I'm Bringing A Safe Bet To My First Thanksgiving As a Guest

Guys, this year is unusual when it comes to Turkey Day.

Usually, Thanksgiving is held at my house, and usually I'm the one cooking it. At the very least, it's ordering pizza to the house, but it's almost always here. I mean, of course there have been exceptions, but a good 97% of the time, it's been my show to run. And if it wasn't, someone in the immediate family was doing it, and... well. I don't consider myself a guest to them, right?

This year, though. This year is different. The family won't be getting together this year due to a bunch of different circumstances. Nothing juicy or dramatic, just, you know, life happening. So, I had no plans. I wasn't about to cook up a twenty pound Butterball for myself, after all.

Well, my boyfriend's lovely mother heard about that and immediately shut it down. She invited me to their family Thanksgiving. It's going to be a few siblings, a couple of overly affectionate dogs, and apparently a ton of food. It took some convincing, but I was allowed to bring a side. I'm in charge of the salad and/or cole slaw.

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Simple, right? Right. This is nothing earth shattering, here. But, I did decide to try to mix it up just a schosh. Normally I think people either pick up a pre-made coleslaw or make a simple one with mayo, a little vinegar, and some sugar. I jazzed it up just a little bit. Now don't get it twisted, I'm not going to do something stupid like... add craisins or something. It's still very simple and easy, and you can totally throw it together in like, two shakes. Here's the recipe for the..... what is it, sauce?

1 cup mayo

3 tbs apple cider vinegar

2 tsp honey

little bit of chili crisp (that's just what I like, but basically it's a dash of hot sauce)

lemon zest

parsley, dill, salt and pepper to taste.

I made the dressing in advance to let it sit in the fridge for a bit. I haven't actually put it on the veggies yet, though. I've got some pre-shredded carrots and cabbage and all that good stuff ready to go. I've also decided to add a bit of lemon juice, bacon pieces, and almonds to the slaw itself. And I gotta say, I'm hoping for a home run here. I mean, again, it's COLE SLAW, it's not like I'm single handedly saving Charlie Brown's Christmas or anything. But here's hoping I make a good impression on the extended family I haven't met.... with side dishes.

What are you bringing to the Dinner this year? What's your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal?

Slawingly yours,

Behka