If you’re an email subscriber to As Ever, you received a nice email yesterday from the As Ever team about Thanksgiving. Some years, I’m super-prepared for Thanksgiving and counting down the days, which seem to go by a molasses pace. Not this year though – Thanksgiving snuck up on me! Well, for a hostess like the Duchess of Sussex, she’s probably spent months thinking about Thanksgiving and how she’ll prepare her bird. That’s what the As Ever email was about – how to glaze your turkey with As Ever’s Honey Sage, which is still in stock.
When it comes to our founder’s favorites, the delicate, herbaceous flavor of sage ranks high on the list. Why, you ask? Well, those photos you’ve seen this year on our Instagram of Meghan walking through what seems like lavender, with its gorgeous purple hue, actually share the beauty of flowering sage (Fun fact: the varietal is called Santa Barbara).
Those strolls, with Archie and Lili running in tow, her husband checking on the bees, Pula chasing the ball with Mia trying to keep up—those were the sun-drenched moments that made an everyday walk something a bit more magical. And that sage, that purple, that scent around the garden, was always there in the background.
Meghan started drying all the different varieties of sage she was growing, bundling it as gifts, cooking with it, infusing it into oils, and indulging in the sage-infused honey her bees were busy harvesting.
And so begins our Montecito Thanksgiving love story. When dreaming up the Holiday Collection months ago, Meghan imagined what it would taste like to have a sage honey drizzled on her Thanksgiving turkey. And tah-dah! Here we are: a stunning sage honey, aromatic and earthy, epicurean in its depth of flavor and elegant simplicity, inspired by the treats she enjoys at her home with her family. Our Sage Honey is now available for your holiday table, to beautifully dress your Thanksgiving feast—either on the bird or on the vegetables. Or in a vinaigrette. Or as a spoonful in your tea. This special honey is the top holiday tip you’ll want to share. Enjoy!
As you can imagine, the usual suspects are already screaming about Archie and Lili’s names included in this email. They never take a break from being furious. In Meghan’s earlier product drops, her honey offerings were limited editions and they sold out the fastest out of everything. It’s interesting that she still has the Sage Honey in stock. I suspect that she’s got a good honey supplier and they really do have a lot of Sage Honey in stock, possibly more honey than they’ve ever offered. The email also offered a recipe for the honey glaze, a recipe involving Sage Honey, stock, dijon mustard, red chili flakes and lemon. All of this makes me wonder if Harry enjoys our particular “American holidays” like Thanksgiving and Independence Day. In my experience, immigrants love those holidays most of all.
Photos courtesy of As Ever, As Ever’s IG, Meghan’s IG and Netflix.
Fyi don’t do this is if you have type 1, LADA, pre diabetes or type 2 diabetics coming to TG. I am one and have to advocate. We often feel awkward letting people know at a dinner that we cannot eat what’s served
Not enough sugar to make a difference even for a diabetic. Besides, it is honey, which is even less of an issue and in such minute amounts.
As a type 1 diabetic honey even a gram or two puts me up considerably. Type 1 or LADA is very sensitive especially if they want to eat a serving or so of carbs.
It sounds delicious. Making a ham glaze with Sage Honey would also be yummy.
Seems no one in the extended family seems to really *like* turkey! First time they mentioned it was a few days ago! Talk about a smack upside the head lolol. They’ve just *done it* at Thanksgiving because “reasons”. We’re going up to Sonoma to the extended fam this year, and turkey will *not* be on the menu! 😱. Guess I’ll have to do a turkey breast for myself this weekend, and will try the Sage Honey on it. I also just bought some pork loin medallions (never made it before) and I was thinking of using this sage honey recipe on them. Sounds yummy!
In Ireland and UK we do a big roast dinner every Sunday. In every pub at the weekend you can get a carvery which is a big roast dinner. Thanksgiving dinner is just a big roast that we have on the regular. We also have several public holidays throughout the year, in Ireland we have bank holidays (public holidays) in February (st.Brigid l’s day), March (st.Patrick’s day) April we get two days, Good Friday and Easter Monday, In May we get May Day (workers holiday) in June we get a bank holiday Monday for whit weekend, no holidays in July, there’s a bank holiday in August but not sure reason, nothing in September, we get a bank holiday Monday around Halloween, nothing in November, in December Xmas day and 26th (st. Stephens day) and in January New Year’s Day is a public holiday. I work in property and our office and every office ive ever worked in closes from 23rd Dec to 2nd or 3rd January and they’re days just given to us, we don’t have to keep days from our annual leave. Annual leave is PTO for Americans and every worker gets 20 paid days off a year as minimum, but most places give more. I get 25 days a year, plus public holidays listed and every Christmas. Move to Ireland 🇮🇪 guys ☘️☘️☘️
Turkeys are native to North America and were first domesticated by indigenous people in Mexico. The menu for a traditional thanksgiving dinner has changed over time but is still pretty specific. It doesn’t taste, smell, or have the same sides as other roast dinners.
