Super Special Edition: Feat. Dogwood's Reader Recommended Recipe Guide

Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

In my best Taylor Swift voice: “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling (Nov.) 22!” Happy day before Thanksgiving to all of our wonderful readers. If you’re like me, then you’re also in the middle of a panicked blitz clean of your whole house before guests come over tomorrow—and I appreciate you spending your downtime with me during these few free minutes you’ve found.

When I was maybe 10 years old, I always imagined building a one-room log cabin on my parents’ farm and inviting everyone over for Thanksgiving. While my best friend and I never chopped down enough trees to construct more than 1/10th of the cabin in our tweens, I did eventually buy a home built in 1910. With dreams of Thanksgiving dancing in my head, there was one teeny, tiny issue: TIMING. Kody (husband), Colton (kiddo), and I have four, yes, four Thanksgivings to attend each year, which goes as follows: lunch at Grandma’s, lupper at Mimi’s, supper at Pawpaw’s, and second supper at Nannie’s. But do you know what wasn’t taken? Breakfast, which is ironic because we’re not morning people at all.

We’ll be up and at ‘em with a full morning spread featuring turkey bacon, fakeon (what we affectionately called vegetarian bacon), pancakes, biscuits, fruit salad, fried taters, scrambled eggs, orange juice, and of course, sweet tea. We start five minutes before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off, and we all shout out the countdown to the ribbon cutting. Oh, and when the Radio City Rockettes come on the screen, us girls (and usually a few fellas too), get in formation for a not-so-high-and-actually-rather-pitiful-looking-high-kick-line. It’s a sight to behold, and while 10-year-old me might not have the rustic cabin dinner gathering she thought up, the 30-year-old version wouldn’t change a thing. Wherever you happen to find yourself tomorrow, I’m so glad you’re here with us right now.

Amie Knowles

Community Editor, Dogwood

Dogwood’s 2023 reader recommended recipe guide

Here’s what you need to know: We asked, y’all answered, and it’s here! Thank you so much to each and every one of our readers who shared recipes for this holiday guide. We’ve listed the recipes here (in order), so you can quickly find what you’re looking for when you access the article. This wouldn’t have been possible without you!

Our reader recommended recipes:

Cranberry Salsa contributed by Susan Platt
Turkey Empanadas contributed by Jamie Torro
Squash Casserole contributed by Lindsey Mitchell
Southern Style Macaroni and Cheese contributed by Nicole Stump

Are you getting hungry yet? If so, you can find all of these recipes (and a little something extra) by clicking here.

Need to get something from the store to make the above recipes? Are you still looking to find the perfect centerpiece for your table? Well, you might want to mosey on over that way because these stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Did you know? Virginia has a claim to the “first” Thanksgiving, predating the 1619 Massachusetts celebration. Actually, two of them!

In both 1610 and 1619, separate colonial accounts record a recognition of thanks in the commonwealth. The 1610 event followed a difficult winter, which left many of the colonists starving. Tragically, 430 of the 490 settlers passed away. When English supply ships arrived with food, the surviving colonists held a feast, which some consider the first Thanksgiving.

On Dec. 4, 1619, Captain John Woodlief and 35 crew members celebrated a safe voyage to an area of the James River in present-day Charles City. According to Berkeley Plantation, in accordance with orders from London, the Englishmen proclaimed: “We ordain that the day of our ship’s arrival, at the place assigned for plantation, in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.”

Ironically, Virginia isn’t the only state to lay claim to the “first” celebration of thanks—sometimes Texas and Florida try to steal the commonwealth’s Thanksgiving thunder. No matter who actually has the rights to the First Thanksgiving, one thing’s for sure: We all have something to be thankful for.

📸: Library of Congress, J. & R. Lamb Studios Lamb Studios archive

The early bird gets the worm—and in this case, the deal! Go ahead and take a screenshot to keep track of what time your favorite stores open on Black Friday. Admittedly, I’ve already looked back at mine three times to see when Target opens.

This email is written by Amie Knowles, community editor at Dogwood, lifelong Virginia resident, and mom to a fantastic five-year-old who loves monster trucks.
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