Happy Thanksgiving from the Reds!

HALLIE EPHRON: Wishing you all a wonderful, fabulous, delicious Thanksgiving from the Reds! Hoping you are all tucked in this year (in person maybe!) with your loved ones and friends, enjoying the comfort of companionship and delicious food. Hopefully an excess of both.

I’ll be spending the holiday with my two daughters, my son-in-law, and grandchildren. The adults are all vaxed and boosted, the kids finally vaxed and, as always, full of beans.

My grandchildren are growing up so fast it’s terrifying, and not having been able to see them for the better part of two years has made it even scarier. I’m looking forward to playing checkers with my grandson who has just learned how and is coming to terms with the concept of losing. I’m hoping my grandgirl will show me how she can turn cartwheels and front flips and read to ME and draw using actual perspective.

She's come a long way from this turkey she drew five years ago.

Speaking of which... my daughter Naomi will be in charge of the turkey. I’ll be riding shotgun the kitchen, gravy making. My daughter Molly on potato-mashing and wine-pouring duty.

We’ll start with butternut squash soup topped with sour cream and toasted slivered almonds and scallions. Hold the scallions for the kiddoes. There will be Pepperidge-farm stuffing in a roasted turkey. Mashed potatoes and green beans; carrots and parsnips for my son-in-law. Pies (custard and pumpkin). Champagne and sparkling cider to toast everyone's good health.

So who will you be with, and what’s on the menu?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: That sounds lovely! Gravy. I FINALLY learned, and now I love to make it.

It’ll be just us, not how we planned it last July, but so it goes. And yes, Pepperidge Farm stuffing, with onions and celery. And maybe I’ll just make the turkey breast, since that’s all anyone around here actually wants.

Champagne is our ritual, and my fresh cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes. With sour cream and butter. Pies, sure, Jonathan wants lemon meringue, so, sure. Maybe.

In the before-times, we had oysters Rockefeller for appetizers, but that seems so impossible now. (If I could just have stuffing and champagne, actually, I’d be happy. And maybe one bite of pumpkin pie And maybe have all of YOU come over!)

LUCY BURDETTE: We’re hosting a few vaccinated neighbors with fingers crossed. I’m in charge of the turkey, gravy, cornbread stuffing, and something new I’m trying: pumpkin cheesecake on a gingersnap crust with caramel sauce. How could I not try it? I’ll keep you posted. (And I don’t even like cheesecake:).

I am so grateful for each one of our Red family members. You allow us to feel like we have a community even when times are impossible--especially then perhaps! Happy Thanksgiving.

RHYS BOWEN: Hallie, I hope you have a special Thanksgiving with your family. There will be 8 of us this time. The others opted out of flying for so few days with air fares so high, when all 15 will be together for Christmas.

The menu is turkey, three kinds of stuffing ( one sausage, one gluten free) mashed potatoes, green bean casserole ( yes, I know, but it’s always requested) cranberry sauce, gravy then apple crumble and homemade pumpkin pie.

Luckily I’m only in charge of small segments of this. I provide the wine and appetizers, and the dreaded green bean casserole

I hope all of our friends are enjoying a perfect day( or as perfect as possible without all the family)

JENN McKINLAY: It’ll be a quiet turkey day for us -- just Hub and me and the Hooligans and their Plus Ones. We’re hoping for a quick getaway to the beach in California at some point during the weekend, but we’ll see how that goes with everyone working new jobs and running in a million different directions.

It feels as if the world is back to normal but not really.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: So looking forward to this Thanksgiving and getting to hang out with daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and friend Gigi. We are foregoing the big traditional gathering at my aunt's, but I am thrilled at the prospect of this small get-together.

Our daughter has two ovens in her new house, so she is elected hostess! Son-in-law is organizing a deep-fried turkey.

We'll also have some ham from our local butcher shop-owning friends. I'm in charge of the cornbread dressing (not stuffing!), the cranberry/jalapeno relish, the gravy, and I'm not sure what else.

And I don't really care all that much about what we eat as long as we get to do it together.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’m having the smallest Thanksgiving ever - just me, the Maine Millennial, and friend of Reds Celia Wakefield and her husband, Victor. The Sailor and his sweetheart have to stick close to home (he’s on duty part of the time) and Youngest is tackling her first Thanksgiving ever, as she and Guest Son host his dad at their apartment in Bangor.

I’m making up for the lack of a crowd by doing two more very small get-togethers over the holiday weekend. I can see that being an adaptation that sticks around post-pandemic: no one has to knock themselves out for one massive dinner on one afternoon, and can instead spread the love (and work) around to several households. What the heck, lots of people pivot to Christmas at 4am on Friday morning, let’s just rename the whole four days Thanksmas and party on.

My menu is going to be very simple and traditional. I mean, I’m hosting Celia - I know better than to try to dazzle a professional. I will put a LOT more effort into plating the food than usual, however!

HALLIE: Plating! Now there's a subject for another day...

At this halfway-back-to-normal Thanksgiving, we'd love to hear what you're up to and what's on the table.