Happy TEDsgiving!

Happy belated Thanksgiving, TEDx-ers!

As we kick off the holiday season, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of yummy food and warm conversations! No matter how you celebrate, this time of year is a great time to reflect on what you’re thankful for and spend time with who you’re thankful for. 

Before the TEDxUTAustin team left for Thanksgiving break, we had our own TEDsgiving on November 14 to do just that. While this was a great opportunity to have fun together outside of preparing for conference, we couldn’t help showing our competitive side and having a cooking competition.

This year, we had four teams competing for the title of best appetizer, entrée, and dessert:

Team One- Cole, Aditi, Caroline, Hedy, Isam, Lucy, Bird, Abby

Team Two- Shanil, Arjun, Jesse, Libby, Paolo, Karen, Adam, Naimisha

Team Three- Aarti, Pearse, Matthew, Gaby, Abhishek, Rama, David, Grace

Team Four- Conor, Claire, Kevin, Andrew, Jane, Mckenzie, Molly

Once they planned out their dishes, our teams met up separately to prepare.

That evening, everyone arrived with empty stomachs and a variety of foods. Our appetizers ranged from punch to apple grilled cheeses and desserts like tiramisu and carrot cupcakes. For the entrées, nearly every group went with a variation of an unbeatable combination: pasta and cheese. 

After a lot of deliberation and second servings, the winners of each course were chosen based on taste, presentation, and a verbal description, Food Network style.

With both apricot and garlic brie bites, Group One took first place for the best appetizer. Despite the tough competition with the other pasta dishes and Group Two’s delicious sliders, Group Four’s classic macaroni and cheese was named best entrée. Dessert, the best and last course, was also a close race, but Group Three ultimately took the cupcake with their carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing.

All in all, TEDsgiving was a huge success for our stomachs and our minds. Using the day to take a break from the stress of upcoming finals, this was a great time to continue getting to know each other while we cooked and ate together. 

As you begin this holiday season, we hope you have the same great experience. We’re so thankful for all of our members and supporters here at TEDxUTAustin and Thanksgiving is always a reminder of how we can actively show our appreciation more than just one day out of the year. 

So use this year as a fresh start and bring a little Thanksgiving spirit with you year-round

Stay ConnecTED!

Caroline Harrison