going to attempt to inspire  you to think out of the box without making these next few days a whirlwind of contemporary madness.  I am going to do this in several parts.  Today's notes are simply dubbed: "Part One". Or, the beginning.  Now, as an added note before this all begins,  I have a few simple motto's: 1. Simple is best, overly traditional isn't, 2. "you don't have to be creative to be creative", 3. It's your house, your food, and your table so show off and let your guests thank you for giving, 4. Fresh falls in your backyard and 5. no rules are good rules.



This year, I have decided to skip the traditions of Thanksgiving dinner, or, if you will,  the quintessential  late lunch and start the day out right.  I am ditching the dinner and hosting a Thanksgiving breakfast.  A couple factors went into choosing this logical day starter.  First, I wasn't able to round up enough people to come for dinner because most have other engagements such as family, travel,etc.  Also, I thought it would be great to kick off the day with friends, tired eyes and all.  People are much nicer in the mornings I have found, I guess you could consider this a third reason, but I think it falls into spending time with your friends before they try their patience with drunken family members.  The main reason is, selfishly, I wanted to spend the afternoon being lazy; a movie, a long walk, leftovers from breakfast and napping.  I look forward to my shuffling pace this Thanksgiving afternoon.

Breakfast:
Walnut and Maple Muffins
Chedder Scones
Caramel Croissant Bread Pudding
Turkey Hash
Fried Egg Breakfast Bake
Maple Glazed Bacon
Apple, Pear and Cranberry Salad with Sweet Yogurt Dressing
Sweet Noodle Kugel
Juice
Coffee
Homemade Hot Chocolate

Now, here is the best part.  The Muffins and Scones can be batter ready the night before along with the prepared Noodle Kugel and Breakfast Bake.  These will be snuggly wrapped and ready in the fridge for an easy quick bake.  The rest is a quick chop, a maple painting, a simple fry and mix of sweetness and its ready.  Furthermore, there is no table to set because I believe Breakfast is best served on a buffet/counter top or fresh from the stove top - a help yourself casualness.  Find a place to sit and settle, no fancy table, no formalities and no all at once presentation.  Even better, I don't have to dress up.  Warm slippers on my feet, a pair of track pants and a sweatshirt, perhaps even a cap, and my day begins just they way it should.
I'm starting breakfast early, 9am sharp. And, with any luck, I will be napping by 12pm.

Side Note:  add champagne to the juice or Bailey's to the coffee, hell, shoot some run in the hot chocolate but beware, your guests could possibly be napping with you later in the day, so just know when to put the cap on the booze.