First of all – don’t fret! There are plenty of amazing options to fill your Thanksgiving table and create a bountiful feast for your family and friends.

Cornish Game Hens

I personally adore game hens and cook them pretty often. In fact, I think I first made them when I was about 12 years old and the recipe had something to do with a flaming cherry sauce. I vividly remember trying to flame the sauce, while my mother stood by, fire extinguisher in hand, in a bit of a panic! Flaming just wasn’t something we did in our house! Oops

Not sure whatever happened to that recipe, but I’d love to find it and try it again now that I’m a bit more of an experienced cook

Anyhow, I think game hens are perfect because each one of those cute little hens is an individual portion! I mean, you could certainly split them and get two portions out of each hen, but I honestly never do! I kind of like serving each person their own tiny hen – it just feels a little special to me! What’s even better about game hens, though, is they cook pretty quickly, making getting that holiday meal on the table a breeze. More time for football, family or perusing those Black Friday ads, right?

The folks over at Taste and See shared a wonderful recipe for Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice, Mushroom and Sausage Stuffing perfect for the holidays! Add a few of your favorite sides and you’ll be all set with the perfect meal!

Duck

If you’ve never cooked with duck, don’t be afraid to expand your horizons and give it a try. Not only does duck taste amazingly rich, serving duck provides a wonderfully upscale dining experience for your holiday guests.

I would personally recommend 2 ducks to serve 6-8 people, primarily because duck isn’t quite as meaty as some of the other choices.

This luxurious Slow Roasted Duck with Crispy Skin from the folks over at Just a Little Bit of Bacon could be the answer to your ‘no turkey, now what’ dilemma. The warm, delectable flavors of orange and raspberry combined with the rich Ruby Port create an amazing glaze that will perfectly flavor your duck and leave you wanting more.

Roast Chicken

One of the easiest and most practical substitutions for that lack of turkey might be just be the perfect roast chicken. It’s familiar enough for the picky eaters in your group and easy enough to prepare for the chef in the family. If you’re feeding a large group of people, roast multiple chickens to feed your flock.

For your reference, a 3-4 pound chicken will feed approximately 4-6 people, obviously depending on their appetites. If you’ve got big eaters or want leftovers for later, I’d definitely double up!

This Cast Iron Roast Chicken with Apple, Onion and Sage, featured over on Ciao, Chow Bambina not only looks amazing, but would be a fantastic replacement for that traditional bird on the Thanksgiving table. All the flavors and warmth of fall are evident in this amazing recipe. C’mon – who needs a turkey?

Just imagine the oohs and aahs you’ll hear when you put this beauty this crispy roast chicken in front of your guests.

Pork Loin

Perhaps not a traditional Thanksgiving offering, don’t overlook the tasty pork loin, as it would be a great alternative to the turkey. The folks over at The Cookie Rookie shared an amazing Orange Cranberry Pork Loin recipe that would add an elegant and festive touch to your holiday happenings.

Any recipe that combines the tartness of cranberries with that wonderful orange citrus screams fall to me and I’m pretty much sold.

When purchasing your loin, you should aim for 1/2-3/4 of a pound of loin per person.

Lamb

Pistachios and lamb go together like, well, like turkey and Thanksgiving. This recipe for Pistachio and Pesto Crusted Rack of Lamb with Pomegranate Sauce from Gastro Senses will make you forget all about the missing turkey.

Not only does the rack of lamb look modern and amazing when presented, it tastes even more scrumptious when served!

When planning your meal, allow for 2-4 chops per person.

Standing Rib Roast

If you’ve never tried your hand at a standing rib roast, the folks over at recipetineats offer a tantalizing recipe and even more helpful walk-through of exactly how to achieve the perfect bite. Give their Standing Rib Roast a try – not only will taste delectable, it will provide a show-stopping centerpiece for your holiday table.

For serving purposes, allow for one rib for every two guests, as not every guest will actually get a rib bone.

If you don’t already have one in your bag (or drawer) of culinary gadgets, be sure to get a meat thermometer for the perfect cook every time. I honestly couldn’t live without mine – I always use it to ensure I achieve the right temperature for serving.

So, don’t be afraid to enjoy something new this holiday season and break out of that traditional turkey rut! Combine a tasty new staple with a comforting favorite for an entirely new holiday experience.

Most of all though, enjoy the priceless memories made around the table with your family and friends. That is what it’s truly all about!

Happy holidays and bon apetit!

The post No Turkey? Now What? appeared first on Quite Simply Us.

If you haven’t hosted a Friendsgiving for those in your inner circle, I highly suggest you get one on the calendar. It’s the perfect opportunity to do something special to celebrate the season – together.

Since I love entertaining, it was a no brainer for me. I planned a quick craft, charcuterie and cocktails, a 5-course dinner and lots of laughter with a rousing new charade-style game I picked up on Zulily.

