It’s no surprise that because of my love of food, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. It’s also no surprise that my favorite room in my house is my kitchen. I get to spend 2 days in the kitchen cooking and baking some of my favorite dishes and creating new ones. My favorite dish is a classic brioche/cornbread stuffing with roasted chestnuts served with homemade cranberry sauce.
Growing up, our table was decorated with heirloom objects handed down from my parents’ time in Europe – Spanish silver goblets, English Bone China and my grandmothers crystal candelabras. Now, the table décor has migrated to fallen Autumn leaves, votives and Heath pottery.
We aren’t content just to sit at the table and eat. Growing up in Texas, we all played Flag Football, which gave way to hikes in the Presidio of San Francisco when we all moved to California, rain or shine.
Thanksgiving, such a dynamic holiday because it varies greatly from region to region. The 18 Rabbits team comes from all over the country. We asked our team to share their favorite traditions which include dynamiting a boat in a lake outside of Dallas to oyster picking off the coast of Georgia.
Allie, Business Development Manager
Region: Ranger, TX (2 hours west of Dallas)
Favorite Dish: Gluten free Pumpkin Pie
Every Thanksgiving, my entire extended family on my mom’s side gathers at a farmhouse on a plot of land far away from wifi, cell service, and civility. With more than 40 relatives brought together by turkey, it is pure chaos.
If one thing is for sure, we eat and we eat well; however, it is a tradition not associated with food that is my favorite. On Thanksgiving morning, every relative - big or small, young or old, dog or teenager - builds a boat. The only rule: it must be built exclusively out of trash or recycling. Right before Thanksgiving dinner commences, we race all 40+ boats across a small lake on our property. The winner does not get an extra slice of pie or first dibs on turkey. Instead, the winning boat is blown up with dynamite in the middle of the lake by my 85 year old Uncle Vern - a Williams’ Thanksgiving tradition.
Emma Sharer, Directory of Supply Chain
Region: Bay Area, California
Favorite dish: “Delicata Squash Salad with Fingerling Potatoes, Arugula, and Pomegranate Seeds” (a “regional” recipe from Sam Mogannan at Bi-Rite Market)
We have an annual tradition of designing and cooking recipes with my dad on Thanksgiving Day no matter how “lame” of a kitchen it is i.e. compact rental kitchen in a timeshare in Scottsdale. Only dishes available are plastic Tupperware. Then, there’s the annual Turkey tennis tournament with my 90 year old grandfather!
Laura, Community Manager
Home: St. Simons Island, GA
Favorite Dish: Sea Island Oyster Pie
My favorite Thanksgiving memory is waking up early on Thanksgiving day to go pick up the best oysters in town with my granddad. After expressing my enthusiasm for this sacred tradition for many years, my grandma let me in the kitchen to be creative with her sacred Oyster Pie recipe. She’s now named it Laura’s Oyster Pie and it’s always a party in the kitchen for a few hours while we make it together.
What makes your Thanksgiving special to you?
