You and your new-ish flame have been enjoying all of the best parts of fall. You’ve indulged in pumpkin carving, sipped apple cider in a corn maze, wore the perfect DIY couples costumes, and cozied up for an early peek at some of your favorite holiday movies. Things really couldn’t be going better. With just a few weeks left before Thanksgiving, though, you’re about to be faced with a big decision: Is it time to invite said S.O. to join you and the fam for Turkey Day festivities?
How serious is serious enough? Will an invitation like this freak bae out? And when do you really know that a partner is ready to handle all the family chaos that the holidays can shake up? Deciding whether or not to bring your partner home for a major end-of-year holiday can feel like a big deal, and we want to help you dial down the intensity so you can focus on what’s really important: food and quality time with your loved ones. We’ve consulted with relationship experts about how you know the time is right to bring a date to family Thanksgiving — read on for their six signposts.
You and your sweetie have been seeing each other for a few months, and with the holiday season just around the corner, you’re starting to open up to each other about the parts of the festivities that are most meaningful to you. You’re swapping stories about favorite recipes and customs, and you’re comfortable enough to share the nitty-gritty details about icky family dramas that can make the season awkward. If these conversations are coming up naturally and you want to share your holiday with your S.O. IRL, licensed marriage and family therapist Katie Ziskind says it might be time to extend the invite.
Therapist Irene Schreiner recommends that you consider bringing your partner to Thanksgiving if they’ve already met some of your loved ones. “If they haven’t met anyone in your family yet,” on the other hand, “it can feel too overwhelming to have them meet everyone at once during the craziness of the holiday,” she says. Know your S.O.’s boundaries so you can push or protect them accordingly.
Mom’s been picking up hints from your phone conversations that something pretty amazing is going on between you and your new special someone, and she’s anxious to put a face to the name you keep mentioning. Your siblings are equally excited to interrogate — er, meet — your boo. It’s rare for your family to come together outside of the holiday season, so if you’re serious about your S.O. this might be the perfect time to invite them to make the rounds.
“If your family is constantly begging to meet [them], it is time to bring them home for Thanksgiving,” encourages Grapevine Gossip relationship expert Caitlyn Paltsios. “It shows your family is interested… and you can also see if your S.O. is excited to meet your family.”
Maybe you said “I love you” first, or maybe bae made the initial move. Either way, you’re both swapping that all-important word pretty comfortably now; you might want to consider swapping it over a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes. “‘I love you’ is such a powerful statement for any relationship,” notes counselor and Tech Talk Therapy owner Connie Omari. “Once this line has been crossed, you naturally become more open with one another. This closeness should be solidified by allowing your S.O. to interact with the other people that you love.”
If you’ve already had a chance to attend family dinners and maybe a birthday party or two with your S.O., it’s your turn to extend an invitation (assuming, of course, that you share their serious feelings and there aren’t other concerns as to why it might be unsafe or unhealthy to reciprocate the invitation). “If they are including you in small family events, they are looking to integrate you into their larger lives and are likely ready to have you do the same,” Schreiner explains. This doesn’t mean that you should make the invitation purely out of obligation — only that you should seriously consider it when they’ve already made the first move.
“Thanksgiving has historically been known for being around people with whom we care very much about,” reminds Omari. “If your S.O. means a lot to you — maybe even the world — it’s likely you will feel very uncomfortable at the thought of being separated for Thanksgiving.” Tune in to your feelings and visualize experiencing this very special occasion as a couple. If this seems like the only way you would want to celebrate, then you have nothing to lose by asking! If, however, visualizing this makes you feel anxious or uncomfortable, psychotherapist and co-founder ofA Good First Date Rachel Perlstein suggests that it’s probably best to rain check until next year.
Do you get nervous about inviting a partner home for the holidays? Tweet us @BritandCo!
This post has been updated.
