I love me some Thanksgiving! I know that many people find it stressful to cook that huge dinner while keeping their guests entertained (and Uncle Hank out of the liquor cabinet), but I think a lot of holiday stress is self-imposed. I mean, how often do you actually look back at a Thanksgiving meal and critique the food? Granted, there are some exceptions–grandmas who bake mean pumpkin pies or moms who seem to have stumbled upon the holy grail of gravy recipes–but mostly, it’s the gatherings themselves we remember.

Whether it’s tossing the football around the backyard, listening to the gentle (and sometimes not-so-gentle) bickering between family members, or secretly “sampling” the goodies on the dessert table before the big meal, these are the memories that will stick with us.

The turkey’s dry? So what?! The mashed potatoes are cold? Find a microwave! We’re out of beverages?….*crickets chirp*…

Stick this in your punch bowl and drink it! Just make sure that your punch bowl is located on a high countertop, and all the sneaky teenagers are thoroughly engrossed in their dramatic text message conversations when you serve it to your guests.

Cranberry-Sauced

Serves 20

  • 4 cups cranberry juice
  • 2 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup bourbon
  • 1 cup rum
  • 8 cups chilled ginger ale

Combine all ingredients except ginger ale, chill. Add ginger ale into bowl to serve.

You can find more great cocktail recipes like this one at www.suite101.com