We also have bank holidays. Some people make big meals for them, but probably no longer most.
I agree that Thanksgiving meal smells and tastes different. Oh I love the smell of Thanksgiving morning. My dad would wake up early to get started. We’d wake up much later to the smell of Turkey in the oven and all the sides. Also my dad loved Christmas so Thanksgiving was the official start of Christmas music season. Our tree went up the weekend after.
Potatoes, frequently a side dish with roast meat, also originated in the Americas, first cultivated by the Incas in Peru ~8000-5000 BC. Potatoes have since spread all around the world.
Corn, or maize, is also “native to North America and [was] first domesticated by indigenous people in [modern day] Mexico.” As a matter of fact, the ‘first’ American Thanksgiving was a harvest celebration between white settlers and Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts, who gave ‘thanks’ for successful corn harvest. The aspect of giving thanks for our Native American teachers was always part of my birth family celebration as we grew up next to Navajo and Ute reservations and my mother was a Title 1 funded pre-1st grade teacher to kids who were bused great distances from the rez to school. Too bad the white settler colonialists didn’t continue to be thankful for their Native American neighbors, as amply demonstrated in the American Revolution series currently on PBS.
Cranberries, likely present at ‘first’ Thaksgiving and a staple at all mine, are also native to North America, growing from East Coast to central US and Canada. So glad they’re now grown commercially on the Left Coast so I can buy local.
As Ever Sage Honey sounds good. My daughter had several different types growing when she lived in Santa Barbara.
Companies have to pay a higher hourly wage on holidays so generally only retailers stay open. Full time employees get those 10 days (or up to double time and a half), plus the day after Thanksgiving and sometimes an additional day before or after Christmas in addition to vacation time which most commonly starts at 2 weeks. Vacation time usually increases the longer you work somewhere. I currently get 25 days, 10 official holidays, 2 additional company holidays, and 2 personal holidays I can use whenever.
Many americans have big dinners on sundays (we always did growing up.)
I have 40 days off a year plus all federal holidays.
this is kind of a weird comment.
Yes it was an odd comment indeed. Almost belittling. Thanksgiving is not our only big meal day, lol. We always had Sunday Dinners growing up and when my kids were little too. Now they’re mostly gone and my husband and I eat lighter fare on Sundays such as soups and veggie stews. Or we’ll head out for a culinary adventure. However, Thanksgiving is a day where families come together from far and wide. My daughter is traveling here from Oregon. My son from Detroit. They don’t do that for Sunday meals
I’m in California and I get -20 days vacation plus 4 days of floaters ( to be used as needed) I also get the following:
JAN-New Years and MLK
FEB- Presidents Day
MAY- Memorial Day
JUNE- Juneteenth
JULY – Independence Day
SEPT- Labor Day
OCT-Indigenous People Day
NOV- Veterans Day and Thanksgiving and Black Friday
DEC- Christmas
For maternity leave I also get 4 weeks pre baby and 4 months after. I do not have to use my accrued leave.
As I tell my kids-Get a union or govt job
I get 13 vacation days, 13 paid holidays and I accrue sick time that can rollover until I retire. I work a union job and at three years, I get 18 days and at 15, I get 25. It’s not a bad deal at all. It’s not great, but I’m doing better than a lot of Americans.
Sunday dinners are the norm for most people after church, so this isn’t really something that’s exclusive to Ireland. Plus, plenty of people do large dinners like Thanksgiving several times a year, Easter, Mother’s Day, Christmas, not to mention barbecues for Memorial day, the 4th, and Labor Day which can be just as intensive.
Also, I don’t understand why people think that Americans don’t give any type of PTO. While it’s not guaranteed by the government like it is in other countries, plenty of full-time workers get PTO. In fact more people that I know than not have PTO, and more have unlimited PTO in the last 10 years than any other option. I personally get every major US holiday off, weekends off, and about 6 weeks of PTO. This feels like a little bit of a humble brag that’s not even accurately comparing both situations.
Not sure what this has to do with Thanksgiving. But, if you’d like to learn something specific about the US, all you have to do is ask.
Since I broke my wrist a week ago, I won’t be preparing the turkey but if I was I would definitely be trying this glaze!! Maybe I’ll cook a small turkey around the new year and try it then 😃
Hope you heal well and quickly! 😊
I am feeling you. I’ve been excited for the holidays but guess what. Your girl broke her fibula on Friday and I’m trying hard not to be grumpy. Seeing a specialist on Friday to confirm it’s a stable break and just needs time rather than surgery. So yeah, walking around and preparing and decorating is not what I’m going to be doing much of this year. I’m booted and crutched and struggling to sleep well for the the next few months. Hope your wrist heals well and soon!
Oh my goodness!! So sorry to hear this! It is difficult to not be grumpy especially when you’re not getting good sleep, I’m happy to report that I’m now sleeping better and I really hope that you will be able to soon as well. This was my first broken bone in 61 years and I managed to break 2 in my wrist and 1 toe, I think I deserve a medal for over-achievement 🤣
Thank u. Yeah, trying to keep the good vibes but it’s a rough one. 61 years was a good stretch though!
oh no!!! hope you both heal quickly!
