Mara’s family’s table arrangement from 2024.

A message from Mara Hauser, CEO & Founder, and Meagan Slavin, COO

As we head into the season of full hearts and packed-out dining tables, we wanted to pause and say thank you. This community makes our workdays brighter and worth logging on for. Our work has always been about bringing people together, so in the spirit of joyful gatherings, we’re sharing a few of our favorite holiday recipes and traditions. (Nothing says “don’t be a stranger” like passing someone a plate of Aunt Cindy’s famous bourbon pecan pie.)

Mara:

We host our dinners as often as we can in South Haven, MI and we’ll be there again this year. Our Thanksgiving dinner menu this year is a tribute to years and years of family gatherings. We’re lucky enough to spend most of our Thanksgivings with both sides of the family, making every celebration feel familiar, joyful, and wonderfully full.

Here are some of the dishes that always make their way to our table. Maybe you’d like to try some this season.

Appetizers:

Spiced Honey Bourbon Old Fashioned

Baked Brie with Rosemary, Honey, & Candied Walnuts

Spiced Spanish Almonds

Dinner:

Fall Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Kale Salad

Roast Turkey with Herb Rub and Shitake Mushroom Gravy: a staple since we discovered this recipe in 2015… when my daughters, Samantha and Emily, were actually okay with mushrooms in their gravy! I recently found this adapted version.

Roasted Balsamic Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Breads with Herbed Butter

Dessert:

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon: This pie has been my husband Randy’s all-time favorite since childhood. His sister Cindy made it for him every year until she taught our daughters how to make it and now they carry the tradition forward. Of course, everyone in our house has their own favorite- Emily loves Toll House Pie (no nuts), Samatha prefers Toll House Pie (with nuts), I like Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie, and the newest addition, Keegan, can’t get enough of Aunt Cindy’s Blueberry Crumble.

Meagan:

Thanksgiving for me is all about family, which these days means leaning fully into my role as Auntie Meagan. I take my job quite seriously: snacks, games, keeping the nephews entertained, and making sure the day has the most fun and fewest meltdowns possible (theirs or the grownups). It’s loud, chaotic, and without question, my favorite part of the holiday.

I’ll be honest, I'm not really a Thanksgiving recipe kinda gal (I usually handle the wine pairings). But, I do have one go-to dessert that’s basically foolproof. Soda Cracker Candy. It’s something you can whip up in 20 minutes, and always a crowd-pleaser. Basically the perfect treat to sneak to the littles when no one is looking. #Chaosfuel

Soda Cracker Candy

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup real butter (not margarine)
1-12 ounce package chocolate chips
48 soda crackers (not Krispy brand)
1 cup shaved almonds (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°
Line cookie sheet with foil and lay soda crackers on top
Boil sugar and butter for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally
Pour sugar mixture over crackers
Bake at 400° for 5 minutes
Take out of the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crackers. Spread with a spatula.
Sprinkle with almonds (optional).
When cool, break into pieces.

A Taste of Our Thanksgiving Table