The First Ever Religiously Sensitive Thanksgiving Spanikopita

As I said earlier this week, Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year. No cards, no expectations, permission to stuff our faces, and the only gifts we give is ourself. At least if you can tear yourself away from the game for four seconds. Nate.

We split our time among various and sundry family members (read: my parents are divorced and my children are very popular around holiday time) and this year, was "Dad's Year" for Thanksgiving. He outdid himself with a seriously perfect meal on Thursday, the kind of meal to make all other meals weep copious tears while beating themselves in the head with the 800-pound New York Times Cookbook.

Think: A Candied Spicy Walnut and Pear Salad, Turkey with Homemade Mole Sauce (hello!) two kinds of sweet potatoes for even the non sweet potato-likers (ahem), perfectly crunchy green beans that demanded second helpings, and Nate's insanely awesome Cornbread-Chorizo-Chipotle Stuffing that puts to shame all other Cornbread-Chorizo-Chipotle Stuffings. Yes, even yours.

Oh, and then an upside down Tarte Tatin. Because we had so much room left.

A note to the unmarried and uncoupled lady friends among us: Surround yourself with men who cook well. The end.

So as not to subject us to two turkeys in a row, at my mom's house the previous night, we created a more rustic dinner, including the first ever Religiously Sensitive Thanksgiving Spanikopita.

Start with pastry dough and a gingerbread man cutter from the 70's.

Add a dreidel.

Aw look, they heart each other.

Sage snacks on carrots she grew herself from seeds.

Just like the book!

Thalia works hard to set the table, excited to eat off the good dishes for the first time.

Place cards! She wrote herself!

While Sage rolls on the floor...

to the tune of Dancing Queen.

Done! Complete with the initials S and T, to encourage the girls to actually try it. 

Thalia did. Kind of. And a new Thanksgiving tradition is born.

Did you create any new traditions this year?