If you’ve visited this website for a while you will know that I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. Last year I was lucky enough to host our friends and family all day event and wrote two dispatches about the big day (1 and 2). This year another friend is hosting across town (I’m not on again until 2013) and as usual our team has separated the assignments. My list is above — salad, chips & guacamole, soup, stuffing, dessert & whip cream, wine, champagne and chairs.

Off the bat I can tell you that my sweetheart is in charge of the first two items and he will probably carry those chairs as well. Nice! That leaves me a healthy list of goodies I absolutely love to tackle. Game on!

Now, over the last few weeks I have been going to my mailbox looking for the Thanksgiving issue of Gourmet. Yes, I know Gourmet folded (worst Conde Nast decision ever, boo hiss) but I still go looking for it anyway. Or I guess what I mean is I still go looking for that feeling. Sadly I have found nothing in my mailbox or even on the magazine stands to give me that inspiration I’m looking for. Instead, I had to take matters into my own hands.

I enlisted a few old issues of Gourmet plus issues of two newer publications of which I am so thankful — Diner Journal and Canal House Cooking. Going to my shelves I pulled out what I needed and poured over the pages.

Finding new inspiration …

… new energy …

… and some oldies but goodies in pages I’ve used time and time again.

I am so thankful for my archives new and old!

This is such a wonderful time of year to feel thankful and to say thank you. As I prepare to spend time this week with some of the most dear people in my life I want to say thank you to Stephanie (xo) and thank you to you. I am so happy to have you here in our space sharing our ideas and sparks. I hope you have a wonderful autumnal week whatever celebrations come your way.

—MAV