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Hoda Kotb reveals the unexpected family Thanksgiving tradition she'd be lost without

The Today star can't wait for the holidays!

today hoda kotb family tradition thanksgiving
Hanna Fillingham
US Managing Editor
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Hoda Kotb has revealed an extra-special Thanksgiving tradition she has with her family ahead of 25 November.

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The Today star sat down with her co-stars to discuss their favorite family recipes, and the star had one particular dish that stood out.

"My mom is known for one dish, and it takes her, you guys, forever," Hoda explained.

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"It's phyllo dough, walnuts, a honey mixture, and layer after layer after layer. It's crispy and crunchy and delicious.

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"I remember being a kid and you know how you just wanted a Ho Ho and your mom would be like, 'Have some baklava.' You're like, 'Why can't I just eat what everyone else eats?' I've so come to appreciate this dish that she makes it every year."

today hoda kotb daughters

Hoda Kotb's mom Sami has the perfect Thanksgiving recipe for her family

Hoda is incredibly close to her mom, Sami, and will no doubt spend the holidays with her, along with her fiancé Joel Schiffman and their children Haley and Hope.

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The pair had been dating for a year when the journalist asked her partner whether he would be prepared to go down the adoption route with her.

today hoda kotb family

Hoda with her mom and daughters Haley and Hope

Joel didn't have to think about it and immediately said yes, and the NBC star opened up about the touching story and her journey to motherhood just recently when accepting her award at the Matrix Awards.

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The podcaster said: "If you want something bad enough, say it out loud. A friend once said, 'Even if you whisper in the bathroom mirror to yourself."

today hoda kotb family photo

Hoda's family are incredibly close

"One thing I always wanted was kids, and I was afraid to speak it," she said in her acceptance speech.

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"And one day I just looked at Joel [Schiffman] the guy I had been dating a year, and blurted something out I thought I wasn't going to be able to say."

"So say your dreams out loud, if you speak them, sometimes they do come true," she said.

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