BEST Tips for Thanksgiving in Quarantine!

Let’s face the music… Thanksgiving is going to be a bust this year. BUT! I am determined to celebrate this holiday better than Easter (a lazy day with KFC for dinner… yayyyy). Here’s how we’re planning on making this unique situation into the best yet affordable Thanksgiving possible!

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1. Skip the turkey and go for chicken

I learned how to roast a whole chicken in the oven, and I am obsessed! It is actually much easier than I expected too. The best part is, its super cheap! And let’s be real here… with Thanksgiving being only Noah and I this year, I cannot be bothered to buy a giant turkey, the big roasting pan to cook it in, or even begin to think about trying to find the fridge space for all those left overs.

I get a 2-pack of whole chickens from Costco for about $9 depending on the size. At a local grocery store, you can expect to pay $5-6 per whole chicken and this will feed 2 people for 2-4 meals!

Check out my simple method to cooking a whole chicken!

2. Choose your potatoes

Real Mashed Potatoes

I used to hate real mashed potatoes (I know, I’m a monster). I’m not sure if I’m just old now or what, but now I love them! They are way easier to make than I thought they were, and its such a simple way to elevate your meal to make it seem more “adult-ish”. All you will need is some russet potatoes, sour cream, salt, and garlic powder!

Boxed Potatoes

This used to be my absolute favorite kind of potatoes. My go-to is the Idahoan Real Premium Mashed Potatoes, and I always have some on hand. The big box is a great option to have on hand and the most economical if you eat potatoes often. But if you don’t eat potatoes that often, opt for the smaller version. Cheep and super quick! And my secret to making boxed potatoes taste amazing is lots of garlic powder.

3. Get your gravy

Gravy is so easy to make! Just baste out about 1- 1.5 cups of the drippings from the chicken left over in the baking dish and pour into a sauce pan. On low heat, slowly mix in 1/3 cup of flour until you reach the desired consistency.

Can’t be bothered? A can of chicken gravy is usually less than $2 at your local grocery store. But, using the drippings and some flour you likely have on hand anyway is a cheap and easy way to top off your tasty potatoes!

4. Green Beans

Green bean casserole is one of my absolute favorite holiday side dishes, but that’s a bit too big of a commitment for just Noah and I. We are opting to still enjoy the green beans this year, just in a simpler and cheaper way that doesn’t involve too many leftovers.

There are two ways to make delicious green beans- the cheep and easier way or the fresh and real way. Both are very simple!

To go for the cheap and easy way, just buy a can or two of cut green beans. This will only cost you about $1 per can! One can will be enough for 2 people. Whenever I buy canned goods, I always by the reduced sodium version. Just rinse and drain the green beans, throw them into a sauce pan, and drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste!

We plan on doing real green beans! I never liked having real green beans because they are so fibrous and I was either coking on them or chewing them for what seemed like forever. But I figured out how to make real green beans tender! Fresh green beans are usually $1-2 per pound at the grocery store, and just make the entire bag at once because they are so easy to reheat. Check out my fool proof way to make tender green beans!

5. A tasty beverage

Mulled wine

This tastes SO GOOD and it will make your home smell amazing! Not to mention, this will make you seem extra, boujee, and extra boujee all at the same time.

Here’s what you’ll need: 1 bottle of dry red wine, 3 cups of apple cider, 1 orange, 2 cups of cranberries, 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 whole cloves, a dash of nutmeg, and a drizzle of honey.

Just combine all of these ingredients into a stock pot, bring it to a boil, and then let it simmer for 15 minutes. Or you can make it in a crockpot on low for 1 hour or on high for 30 minutes.

Carmel Apple Cider

This is so easy and seriously an apple cider game changer. All you need is apple cider and Smirnoff Caramel vodka! If you wanted to round out the flavor, try adding Hot Damn!, Fireball, or Jim Beam Kentucky Fire for a spicy kick!

Not into alcohol? Try adding caramel coffee syrup instead!

6. Quick festive treat

Although the cooking hasn’t been too intense, it’s time to put the baking dishes aside, put your feet up, and enjoy a treat together.

No matter how cold it is outside, ice cream is alway allowed. Noah and I are ice cream addicts, so we are really looking forward to this one! All you need is a can of apple pie filling and ice cream. Warm up the apple pie filling in a sauce pan or in the microwave and spoon it onto a cup of ice cream. If you want to make it even better, top it with crushed gram crackers, a caramel drizzle, and whipped cream!

If you’re too faint at heart for ice cream during the cold months, mini apple pies are a must and are super easy. All you will need is a can of pre-made dough and apple pie filling. Stuff the dough with a scoop of apple pie filling, and seal it like a calzone (or like a pasty if you’re from the midwest). Caramel drizzle and whipped cream make delicious toppings here too!

7. Visit the fam

Although we can’t be together in person this Thanksgiving, it just truly wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a little family chaos! After dinner, group FaceTime your friends and family! They will be extra impressed with your DIY Thanksgiving this year (if you can get a word in!).

If you want to really up the fun, download HouseParty on your Apple or Android device. Its like FaceTime, but with games! This is super fun to play with cousins and friends. Or your drunk aunt.

8. Create your own Thanksgiving tradition

It’s no secret that 2020 has been an absolute whirlwind of emotions, but there are still so many things to be thankful for this year. This year, Noah and I are going to start our own little family tradition.

We are going to compile a list of 20 things we are thankful for in 2020 based on random words! I found a random word generator, and set it to choose 3 adjectives. Each of us has to come up with at least 1 thing we are thankful for that corresponds with one of the words, refresh the list, and repeat until we have come up with 20 things we are thankful for.

Another fun way to do this would be to grab a letter die (break out the Scattegories Board!) and come up with things you’re thankful for that corresponds with the letter you rolled. Set a timer and see how many words you can come up with in a minute! The funnier the better.

This is a fun way to come up with things you might not have thought of on your own. It will be fun to compare our lists over the years as we continue this tradition!

9. Get ready for Christmas

As we all know, 2020 has been an absolute trip. I know so many people who have been fighting the urge to put up their Christmas tree early this year. But according to The Weather Channel, putting up Christmas decorations early can bring a sense of comfort to this crazy year by drawing in some normalcy.

So, if you needed any reason to break out the Christmas spirit, now you have the best excuse. Turn on your favorite Christmas movie or blast some Christmas tunes, and deck those halls like your sanity depends on it!

Noah and I will be decorating our apartment in these super cute matching Christmas jammies! And if you know anything about me, you can bet every dollar you own that the Grinch will be on in the background too.

Thanksgiving might not look the same as it has in the past, but that doesn’t mean it still can’t be great. Take this strange time to connect with your loved ones in a different way and to try things you might not have otherwise have tried!

This post have been about how to have a safe holiday celebration during 2020 quarantine.