In the 1600s, settlers from Europe ventured on the search to find India, the land that they claim will help them all be rich. When their captain Christopher Columbus accidentally landed in North America, instead of India, the settlers had no clue of the hardships that they will face. They met the Native Americans, which Columbus named Indians because he thought he was in India still. So after observing the struggles that the Pilgrims (AKA the settlers) faced during their first couples of months/year in the new land, the Natives decided to help teach them how to plant and grow crops. The Pilgrims' first harvest was the first Thanksgiving, where thanks was given to the Indians and to the many blessings of a new life.

After the celebration and the Pilgrims learning all that they can from the Natives how to survive in this New World, they massacred them, took their lands and put them into reservations. THE END.

In all actuality history class does not prepare children for the hard truth about our country and I think the Native Americans deserved so much better.

So back to me tossing and turning, it is my very first Thanksgiving dinner that I will be in charge of all the cooking. It makes me nervous and jittery with the thoughts of worse-case scenarios that can occur but I am determined to make the best of it. So, I have a few tips in handy for those that are doing their first Thanksgiving dinner:
 For my menu this Thanksgiving:

Lemon-Thyme Roasted Chicken

Pineapple-Honey Glazed Ham

Pan-roasted Vegetables
Green Bean Casserole

Massh Potatoes 

Baked Squash Mac&Cheese 

Potatoe-Egg Salad 

Dinner Rolls

Lemon Bundt Cake
Manang's Cheesecake

My sister and I spent majority of our afternoon food hauling for the dinner. When I go shopping whether it be for food or home stuff, I try to keep a mental list of what I need, but tend to go up and down each aisle and debating with myself if I need this or not. Here is my second tip:  

Along with having a menu, you already know what ingredients you need. All you gotta do is write it on a piece of paper or put it in a note on your phone. I make sure I have it on paper and on my phone because I tend to loose things easily and that my phone's battery drains fast; thanks Apple! JK JK Lists are especially useful during these crazy holiday months when almost everyone is at the grocery store and wouldn't want to spend more than two hours in a huge crowd full of cranky people. Can you believe that I literally got pushed aside by an elderly lady that was half my size!! The List idea helped me have a set schedule sion where are the places that I need to go. At one of the grocers that I went to, I was able to get a FREE ham! Who doesn't love free groceries?!


Prepping, prepping and prepping is crucial for the days before Thanksgiving or pretty much any big feast day. If you are cooking with Chicken or Turkey, I suggest to brine it days beforehand to get that juicy meat that everyone will swoon over. Cut vegetables and make pie dough the day before the dinner. Make sure that you know how long each dish will take so you can prioritize what has the oven first.
My last tip:


Although the stress of shopping, prepping and cooking can make you lose the beans in your head, don't lose the meaning of Thanksgiving. Many people forget during the holidays what its truly meaning is; example would be people getting mad at Starbucks for their just plain red cups. It seriously disgraces me to see people pay so much mind to the decor on cups rather the meaning of it. You don't need a cup to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ; nor do you need essentially need a turkey or cornbread to be thankful for the many blessings and the company that you share. Give thanks, not stress.

I do wish everyone, whether or not you celebrate it, a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the opportunities that I have been given and the future ones, for those that deeply love and care about me, and the Lord who has guided me on my journey.

I hope these tips will help you at your Thanksgiving celebration. Lemme know how it went!