Foodies – you know 'em, and you love 'em. They're the ones that always bring food to the function, making sure everyone's well-fed. They're constantly breaking a sweat in the kitchen when they're whipping up those elaborate dinner recipes that you just can't stop craving. This season, return the favor of those curated dinner parties and lively happy hours by giving your favorite foodie one of these unique foodie gifts. From kitchen accessories to home goods, apparel to cookbooks, your food-loving pal is going to love these tasteful picks.
Our favorite foodie gift ideas for 2024:
Lisa Says Gah!
Winter nails will never be the same after they get a tasty treatment from these food-themed nail stickers. We're obsessing over the martini glasses!
Amazon
This bold book by cool cookin' girl, Molly Baz, encourages risk-taking in the kitchen and a pure "cooking for fun" mentality, which we could all use a heaping serving of, no?
Amazon
Your local astrology-loving foodie will instantly want to noodle with this super fun deck. The cards' themes are rooted in the authors' queer Italian American identities, offering an insightful and unique take on tarot.
Marianna Fierro
For the big brine fan, behold this bold olive art print. Bonus points for gifting this pick with a frame for them to hang in the kitchen!
Areaware
Though you could snag this 12x12-inch puzzle in French fry form, we just can't get enough of this vintage-esque rainbow jelly!
Amazon
Salt, fat, acid, and heat are the four main building blocks of creating an excellent dish. If your foodie friend is seeking more guidance, Samin Nosrat lays out the process simply and deliciously.
Dusen Dusen
Bet they've never had a standout oven mitt like this one! It's 100% cotton and 100% eye-catching. When kitchen gear gifts can double as decor like this, you've nailed gift-giving.
Boy Smells
This dessert-inspired home scent is so good, you may just wanna eat it. Seriously – it smells like something's baking, even though all you did was strike a match.
Amazon
We owe a lot to eggs – omelets, deviled eggs, cakes, cookies – the list goes on and on. This soft, palm-sized plush is an adorable tribute to the great egg!
Amazon
This pasta timer (AKA Mr. Al Dente) sings whenever your pot of pasta's done cooking. It may be a more gimmicky foodie gift, but it can really spare you from throwing noodles at the wall.
Anastasia Inciardi
These snacky stickers are the ultimate water bottle or laptop decoration for the famed foodie in your life.
Amazon
Maldon salt has unknowingly become the top salt choice for the Cool Kids™️ in the kitchen. The chunky flakes are perfectly balanced in flavor. Sprinkle some on a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and you'll never go back.
Amazon
Take it from baking queen Claire Saffitz for tips on creating a sweet little treat.
Hedley & Bennett
If they practically live in the kitchen, an apron or smock is a must for eliminating stains and messes. This one comes in a ton of different colors to suit any chef in your life!
Pon the Store
For the foodie who can't resist a good cocktail, these printed napkins make for the perfect complement to a drink – plus, they set the tone for a night full of sippin'.
Material Kitchen
This super sleek sphere serves to store salt and other essential seasonings.
Williams Sonoma
Tomato confit will get even tastier once it's made inside this tomato-y piece of cookware.
Match South
This double-wicked candle emits the smells of warm spices and syrup, eliciting nothing other than the sweet nostalgia of going to Waffle House. Burns well with freshly-cooked waffles, of course!
Uncommon Goods
With this iron mold, they can bring the iconic Japanese street food, taiyaki, to brunches and breakfasts.
We've got gift ideas coming your way all season long. Sign up for our newsletter for more inspiration!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
This post has been updated.
Since cooking a Thanksgiving dinner takes a hot minute, it's not a bad idea to have some appetizerson-hand to serve your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving guests. Of course, you don’t want to have to spend a ton of time making snacks when you’re also preparing a feast – but that’s where these last-minute bites come in! These Thanksgiving appetizers will keep your guests satisfied until dinner, and they’re so easy to make, you won’t have to deal with any extra kitchen drama.
Without further ado, let's dive into these quick and easy Thanksgiving appetizers!
