For my first entry, I decided to go with something super easy.  As I have learned, a Thanksgiving meal has to incorporate some easy recipes in order for your feast to be a success (unless you are superwoman, which I am not).  To bring your stress levels down even more, peel and cut the carrots in the morning, so all you have to do is throw the carrots on the stove while you are working on the turkey gravy for the grand finale.  This dish is not only simple, but it looks and tastes great - no one has to know that it only took 15 minutes to make!

Although it may never be granted its own page in history, the first Eastergiving, like the first Thanksgiving, was a cornucopian affair that brought together peoples of a certain community (Brooklyn) around a communal table (mine), surrounded by the season's harvest (my just-about-to-sprout seedlings, which sat under a grow light on a table nearby). With eight of my friends hunkered down in Brooklyn for Easter weekend, and my refusal to let a major holiday go unfeasted, this seemed the perfect opportunity to test four Thanksgiving classics in one shot...and host my very first dinner party.

Here's what I learned:

1. No one turns down a homemade feast, even if the theme is a bit out of season.

3. Good food photography is harder than it looks (bear with me...I'm learning).

4. Scalloped Potatoes, when done right, create pure joy.