Happy Thanksgiving!
I wish a very Happy (if slightly belated) Thanksgiving to all my American flisters! I hope that you all had many reasons to feel thankful, and wonderful, bountiful days. And I hope all the rest of you had wonderful Thursdays. ~sends love, hugs, and glittery smooches~
As for me, I am grateful for so very many things this year--too many to list here, because if I start, I'll never stop. But right at the moment, I am very grateful that my epic plans for the Epic Thanksgiving of Epicness (which is to say, my first time hosting a Thanksgiving for my family AND Geography Teacher's family, which is not a small number of people) all went well, and everybody got along well, and the food tasted and looked good and was on time, and just... anything that could go well did, aside from the ending to the Lions game. (We will not speak of that.) We had glorious, 60-degree, sunshiney weather. I did not have a single Barbecue Breakdown. My brother brought over some of his more exotic world percussion instruments and kept Geography Teacher's nieces and nephews occupied with an impromptu drum circle. I got plenty of help and understanding in the kitchen, and everybody pitched in to make things go smoothly. It was a totally Norman Rockwell kind of day... you know, if Normal Rockwell's families were blasting the Rolling Stones while smoking their 22-pound turkey in a fire-engine-red smoker out in their driveways. ;)
And now the dishes are done and the doggie bags dispatched and the guests hugged and on their merry ways and the fridge is groaning at full capacity with leftovers galore. And my garage smells like a barbecue joint. But it was a beautiful, beautiful time, and worth every minute of it. Tomorrow, I'll be up early for shopping and coffee and fun times with my mom and Geography Teacher's mom and sisters. And that will be fun, too. But for right now, I want to savor this moment of pure contentment.
And what was on the menu?
Assorted cheeses and crackers, prosciutto, figs, dates, pears, and satsumas
Balsamic-glazed Cippolini onions
Spicy marinated olives
Mixed Field Greens with Candied Pecans and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Cider-brined Smoked Turkey
Cranberry-Apple Chutney
Cornbread-Ciabatta Stuffing with Fresh Herbs
Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Smoky Gratin of Brussels Sprouts and Pearl Onions
Sweet Potato Souffle
Bakery rolls and butter molded in the shape of a turkey. (Just because.)
Pumpkin Crunch Layer Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Icing
Dutch Apple Pie
Homemade Salty Caramel Ice Cream
Coffee, tea, cranberry ginger ale, craft beers, and a really, REALLY nice Chilean Pinot Noir that I will be getting again
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good night! And a good weekend beyond, too. &hearts
As for me, I am grateful for so very many things this year--too many to list here, because if I start, I'll never stop. But right at the moment, I am very grateful that my epic plans for the Epic Thanksgiving of Epicness (which is to say, my first time hosting a Thanksgiving for my family AND Geography Teacher's family, which is not a small number of people) all went well, and everybody got along well, and the food tasted and looked good and was on time, and just... anything that could go well did, aside from the ending to the Lions game. (We will not speak of that.) We had glorious, 60-degree, sunshiney weather. I did not have a single Barbecue Breakdown. My brother brought over some of his more exotic world percussion instruments and kept Geography Teacher's nieces and nephews occupied with an impromptu drum circle. I got plenty of help and understanding in the kitchen, and everybody pitched in to make things go smoothly. It was a totally Norman Rockwell kind of day... you know, if Normal Rockwell's families were blasting the Rolling Stones while smoking their 22-pound turkey in a fire-engine-red smoker out in their driveways. ;)
And now the dishes are done and the doggie bags dispatched and the guests hugged and on their merry ways and the fridge is groaning at full capacity with leftovers galore. And my garage smells like a barbecue joint. But it was a beautiful, beautiful time, and worth every minute of it. Tomorrow, I'll be up early for shopping and coffee and fun times with my mom and Geography Teacher's mom and sisters. And that will be fun, too. But for right now, I want to savor this moment of pure contentment.
And what was on the menu?
Assorted cheeses and crackers, prosciutto, figs, dates, pears, and satsumas
Balsamic-glazed Cippolini onions
Spicy marinated olives
Mixed Field Greens with Candied Pecans and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Cider-brined Smoked Turkey
Cranberry-Apple Chutney
Cornbread-Ciabatta Stuffing with Fresh Herbs
Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Smoky Gratin of Brussels Sprouts and Pearl Onions
Sweet Potato Souffle
Bakery rolls and butter molded in the shape of a turkey. (Just because.)
Pumpkin Crunch Layer Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Icing
Dutch Apple Pie
Homemade Salty Caramel Ice Cream
Coffee, tea, cranberry ginger ale, craft beers, and a really, REALLY nice Chilean Pinot Noir that I will be getting again
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good night! And a good weekend beyond, too. &hearts