Jonathan Scott & Zooey Deschanel Reveal Plans for Hosting First Thanksgiving

Getty Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott attend the Elton John's Academy Awards viewing party in March 2022

After more than three years together, actress Zooey Deschanel and HGTV‘s Jonathan Scott are about to experience a big milestone in their relationship: hosting their first Thanksgiving together. The couple has been busy getting ready for the big day and says they can’t wait to finally entertain their family in their newly renovated home.

Zooey Deschanel Has Been Planning Thanksgiving For Weeks

Deschanel knows making the Thanksgiving feast is a big responsibility, but she’s still having fun with her upcoming hosting duties. On November 7, 2022, the actress posted an Instagram photo of herself adorably dressed up as a turkey, holding a clipboard.

She wrote, “Planning my Thanksgiving outfit…wondering if I have this in the back of my closet somewhere.”

Diehard Deschanel fans recognized the photo as a throwback to one the most popular characters she’s played: Jess on the cult classic TV show “New Girl.” According to Newsweek, five entire episodes from the show’s seven seasons were dedicated to the holiday.

While Deschanel likely was just joking about pulling the costume out of retirement, fans wouldn’t put it past her and her beau to include costumes at their family feast, given their penchant for dressing up and the Scott family’s creative celebrations. But preparing the Thanksgiving meal may be a big enough task to focus on this first year. In an interview with Extra on November 14, while attending a fundraiser for Baby2Baby, the couple said plans were already underway for the holiday.

“I’m gonna cook some food,” Deschanel said.

“And I’m gonna enjoy that good food,” Scott quipped.

“I’m making the menu right now,” Deschanel continued. “I’ve been working on the menu. I’ve got a little menu folder.”

When asked what kind of cocktails they’ll be having, she said those aren’t part of the menu.

“I’m not a cocktail drinker,” she said. “I drink wine, but not really cocktails. I’m more of a cook than a cocktail maker.”

Scott then interjected, “I’m kind of a hot chocolatey kinda guy,” and Deschanel added, “With marshmallows, right?”

When Extra’s Jenn Lahmers suggested a hot toddy — a popular cold-weather beverage consisting of hot water, whiskey, honey, and lemon — Scott shook his head.

“No, I’m a hot chocolatey kinda guy,” he repeated. “You’re a wild animal, I can tell. We keep it pretty chill.”

Jonathan Scott Can’t Wait to Entertain in Newly Renovated Home

While talking with Extra about their plans for Thanksgiving, Scott said that after two years of renovating the Los Angeles home he and Deschanel bought together, he can’t wait to entertain their families — including his twin brother Drew with his wife Linda and their baby Parker — because that’s the most important part of the holidays to them.

“It’ll be nice to spend some family time. That’s the big thing for us,” he said. “Our family has been hosting us for years now. We finally finished our renovation so it’s nice that we’ll be able to host everybody else.”

“We do love to entertain,” he continued. “We just haven’t had a way to do it.”

According to property records obtained by Heavy, the couple bought the 6,300 square feet house in the high-end Brentwood neighborhood in July 2020 for $9.5 million and spent two years doing major renovations. In the winter 2022 issue of Drew + Jonathan Reveal Magazine, which just published its final issue, Scott shared how they fell in love with the 1938 Georgian-style home designed by renowned California architect Gerard Colcord.

He also shared that Deschanel’s kids, seven-year-old Elsie and five-year-old Charlie, whom she shares with ex-husband Jacob Pechenik, gave the house a nickname when they first saw it.

“As we pulled up the drive, it just seemed… magical,” Scott wrote. “It sat on a little over an acre, and with its lush lawn and massive California sycamores, it looked like a park. Which is why when we first brought the kids by the property they dubbed it the Park House. And you know what happens when you name something, whether it’s a mangy stray dog or a beautiful home of your dreams? You keep it. The next thing you know, Zooey and I owned the Park House.”

On July 18, Scott shared a 13-minute video on Instagram of the renovated spaces they created in the house specifically for entertaining, including a glass atrium and a kitchen with green cupboards and what Scott called “the largest island ever built.”