We decided we needed a younger perspective on the upcoming holiday, so The Food Channel turned to 11-year-old Isabel to ask her what she likes to have at Thanksgiving. We got more than just a menu!

By Isabel Lai

The menu I would choose for Thanksgiving would be a baked turkey, bread stuffing, cornbread, cranberry sauce, green beans with chopped bacon, mashed potatoes with gravy, and pumpkin bar.

I chose these things because I like these things and because they are traditional dishes. My mom will always chops the garlic, cooks the bacon until it is almost crispy, water boils the green beans, and then puts all of it in a pan and combines the flavor. It is extremely yummy.

I chose turkey because the turkey is always so juicy the way my mom cooks it. The brine has thyme, rosemary, salt, brown sugar, lemon, and orange and she soaks it for 24 hours.

My favorite of those choices would most definitely be the mashed potatoes and gravy. It is so creamy and the gravy is so flavorful.

I chose the pumpkin bar for dessert because it is sweet, like pumpkin pie, but, unlike pumpkin pie, firm–which I really like. However, no matter what the meal, I think what makes Thanksgiving best is being with family and having a good time, dressing up nicer, and sitting around the dining table. That’s what always makes the meal more festive and taste better.

You’ll be hearing more from Isabel in a new column entitled “It’s Isabel!”

See Isabel’s mom’s recipe for brining a turkey by clicking here.

See the recipe for Pumpkin Bars by clicking here.

See Isabel’s follow-up after Thanksgiving, here.