First Thanksgiving

picture courtesy of Whole Foods

If you’ve already gone off to college, moved into your first “grown up” apartment, or moved in with roommates, partners, or spouses, then you know what it’s like to have a first Thanksgiving.

Josh and my first Thanksgiving happened a week into our dating relationship. Along with several friends, we decided to stay on campus rather than driving or flying back to our parents’ homes.

Instead, Natasha, a good friend from high school, Joshua, and I decided to make Thanksgiving dinner at his apartment. I had spent time helping my mom and grandmothers with their holiday meals, so I had a fairly good idea of what we needed to have. Turkey, stuffing, pie… you know, the necessities.

Fortunately for us newbies, Allrecipes had been gaining popularity and was my go-to source for recipes.  I remember printing out multiple versions of recipes, and creating some sort of hybrid among them all. (The roots of product development probably started sooner, but here was my first independent project)

I don’t actually remember what the meal tasted like, and I have no idea if we’re even using similar recipes to what we had that first Thanksgiving. It definitely created great memories.

This file has probably been updated since I accessed ten years ago, but here’s where I found my first Thanksgiving recipes: Allrecipes Thanksgiving Recipes

Another site I’ve since looked to for recipes is the Whole Foods Market recipe pages. Here’s a good one for first-time hosts. I’m particularly excited about the Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe – that just sounds delicious, and who doesn’t look for delicious ways to serve these. Get that recipe here.