Holiday Hustle
I’m struggling. I am struggling with the reality that I am cooking for 16 people on Thursday. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE the fact that my entire family will be there laughing and stuffing themselves to the brink with turkey and mashed potatoes. The actual cooking on the day of isn’t that bad. What wears you out is the run-up to Thanksgiving.

For the past few weeks, I have been thinking about how much turkey we need or how many pecan pies is enough. Spoiler alert: there can never be enough, but I did make the pie crusts and have them happily sitting ready to go in my freezer. I have been digging through cabinets and drawers to see if I have enough napkins that are presentable or at the very least aren’t too stained. The wine glass check was next to see if we have enough. We don’t. Too many have been bounced off our floor. Lastly, finding the space to seat 16 has been a bit of a puzzle but I think we have finally figured it out though we might need radios to talk to the people at the other end of the table.

All of this is to say that my brain is tired.

I could definitely use a nap. But, strangely, I am also looking forward to the cooking. The cooking quiets my mind. It is methodical and somewhat logical. But, this is also a scary time where I can get myself into trouble because I overthink things and decide to add just one more side dish like these Garlic Mushrooms. Even though we have enough to feed an army, I want to make sure there is enough for everyone including the veggie lovers.

Garlic Mushrooms Recipe
Adapted from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
Yields servings

Our Garlic Mushroom recipe is packed with umami flavor and topped with fresh herbs. It is quick to throw together. Serve these at your next holiday or dinner party and everyone will rave about them!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot
16 ounces cremini or button mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoon chives
1 tablespoon thyme

Directions
Prep your veggies
Finely dice the shallot, finely mince the garlic, clean and quarter the mushrooms, chop the parsley and chives, and pick the leaves off the thyme.

Cook the shallots
Place the oil and butter into a large saucepan over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and cook until they are softened (about 3 to 5 minutes).

Cook the mushrooms
Increase the heat to medium and add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown (about 5 minutes).

Add the garlic and stir while cooking (about 30 seconds). Add the water, balsamic vinegar, and herbs and cook until syrupy (about 2 minutes).

Note
You can vary this recipe by using whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.