Friendsgiving started as a practical solution for three families juggling hockey schedules—but it grew into a treasured annual feast and eventually a monthly dinner club.

In this episode, Ann Park, Lisa Svobodny, and Michelle Bouchard share how their Friendsgiving tradition began, who gathers around their tables, the stories that make it unforgettable, plus two recipes they bring each year—including sugared cranberries and butternut squash with bacon and spinach—and a recipe for an apple pie–inspired cocktail.

Cheers to a cozy celebration of friendship, food, and creating traditions that last.

Get the recipes and photos at RandomSweets.com.

If anyone knows how to host a cozy, joyful Thanksgiving dinner, it's my friend Leah Brink. She's been welcoming anywhere from 10 to 29 family and friends around her tables for the past 15 years. Her holiday spreads could be straight out of Better Homes & Gardens or Martha Stewart Living, yet her heart for hospitality is all about warmth, gratitude and joy.

In this cozy and practical episode of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens, Leah shares how she plans for Thanksgiving weeks (and even months) ahead—from scheduling her PTO and deep cleaning her home to baking desserts for the freezer. She talks about making her table welcoming with a flower centerpiece from Shari at Hand Tied Floral Boutique in Brookings, South Dakota, setting the mood with simmering cinnamon and cloves on the stove, and playing her favorite soft jazz and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown soundtrack in the background.

We also dive into the heart of the meal—homemade gravy. Leah walks us through her step-by-step approach to making perfect gravy every time, plus her secret to a juicy, flavorful turkey: a 24-hour brine. You’ll hear about her signature dishes like mashed potatoes and gravy, Red Lobster-style Cheddar Bay Biscuits from scratch, and her must-have baked mac and cheese.

Leah also shares her family recipes, including:
• Her mom’s creamy fudge
• Her grandma’s ginger snaps
• Her stepmom’s Snickers bars
• Her cozy beer cheese soup
• And a link to festive cranberry Brie bites

Get each recipe at https://randomsweets.com/thanksgiving-hosting-and-homemade-gravy-with-leah-brink/, along with Leah’s hosting and gravy-making tips—including using a Thanksgiving day “cooking template,” how she journals notes for next year, and why she believes “prep equals confidence.”

So, this Thanksgiving, if you’re the one making gravy, bring someone into the kitchen to learn alongside you. Or, if you’re eager to learn, step up and take notes—you’ll be grateful you did next year.

I hope you pick up a few new ideas and feel a little more confident — and maybe even excited — about hosting Thanksgiving this year. Big thanks to my friend, Leah Brink, for sharing her warmth and wisdom around the table.

Host and Producer, Staci Mergenthal

⁠RandomSweets.com⁠

#ourSweetMidwestLife

Website ⁠randomsweets.com⁠

Instagram ⁠@potatoesandmittens⁠

Instagram ⁠@randomsweets⁠

Facebook: ⁠Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens⁠

Facebook ⁠Random Sweets⁠

Pinterest ⁠@staciperry⁠

Email: ⁠staci@randomsweets.com⁠

I’m joined by Darla Bakker and her three daughters—Andrea Kolstad, Danielle Brandt, and Laura Feller. Darla and her husband, Jeff, live on a farm near Ruthton, Minnesota, where they raised their girls. Today, their daughters are raising families of their own in Minnesota and Nebraska—but one thing hasn’t changed: their love of gathering around the table.

This spring, Darla published her third cookbook—Darla Bakker’s Family Favorites, 3rd Edition—and this one is truly a family project. Her daughters helped organize, edit, and contribute recipes of their own, making it a generational reflection of Midwestern cooks. Within 349 spiral bound pages, they share more than 830 recipes. What a treasure to be handed down to generations to come.

From classic Midwest comfort foods to gluten and dairy free updates for a new generation, this episode celebrates the love and laughter that fill the Bakker family kitchen. And stay tuned for a surprise message from Darla’s seven grandchildren that’s sure to melt your heart.

You’ll find all of Darla’s recipes in her cookbook, but here are a few we talked about in the episode that are on my website randomsweets.com:

• Turkey Pot Pie with Cream Cheese Crust
• Goulash
• One-Pot Sausage & Penne Pasta Dinner
• Asian Meatballs
• Darla’s Potato Salad Dressing (Cooked Dressing)
• Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake

The Bakker family’s story is a reminder that recipes aren’t just about ingredients—they’re about community and connection. Whether it’s rhubarb slush on a summer day or hot dish in the dead of winter, food is how we remember, celebrate, and love one another.

And if you ever wonder whether one of Darla’s dishes made it into the book…well, just ask her: “Is this recipe in your book?”

Order Your Copy of Darla Bakker's Family Favorites

Copies are available for $20 plus $5 shipping by emailing Darla at jdbakker@woodstocktel.net, or you can pick one up at Johnson Flower Box, 155 N. Tyler Street, Tyler, MN.

Meet Your Host and Producer, Staci Mergenthal

⁠RandomSweets.com⁠

#ourSweetMidwestLife

Website ⁠randomsweets.com⁠

Instagram ⁠@potatoesandmittens⁠

Instagram ⁠@randomsweets⁠

Facebook: ⁠Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens⁠

Facebook ⁠Random Sweets⁠

Pinterest ⁠@staciperry⁠

Email: ⁠staci@randomsweets.com⁠

Midwest Food Podcast