Gwen Stefani shows off the personalized birthday gift Blake Shelton gave her for her 57th birthday.
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani were starting a new chapter together in 2021, celebrating Thanksgiving at their Oklahoma home for the first time since getting married.
The couple spent the holiday surrounded by family, food and plenty of playful cooking traditions. Stefani gave fans a glimpse of the celebration, including a festive table, family dishes and a memorable bacon-wrapped turkey prepared with her son Apollo.
A First Thanksgiving in Their New Oklahoma Home
For Stefani, Thanksgiving was especially meaningful because her family was traveling to Oklahoma to celebrate with her and Shelton.
The couple had married in Oklahoma earlier that year, and Stefani described the holiday as their first Thanksgiving as husband and wife in their new home.
“We have a new house there. We have a new life there,” Stefani said while discussing the holiday plans. She also shared that her family would be flying in for the occasion, making the gathering an important family tradition.
The singer said she was excited to return to Oklahoma with her family after not having been there since the wedding.
Blake Shelton and Apollo Get Creative With the Turkey
One of the highlights of the Thanksgiving celebration involved Shelton and Stefani’s son Apollo.
The pair teamed up to prepare the turkey by covering it with bacon, continuing a playful tradition that Shelton had developed with Stefani’s sons.
The unusual turkey recipes had become something of a family tradition. In previous years, the group had experimented with a turkey covered in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and another inspired by Funyuns.
By Thanksgiving 2021, the family had settled on the bacon-wrapped version after one of the boys came across the idea.
Stefani shared photos from the celebration, including a picture of Apollo smiling beside the finished turkey.
Family, Food and New Holiday Traditions
The Thanksgiving menu was more than just turkey. Stefani revealed that her mother would help with the cooking, while Shelton was also expected to spend time in the kitchen.
Mac and cheese was another addition to the family’s holiday meal that year.
Stefani explained that the family enjoyed adding something new to their Thanksgiving menu each year, making the preparation itself part of the holiday experience.
The couple also had plans for another ambitious family food tradition at Christmas: a Timpano pasta dome.
Stefani said they hoped to make the dish entirely from scratch after a previous attempt had not gone as planned.
For the singer, these elaborate meals were ultimately about creating memories with the family rather than simply preparing food.
Gwen Stefani Wanted a Happy Holiday for Her Children
While discussing the upcoming Christmas season, Stefani said her biggest wish was for everyone to be happy and for her children to have positive memories of the holidays.
Stefani shares three sons — Kingston, Zuma and Apollo — with her former husband, Gavin Rossdale.
The singer emphasized the importance of spending meaningful time together, particularly during a period when she felt there was considerable stress around them.
She said she wanted her children to experience a memorable Christmas and believed the family would be able to create those moments together.
Shelton and Stefani Were Building Their Life Together
The Thanksgiving celebration came only months after Shelton and Stefani exchanged wedding vows.
Their relationship had developed from their time working together on The Voice, eventually becoming a high-profile romance before they married in July 2021.
Shelton later spoke about Stefani’s wedding vows and revealed that her comments about his late brother and father had been particularly emotional for him.
He said Stefani spoke about the two men with a sense of familiarity that deeply affected him, making the wedding ceremony even more meaningful.
By Thanksgiving, the couple were focused on establishing their own traditions as a married couple while bringing their families together.
A Holiday Season Focused on Family
The Thanksgiving celebration reflected the kind of family life Shelton and Stefani were creating in Oklahoma.
From experimenting with unusual turkey recipes to planning homemade Christmas dishes, the couple appeared to be embracing the everyday traditions that came with their new chapter.
With Shelton working as a coach on The Voice and Stefani preparing new music at the time, the holiday season also offered an opportunity for them to slow down and spend time with their family.
For Stefani, the goal was simple: enjoy the people around her, create lasting memories and begin new traditions with Shelton and their children.
