How Can I Make a Small Thanksgiving Dinner Special?

Christine Gallary
Christine GallaryFood Editor-at-Large
Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram.
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updated May 1, 2019
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Q: My boyfriend and I live far away from our families and can’t make it home for Thanksgiving. Last year, we had a get-together with close friends, but this year we don’t know anyone who will be in town for the holiday.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I love to cook, but this year I’m struggling trying to find ideas to make it special.

I’m wondering if your readers have any advice for vegetarian holiday meals that are special but also small, and for holiday advice in general — how do you cope when you’re away from family? What new traditions have you started?

Sent by Annie

Editor: Go all out with nice table settings, flowers, and decorations to make the whole meal extra special. And remember that you can still celebrate the holiday with far-away family members — Apartment Therapy has some good suggestions in this post:

  • 8 Ways To Celebrate Thanksgiving With Far Away Family (Without Buying a Plane Ticket)

As for food, here are a couple of posts with suggestions from readers for vegetarian holiday meals:

Readers, what other advice can you give Annie?

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Filed in:
Entertaining & Gathering
thanksgiving
Tips & Techniques
vegetarian