Fresh Eggs Daily
Yummy Thanksgiving Appetizers can be as cute as they are scrumptious — like these Baked Eggs in Butternut Squash Rings recipe form Lisa Steele, author of The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook. Here's how you make it:
Ingredients:
Sarah Anderson
Stuffed mushrooms are such a reliable crowd-pleaser when it comes to Thanksgiving appetizer, or starters for any occasion, really! These 'shrooms in particular take inspiration from Greek cuisine and include tomatoes, olives, pepperoncini, feta cheese, and salami.
Plant Provisions
These hand pies are 100% vegan, so you can confidently serve them to a party of all diets. They're meaty, cheesy, herby, and definitely filling if you need to prep a decent snack ahead of your fancy Thanksgiving feast.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Chocolate and cheese work surprisingly well together, and these creative dipped bites will certainly have all the foodies at the function buzzing.
Snixy Kitchen
Deviled eggs are such a classic snack, but they can easily become yummy Thanksgiving appetizers when you add butternut squash and bacon to the centers!
The Pioneer Woman
Transform your famous charcuterie board with fall accents to make a Thanksgivingappetizer that'll hit all the right taste buds.
Nutmeg Nanny
Don't you just love a bite-sized snack that's super quick to make?
The Home Cook's Kitchen
Should your guests craves something that's creamy and crunchy, serve them these bready Thanksgiving appetizers.
Half Baked Harvest
What do you get when you combine the savory flavors of French onion soup and meatballs? We'll give you a hint — it has something to do with being irresistible.
Half Baked Harvest
Warning: biting into these sweet, spicy, crispy, and cheesy chips is the point of no return, but it's so worth it.
Savory Tooth
Two-ingredient appetizers are always a winner in our book, and this one is extra hearty.
Pizzazzerie
Candied walnuts are excellent on their own, so imagine how they taste with pears and goat cheese on toast.
The Blond Cook
Soy sauce and brown sugar coat these mini hot dogs, and a touch of Sriracha makes them even more spice-tastic.
Sunkissed Kitchen
Carrots and cinnamon are blended with classic hummus ingredients for a healthy dip to pair with pita chips. The pomegranate and pumpkin seed garnish really ups the presentation of this Thanksgiving appetizer.
Recipe Tin Eats
Keep a package of wonton wrappers in the fridge, and you’ll never have to worry about what snacks to prep next for your party guests! This recipe stuffs the wraps with Caesar salad fixings, but the options are endless.
The Real Food Dietitians
Even if you don’t have a ton of time, you can easily roast up a batch of these smoky mixed nuts before your guests arrive.
Tara's Multicultural Table
Turn French onion soup into a convenient appetizer with crusty bread, sautéed onions, and smoky cheese! Yummm.
The Recipe Critic
Smooth goat cheese and tart raspberry preserves are a match made in snack heaven. The crispy puff pastry layer makes it all worth it.
Lavender and Lovage
If you have cheese lingering in your deli drawer, it’s the beginning of a tasty appetizer. Sprinkle it into some puff pastry for a twisty "straw" you'll reach for again and again.
The Seasoned Mom
The combo of chicken, bacon, and barbecue sauce results in a Thanksgiving appetizer that's almost impossible to stop eating.
Savory Tooth
Smokey bacon and salty, nutty cheddar top some earthy mushrooms for a new version of this classic stuffed app.
The Baking Fairy
If you have vegetarian guests coming to your party, you’ll want to have a tasty option for them. These olives in a "blanket" do the trick nicely! As a bonus, most store-bought crescent roll dough is vegan.
The Cookie Rookie
There's a reason why sharp cheddar cheese balls are a classic Thanksgiving appetizer. Serve them with buttery Ritz crackers to reach total snack nirvana.
Half Baked Harvest
Sweet and savory, this goat cheese dip is perfect for dipping crostini and vegetables in.
Live Eat Learn
Top a cracker with sour cream (or brie or goat cheese) and spread on this cranberry salsa for a light, yet spicy-sweet bite.
Amanda Wilens
Pear really finds its life's purpose when it's tucked into a square of puff pastry and topped with salty gouda cheese.
