This post is brought to you by the makers of Ball® home canning products.*
I don’t know about you but Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! I love the family time, the gathering together, the food, of course, and devoting a whole day to being grateful and thankful for everything we have in our lives. The last 18 months have strengthened even further how much I have to be grateful for. If you are newer around here both myself and one of my daughters went through COVID early in the pandemic and it was rough. There were truly times where I wasn’t sure I would make it and my whole outlook has changed since that time. I approached Thanksgiving last year with a fresh perspective and I am happy to say that feeling hasn’t waned and I continue to feel even more thankful as we approach Thanksgiving this year.
That said, Thanksgiving can be a super stressful time for so many people and I hate to think that the stress overwhelms the meaning behind the day and the ability to be thankful. As we approach Thanksgiving this year, I partnered with the makers of Ball® home canning products to show you a few ways to use Ball® jars in your Thanksgiving celebrations. From using Ball® jars to simplify the day to a special way to make sure your family takes time to be grateful you can truly use Ball® jars throughout your whole Thanksgiving celebration.
Simplify Thanksgiving with Ball® Jars
One of the great things about Thanksgiving is there are so many ways that you can prepare in advance to help simplify your day. I am no chef so I will leave the cooking tips to the experts but there are two ways that I love to use Ball® jars to streamline our Thanksgiving meal.
First, I, for one, can attest that while the day mostly revolves around food my family and friends often get a little peckish as we start to sit down for dinner. This year I am using the adorable Ball® Mini Storage Jars to create individual snacks at each guests’ placesetting. These jars can be filled with everything from nuts to a fun snack mix or even something like olives. They are perfect for just a little something to tide everyone over before the big meal hits. I tied the jars up with a cute twine but you can use any ribbon to coordinate with your table. If you are looking for a little extra customization you can personalize with the guests’ names and use them as place cards.
Secondly, once the tryptophan hits after the turkey all bets are off. Am I right? Since we all go into a bit of a sleepy haze after the meal I try to simplify dessert as much as possible. I like to set myself up with a dessert station that is all ready to go without any thought after the plates are cleared. I gather the dessert plates, pies (it is Thanksgiving, after all), pie server and Ball® 16oz Nesting Jars filled with wooden forks.
I love to use the wooden forks for desserts to take away some of the dishwashing pressure or to be honest many people don’t have two full sets of forks for each guest so disposable is perfect for dessert. The Ball® jars are a great option to contain your forks as they keep everything organized together and look great when popped on the table when it is time to serve up the pie. This small effort you can do well in advance of Thanksgiving will go a long way in eliminating any stress during your dinner service.
Finally, as I mentioned, I want to make sure that our family focuses on what is important on Thanksgiving and a Thankful Jar is our new family tradition to ensure just that. My girls and I got together before Thanksgiving and used a Ball® Quart Jar to create our Thankful Jar. We made a cute tag, tied it on to the jar and got ready for Thanksgiving with strips of paper and pens. During our Thanksgiving meal we will take turns writing out what we are thankful for and adding it to the jar. I love that this will spur conversation and that we can hang onto the jar to look back on in years to come. I am so excited to see how our family grows and how what we are thankful for changes each year.
I am truly thankful for this holiday and I adore that I am able to use Ball® jars throughout the day to simplify, stay organized and keep focused on what is important. I am grateful for each and everyone of you that reads my blog and I hope you all have a wonderful and stress free Thanksgiving! But before you head off to find your stretch pants TELL ME: what is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?
*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that is part of an ongoing partnership with the Fresh Preserving Division of Newell Brands. They have provided jars, equipment and monetary compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed remain my own.