The only thing I asked of the girls was for everyone to come dressed in their favorite fall flannel, which they did, of course. In my house, that’s how I do Friendsgiving with the Besties

Picture Time

While we were snacking on charcuterie and sipping Apple Cider Cocktails, I went ahead and got my picture taking obsession out of the way. Ya’ll know I’m of the ‘gotta document it all’ mentality. Plus, we were all entirely sober at this point – just wait until you get to the end of this post and see the videos! Oh boy

Craft Time

While I was putting the finishing touches on dinner, the girls and I made Christmas Trees with cardboard trees and yarn. So simple!

I purchased cardboard trees from the craft store, along with green, ivory and gray yarn, which could be used alone or mixed and matched. Basically, you wrap the yarn around the form and adhere with glue! Easy, peasy, Christmas treesie No tutorial needed!

Table Decor

I truly adore it when people sit down at the dinner table to share a fabulous meal. Perhaps I’m a little old school, but I just don’t think people do it enough anymore. Nowadays, everything is served buffet style, after which everyone piles onto the nearest couch or finds a corner on the floor.

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with that every now and then, sitting down at a beautifully set table seems luxurious and special and provides so much opportunity for conversation and laughter. Which, in my opinion, is SO lacking in this day and age. Oops – on my soapbox again!

I didn’t go too overboard on the table decorations – just enough to set a fall mood for my favorite guests. I’m a big fan of white plates, which are versatile enough to be used any time of year. Add the right charger, maybe an unmatched plate or bowl for color, themed napkins and linens and you’re set no matter the season.

Dinner Time

Because I do enjoy cooking, I planned a pretty cohesive menu, which consisted of a salad, cauliflower soup, turkey roulade, duchess potatoes, brussel sprouts, and pumpkin chai cheesecake. And, like I always do when I host events, I spent most of the day in the kitchen getting ready for my guests. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I don’t mind a bit. Feeding my friends actually feeds my soul!

The menu started with Pear & Pomegranate Salad, which is ideal for the fall or winter season. I found this recipe over at Chelsea’s Messy Apron quite some time ago and have served it a number of times. The raspberry vinaigrette is amazing and the pears add such a robust flavor, while the candied pecans provide the always-needed crunch!

After the salad course, I served a wonderful Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Soup that I found over at Closet Cooking. I’m a total soup lover and was really curious to see how this soup tasted. Who better to serve as guinea pigs but your girlfriends As an aside, it was a lovely soup and the aged white cheddar flavor came through beautifully. Definitely something I would serve again.

The main course consisted of a stunning Turkey Roulade, Duchess Potatoes and Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts.

The Turkey Roulade I found over at Food Network not only looked amazing, but tasted pretty wonderful too! It’s definitely a wow recipe that I would make again in a heartbeat. And, it’s the perfect alternative to serving a full turkey.

The Duchess Potatoes, from Homemade Interest, had an impressive appeal aesthetically and tasted lovely. At it’s core, they are an upscale mashed potatoes, piped and baked to give them an elegant appearance. What’s even better is that you can totally make these ahead and freeze them. Woot woo! Easy, peasy, people!

Although I’m personally not a huge fan of the brussel sprout, the folks over at I AM baker may just have changed my mind with their Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts. The caramelization you get from roasting them with the balsamic glaze is to die for.

For dessert, I made a Pumpkin Chai Cheesecake, which turned out absolutely amazing. Many thanks to the folks at Ohio Eggs for this amazing recipe. It’s one of those that I’ve put in my recipe bible to continue serving year after year. As an aside, this recipe was an Ohio State Fair award winner.

Craziness Ensues

After dinner and plenty of cocktails, we played a fun game I found – sort of like charades. You had to act out what was on this little stick. We started off on the front porch and took plenty of videos to commemorate our insanity.

And I’m not going to lie – I was beyond toasted! Usually, I have to drive home, but since we were at my place, I was tucked in for the night! Doesn’t happen very often, so I took full advantage

In this first video, Christine had to pick a song to sing while Heidi danced to it! Ummm…you’ll certainly hear my thoughts in the background.

Warning – this second video is full of adult language and a raunchy moment or two! Not for children – scroll if you must! My potty mouth comes out when I’m a bit looped! Oops

Heidi apparently doesn’t know the difference between the Chicken Dance and the Hokey Pokey?

Julie seems to think she’s a ninja with this improv? I don’t know about you, but I DIDN’T see it

Although the girls and I are diligent in our quest to spend one special day a month together during, this girls’ day definitely goes down in the books as top notch. There’s a quote (not sure who said it) that says, “If you have crazy friends, you have everything.” Well…I apparently have it all, because I’m privileged enough to have a bunch of crazy ass broads in my inner circle.

Until next time, spend time with your friends, make bestie memories and document every last one of them. Someday, you’ll thank me And, while you’re at it, get your own Friendsgiving on the books.

The post Friendsgiving with the Besties appeared first on Quite Simply Us.