Get more ideas and inspiration for your Thanksgiving appetizers and other festive holiday entertaining tips by following us on Pinterest or joining our newsletter.
This post has been updated with additional reporting by Sara Cagle,Jasmine Williams, and Meredith Holser.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione may be the iconic trio of the Harry Potter series on screen, but in real life, it’s Hermione and Draco whose friendship has stood the test of time. Emma Watson and Tom Felton have the kind of relationship songwriters could get inspo from forever. Over the years, they’ve been childhood friends, co-stars, each other’s unrequited crushes, and self-proclaimed soulmates.
Emma and Tom met while filming the first Harry Pottermovie and have remained super close since. They see each other frequently IRL and often treat fans to pictures of them hanging out outside of Hogwarts. Here’s a timeline of Dramione’s — err, I mean, Emma and Tom’s — cutest friendship moments.
Warner Bros.
Emma Watson is the youngest member of the main HP cast. When Sorcerer’s Stone began filming, the actress was nine years old and madly in love with Tom. You can only imagine why the 12-year-old actor didn’t feel the same. “For the first two movies, I had a huge crush on Tom Felton. He was my first crush,” Emma revealed to Seventeen. “He totally knows. We talked about it — we still laugh about it. We are really good friends now, and that’s cool.”
Warner Bros.
The older and therefore wiser (at least, that’s what they say) Tom Felton took Emma Watson under his wing while filming the Harry Potter movies. According to producer David Heyman, around the time they were filming Prisoner of Azkaban and becoming some of the most recognizable kids in the world, Emma struggled to come to terms with her celebrity status. Cue Tom Felton.
“We were filming Hagrid’s lesson with the Hippogriff. Tom and Emma were really friendly, and Tom really encouraged Emma to engage with the fans in the way that she hadn’t. It was like she needed someone, a friend, to go on that [journey] with her. They were all looking out for each other,” David said.
Tom and Emma's friendship got stronger with each Potter flick they filmed. “I became very protective over her,” Tom said during the Harry Potter reunion special. “I’ve always had a soft spot for her, and that continues to the day.”
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Hermione isn’t the only brunette bookworm Watson’s played; she also starred as Belle in Disney’s live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Unlike his fellow Harry Potter alum Matthew Lewis, Felton didn’t walk the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere, but he was photographed at the event.
Tom and Emma truthers know exactly where they were the day Emma casually dropped this now-iconic post of her and Tom together on the California coast on Instagram. Tom moved to LA in 2012 after wrapping the Potter series, but it would take more than an ocean to keep him away from Emma. In the post, you can watch the pair tease each other as they share a skateboard.
Max
Tom Felton and Emma Watson reunited once again for HBO Max’s Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special. Watson went into detail about her childhood crush on Felton, saying that she “fell in love” with him when he drew God as a girl with a backward cap on a skateboard. She also confirmed that nothing romantic has ever happened between them. “We just love each other,” she said.
Amazon
Tom Felton's memoir, Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard, is chock full of Harry Potter references that’ll make even the meanest Muggles smile, but the best Harry Potter Easter egg is on the first page. Emma Watson wrote a super sweet foreword for the book (an apt choice given that she studied English lit in college). In it, she gushes over Tom’s kindness and even says they’re "soulmates." Read the whole thing for yourself here!
“I love Emma so much,” Felton tells Elle Australia. “And I think, I know she loves me. She was the first person to read the earliest drafts of the book, and she was very kind to volunteer and write the forward for it, which I’m forever grateful for.”
Obsessed with celeb friendships? Then you have to check out Jennifer Lawrence & Dakota Johnson's Cozy BFF Date.
Whether your kitchen is equipped with a teeny 18-inch range or magnificent double ovens (can we come over???), somehow it always seems to be operating at capacity come the holidays. While some things are non-negotiable when it comes to getting a bit of heat, dessert doesn't have to be one of them. This collection of 20 easy Thanksgiving desserts will save the day, allowing you to serve up something sweet without breaking a sweat. That way, you can focus on what really matters: spending time with the people you love. From tasty cakes to pretty pies, you'll love all the no-bake options available to choose from.