That sucks!! I hope you both feel better very soon! And that you’re able to enjoy the holiday with limited issues.
I second this emotion.
Thank all y’all. It could be worse and just a reminder to always appreciate your good health when you have it. It’s gorgeous weather outside, at least near me, so if you can take a walk, do it! Oh no, now I too am promoting nacha, lol.
Oh, too bad – wishing you and @jais all the best.
I’m a vegetarian so it’s not going on any turkey for me, but this would probably be pretty good on some roasted veggies as well. Also, people are complaining about her mentioning her children? Are they not her own to discuss when she feels like? I haven’t seen anything, but what are they upset about?
You saved me from making the same remark. Odd isn’t it what people will complain about?
I know someone who is doing “Sidesgiving” – everything but the turkey.
I thought this was a new honey for the holiday season.
I think it is. There was never a sage honey in the original lineup or subsequent releases, from what I can tell.
Ordering turkey slices from Honey baked ham. This the third year in a row I’ve done this because I don’t have alot of people over and a whole turkey ends up going to waste.
The sage honey sounds interesting though.
Turkey breast only? I dislike dark meat, and there’s only three of us, usually, so I make a breast and then there’s plenty to freeze.
I hate honey, but I do grow my own sage.
I loved the email yesterday, it was so warm & cozy. We only make turkey once a year at Xmas, but this year I think we are skipping it. I’ve cut back on meat consumption quite a bit. It just feels so heavy, though it didn’t cause me any problems when I was younger. I will miss the smell of turkey in the oven Xmas day! I’d be good with just a slice & lots of gravy!
I am very sure that HuM is thinking about how to support people in centres, communities and other poor neighbourhoods so that they can cook and distribute a joyful Christmas dinner.
In our community, we have an open meal and cooking event for anyone who wants to come, is alone or is poor. And of course, rich people are also welcome to come and help 🙂
Wait a minute – isn’t the Sage Honey a new product? They’ve had orange blossom and wildflower and at least one more, I think, but I thought the e-mail was announcing the arrival of this new honey? You mean it’s been available all along? I didn’t know that.
I love that they included a recipe for the glaze though. In our family, we mainly do ham, but whenever we do a turkey or a ham (many times both), we glaze them then put them back into the oven for the last 30 minutes. This gives a really good effect, and if needs be, then more can be added after this, but once is usually enough. They both come out looking picture perfect, or camera-ready, as my sister would say.
I’m just here to announce free shipping on wine. code FREESHIP
(as ever wine obviously lol)
And I was doing so well, lol. Well I’ll tell myself it’s for the upcoming holiday gatherings.
Sooo, to add to my slight grumpiness, I finally gave in and ordered the champagne last week and thus paid the shipping. LOL. But yes, this is a good promo deal!
Harry seemed really into Halloween so I’m thinking he probably enjoys Thanksgiving and 4 July a lot too. Growing up in such a formal setting must have been anxiety ridden especially after his mother died. I just remembered after the divorce he spent Christmas with Charles not Diana.
I feel like he’s so excited at the prospect of holidays where he doesn’t have to wear a suit. I bet they all have matching christmas PJs and he probably refuses to change out of them all day lol.
If you can’t get your hands on As Ever honey you can borrow this glaze recipe I got from food and wine magazine 100 years ago: 3 tablespoons apricot jam, 4-5 chopped fresh sage leaves, zest and juice of one small or 1/2 large lemon, salt, pepper. This amount is good for a chicken, double for turkey. Brush it on in the last 1/2 hour of roasting. Good with pork roast also!
FYI, the trailer is up for the WLM Holiday special. Tom Colicchio from Top Chef is on it.
I love Thanksgiving and usually do the cooking but going to a friends this year, but I think I’ll try this glaze for Christmas dinner. Looks delicious! I love how she’s styling her product. It just looks so elegant and festive. I just bought a bunch of wine and champagne and now I’m thinking of getting the mulling spices and the honey gift set. Can’t wait for her Netflix special. I love holiday cooking shows and listen to a ton of Thanksgiving food podcasts to kick off the holiday season for me.
I love As Ever honey. I’ll do mine with turkey breast.
Most people don’t know how to cook turkey so it stays flavorful and juicy. It’s important to brine the turkey for 24 hours while its thawing. Add orange and lemons to brine. Pat dry and lift skin and put butter under for beautiful color. Put fresh garlic sage thyme rosemary garlic and fruit in opening. Season turkey with Season salt, poultry mix and pepper. Sure way to have juicy turkey is a cooking bag. You will never cook turkey without it. Turkey can be delicious. Hope this helps someone. Happy Thanksgiving.
Well, Harper’s Bazaar !!!
I like Meghan’s idea of combining three similar items together. It makes it more like a gift, either to others or yourself. And we all need to feel more special.