Prepare for Thanksgiving and other things to do this weekend

Thanksgiving is going to look a lot different due to the pandemic. But even if you’re celebrating with just the people in your household, there’s still plenty of preparations you might have to make this weekend as we count the days to Thanksgiving. Here are some tips for how to get started, and other things you can do this weekend around the Seattle area.

Thanksgiving prep

• Read up on what’s high risk and what’s lower risk when you celebrate Thanksgiving during the pandemic.
• Follow these tips for hosting a smaller, safer, successful pandemic Thanksgiving dinner.
• Or if you’re planning a no-frills, kid-friendly meal, read up on these pointers.
• Find some inspiration with these family recipes from seven of Seattle’s top chefs.
• Add a Pacific Northwest touch to your spread with this wild mushroom and Brussels sprouts casserole.
• Or make these easy, delicious, comforting potatoes au gratin.
• Try these celebratory Northwest wine selections with your special holiday meals.
• If you don’t want to cook at all, consult this list of nine Seattle-area restaurants where you can still preorder Thanksgiving dinner, or grab takeout from these spots that will be open day-of.

Eats and drinks

• Cook up these three nourishing comfort-food recipes for fall and winter.
• See the winners of our Pantry Kitchen Challenge, who all came up with some pretty creative dishes. Maybe they will inspire you to participate in Round 5 of the cooking competition using Thanksgiving leftovers!

Books

• Stay inside and cozy up with these six paperback picks.
• Vote for the novel Moira’s Book Club should read next and find out how you can join the discussion.
• Looking for the perfect gift for the bookworm in your life? Here are five suggestions from Seattle’s indie booksellers.

Movies and TV

• Fall in love again with “Moonstruck,” this week’s pick from our critic’s series “Movies with Moira.”
• Find something to stream from this list of what’s new on Video on Demand, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and other services.

Arts and music

• Tune in to the annual benefit show for Seattle Musicians Access to Sustainable Healthcare featuring Dave Matthews, Mike McCready and more.
• Stream Seattle Opera’s “Elixir of Love,” an intimate virtual program.

Outdoors

• Check out these walking routes around Seattle where you can stretch your legs under decent tree cover even in the rain.
• Plant some Algerian Iris to turn your garden into a winter landscape of wonder.