Half Baked Harvest
Chocolate lovers won't be able to get enough of this delicious ice cream cake. It balances salty and sweet *perfectly* and on top of the fact that it tastes great, it looks just as amazing. (via Half Baked Harvest for Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
This is a great easy Thanksgiving dessert to get your guests involved in. Simply set up an activity station to kick off the festivities, and by the end of the night, their Oreo turkeys will be ready to shake their tail feathers. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
We totally recommend that you keep a few of these tarts in your freezer at all times. Simply pop them out of their molds and top with a spoonful of whipped cream and sprinkle of pecans as needed. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Ease your day-of Thanksgiving dessert prep with this delish prepared-ahead mousse. (via Brit + Co)
Spicy Southern Kitchen
The contrasting textures offered by a chewy coconut crust, silky pumpkin filling, and fluffy whipped cream topping make for one decadent pie. (via Spicy Southern Kitchen)
Diethood
It’s almost hard to believe that this gorgeous layered creation requires no baking at all. (via Diethood)
The Real Food Dietitians
The only thing you'll need to fire up for this easy Thanksgiving dessert is your stovetop, to make the melty chocolate topping. Otherwise, this recipe is super painless and oh-so tasty. (via The Real Food Dietitians)
Shared Appetite
You'll need to pull out your skillet for this (mostly no-bake) easy Thanksgiving dessert recipe. Trust that the sautéed cinnamon-sugar apples that result will be totally worth it. (via Shared Appetite)
Slim Pickin's Kitchen
With only five ingredients, these spiked custard cups can be thrown together in a jiffy. (via Slim Pickin's Kitchen)
White on Rice Couple
The pretty pink hue of this pie is bound to elicit a few oohs and aahs from Thanksgiving party-goers. Thankfully, the flavor lives up to the hype! (via White on Rice Couple)
The Edgy Veg
Packed with oats, nut butter, shredded coconut, and sunflower seeds, these no-bake cookies are a great healthy option for your easy Thanksgiving desserts. (via The Edgy Veg)
Life With the Crust Cut Off
Five minutes of prep, four flavor-packed ingredients. We're sold. (via Life With the Crust Cut Off)
Life, Love and Sugar
Fans of cinnamon and caramel — and let’s face it, everyone else for that matter — will swoon over these eight-layer trifles. This is already one beautiful dish, but the fact it's a no-bake Thanksgiving dessert makes us love it even more. (via Life, Love and Sugar)
Forks Over Knives
An abundance of fruit and nuts goes into making this beautiful, just-sweet-enough fall tart. (via Forks Over Knives)
Belle Vie
Cookie dough fanatics will go wild for these bars flecked with fresh apple chunks and cinnamon chips. (via Belle Vie)
Earthly Provisions
With a total of 7 ingredients and 10 minutes to make 'em, these bite-sized cookie dough balls make the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert that everyone will be reaching for over and over again. (via Earthly Provisions)
The Recipe Rebel
What’s not to love about cream-filled cookies, cheesecake, and caramel apple goodness coming together in one easy make-ahead dessert? (via The Recipe Rebel)
Dessert for Two
For something that sounds and looks so fancy, tiramisu is actually a snap to prepare. We’re talking only fifteen minutes of prep (plus a few hours to chill). (via Dessert for Two)
Sweet + Savory
Not only are these chai-spiced treats no-bake, but lining your muffin tin makes them also practically cleanup-free. (via Sweet + Savory)
Vanilla and Bean
This easy Thanksgiving dessert looks so stunning, it'll fool everyone into thinking you spent way more time on it than you actually did. (via Vanilla and Bean)
We hope these easy Thanksgiving desserts have saved you some time in your holiday plans this year! Make sure to join our newsletter for more recipe inspiration and check out the B+C Baking Bundle of online courses for more ideas!
This post has been updated with additional reporting by Meredith Holser.
