I’ve mentioned this before but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I love cooking, I love baking, I love EATING, and I love spending time with my family.  So pretty much Thanksgiving was destined to be my favorite.  My mom and I have made the whole meal for our extended family for as long as I can remember and because of that, I’ve figured out all the essentials I need when in the kitchen for 2 days straight.  Now, of course I have about 89 more essentials for Thanksgiving, but here are a few that I love:

ONE: A pre-seasoned skillet to saute everything in.  And I mean EVERYTHING.

TWO: Every year, we like to try new recipes and I’ve found that Real Simple always has the easiest and most traditional dishes.  For Thanksgiving dinner, I like the food to be simple and straightforward.  Nothing crazy over here.  This year, about 90% of our dishes are from the November issue of Real Simple.

THREE: This one seems obvious, but a good set of measuring spoons can make all the difference in the world!

FOUR: Standing in the kitchen all day is not easy on your little toesies.  I love Wigwam socks because they’re super warm and cozy.

FIVE: A loose sweater to hide the eventual food baby.

SIX: A simple pie dish, like this Giada de Laurentiis for Target one, is a perfect way to show off all those pies.  Pumpkin, pecan, apple – I’ll have a slice of each, k thanks.

SEVEN: For appetizers, a slate cheese board adds such a nice touch and will keep your guests busy while you’re still working in the kitchen.

Happy Thanksgiving!