The Social

This year, it may be a little different, but nothing is stopping my family from frying some latke, spinning the dreidel and gambling away some chocolate coins. To celebrate Hannukah, we fry some sufganiyot (doughnuts) to remember the oil that lasted 8 nights, instead of one. This year, I’ll be putting my quarantine knowledge to work and using my sourdough starter to whip up a batch of sourdough doughnuts – mmm! Hannukah is all about unexpected miracles, so let’s hope to keep that tradition going for the final weeks of 2020.

My mom is the ultimate #setthetable enthusiast, so I rounded up my favorite Social Studies Looks and paired them with a few of my favorite menorahs. Because who doesn’t want their tablescape to match their menorah?

As with most things this year, Thanksgiving 2020 is going to look a bit different than Thanksgivings of years past. But fear not! We’ve cooked up a few helpful tips and tricks to bring you some peace of mind as you head into the holiday…

For Those Gathering Virtually

Many of us will be enjoying the company of friends and family from afar this Turkey Day, prompting us to get creative on how to best celebrate together without actually being together. Thankfully, Zoom is making this pill a bit easier to swallow, if you will, by lifting its 40-minute time limit on free meetings. So, not only will you and your loved ones be able to gather and dine around the “same” table, you can also enjoy all of your other favorite Thanksgiving Day activities and traditions, albeit in a slightly different fashion. Baking your signature side dish? Cheering on your favorite team? Sharing what you’re thankful for? Yep, all can be done together, apart, with the help of a little technology.

For Those Gathering Together

First and foremost, follow all of the recommended safety precautions that you can. Doing so will help everyone in attendance feel comfortable and at ease – key ingredients to any successful celebration, no? If possible, move your small gathering outside, embrace the change of scenery and add blankets to each seat to keep your loved ones toasty. Also a great excuse to serve a mulled, warm wine!

Hosting? Keep it simple, yet effective. Consider one potato dish instead of three. Or better yet, assign each guest a side dish or dessert to bring so you can focus on the main course – the turkey! Select a wine that will best compliment the menu and finally, don’t forget to cue the evening’s soundtrack before your guests arrive – we’ve even curated a handful of mood-setting playlists so you don’t have to. Cheers!

For Those Gathering “In-Between”

If you can’t bear the thought of not sitting down to your mom’s famous stuffing or your uncles signature green bean casserole, but also want to practice social distancing, our very own Ashley Garove (of Ask Ash fame!) has THE solution for you – a mobile potluck. Here’s what she and her family are doing this Thanksgiving:

“Our family here in Dallas was planning a small 8-person gathering, pre-testing and quarantine ahead of the holiday all planned out. But with Covid on the rise all around, we felt better to stay in our homes. However, we are a family of cooks! Lots of generational recipes that are a key tradition. So we’ve organized a plate share! We’re all making our favorites and the matriarch of the family is making the rounds to each home to pass along a portion of the dishes to each household so we all still get to have our favorites!” Talk about a happy medium!

Whether you’re celebrating virtually, together, or somewhere in the middle this year, we wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

When planning a virtual gathering of four or forty, there is one thing that always makes it feel a bit more elevated — an official invitation. Especially if that invitation is festive, cute, and even plays into your gathering’s theme.

That’s why we are relying on Paperless Post this holiday season to coordinate all of our virtual gatherings. With practically an endless amount of invitation options, you’ll find the perfect one to set up your guests’ expectations for their virtual toast. 

Not to mention how easy it is to keep track of RSVPs and message all the guests prior to the event with the Zoom link, yet again, because who can keep track of all their Zoom links these days?!

If you really want to impress your friends and family this holiday season, we suggest pairing your Paperless Post Invite with a Multi-Home Holiday Kit, provided by yours truly, of course!

Here are some of our favorite Paperless Post and Social Studies pairings!

Last but not least, some helpful pointers on how to celebrate safely this year c/o Paperless Post. Happy Holidays!

This holiday season, Social Studies is partnering with LG to bring you stories of Small Gatherings, Big Moments to encourage you to take the time to set the table with sparkling clean plates, and gather with the ones you love.

Last week Nicole Berrie showed us how she likes to throw a simple, elegant vegan Friendsgiving. And now she’s back to teach us a little lesson in leftovers. Because sprucing up your leftovers and having a family brunch is one way we can all contribute to a little less food waste this holiday season.

Nicole’s partner in crime against food waste? Her energy efficient LG QuadWash™ Dishwasher with TrueSteam® to rinse those pesky casserole dishes caked in sweet potatoes. The TrueSteam® feature produces sparkling clean glasses and plates every time, giving her more time with her family.

Heading into the holiday season, here are two tips from Nicole to lessen your food waste this celebratory season:

1. Make the Most of Leftovers

Leftovers have gotten a bad rap over the years but you just need some bright additions to perk them up. I love hosting a brunch for family and friends and spreading out last night’s dishes with hearty sourdough toast, a vibrant salad and crunchy vegetables so that guests can make their own post-holiday dish. The DIY aspect is fun and casual and lends itself to great conversation.

2. Reduce Your Food Waste This Holiday

Reducing food waste is super important in our home and it’s easy to give leftover veggies and grains a new spin with fresh greens for wrapping or cut crudités for dipping into salad dressings. Another fun way to give dishes new life is to blend roasted veggies with a little water, lemon juice and top with fresh herbs for a yummy winter stew.

We want to take the stress out of your holiday season, and can’t think of a better way than with the perfect pairing of Social Studies and LG. Together we let you focus on what’s important – the people you are gathering around the table – so you can truly have that Small Gathering, Big Moment we all want.

Here is another great recipe from Nicole, in partnership with LG Dishwashers, to encourage everyone to gather around the table (and reduce food waste!) this upcoming holiday season.

Nicole Berrie’s Holiday Massaged Kale Salad in Partnership with LG Dishwashers with TrueSteam®

The Salad

• 2 bunches of curly kale
• 2 watermelon radish, thinly sliced
• 4 golden beets, peeled and scrubbed

The Pepitas

• 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Sea salt and pepper

The Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Sea salt and pepper

The Directions

1. In a bowl, combine spices and pumpkin seeds. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes or until toasted brown.
2. Whisk together all dressing ingredients.
3. De-stem kale with your hands and chop or tear into bite-sized pieces. Put the radishes and kale in a large bowl.
4. Cut beets into bite-sized cubes and steam or boil until tender. Let cool. Add to kale and radishes.  Pour dressing over salad and massage well with hands. Top with toasted pepitas and enjoy!