Last year, my family went all out at Thanksgiving for a once-in-our-lifetime event — Thanksgivukkah. In addition to a complete Thanskgiving dinner we had a latke bar, challah bread, chocolate gelt and even a menurkey. Needless to say, it was a very gluttonous and memorable event. I probably should mention at this point that I’m not Jewish – and neither is anyone in my family. But we couldn’t resist the opportunity to celebrate a family occasion and get to revel in some of the delicious foods that are celebrated at Hanukkah. I wish every year could be Thanksgivukkah.

But it can’t – and I’m not one for a repeat menu. This year, I feel I have a hard act to follow as I revert back to traditional Thanksgiving holiday traditions (because let’s face it: once you do a latke bar, there’s no topping that).

The preparations began this evening and will continue straight through until dessert is served on Thursday. It’s a mise en place marathon and I LOVE every. minute. of. it. This weekend was my “foodie Christmas” – it takes me a few hours to nail down exactly what to make and that’s largely because I’m preparing recipe ideas and filling out the menu not just for the main meal but for the whole day. We do four “phases” at Thanksgiving that keep the food rolling from sunrise to sundown:

1) Brunch
2) Hors D’oeuvres
3) The Main Course
4) Dessert

Yes, it’s gluttonous. Yes, there’s always too much food. Yes, it’s exhausting. Yes, it’s worth it.

I’ll be attempting to document as much as I can of the prep and final creation of our meal(s) this week so stay tuned for updates! Without further ado, here is my 2014 Thanksgiving Menu.