The Making of a Thanksgiving Meal

SmugMug Daily Link

I did enjoy my Thanksgiving thanks to Donnie and the boys.  I really wanted to cook my 20lb. turkey like usual although Donnie offered to take me and the  boys out.  It's a big laugh each year that I make such a big bird for so few people.  I guess I figure it's no more bother to make a big bird than a little bird, the photo op is nicer, and maybe some year some special guests will show up and actually help it all get eaten on the first day.  As it is, we have lots of nice leftovers and light cooking duties the rest of the weekend.

I enjoyed the boys in the kitchen helping out.  They had so looked forward to us cooking together.  Joey often talks about wanting to be a chef when he grows up with Johnny and Madi helping to run the restaurant with him.  It was good food not only for our tummies but also for my soul.  Carrot skins ended up on the floor and other spills here and there but somehow it just didn't matter.  They were trying so hard.

The meal came out as hoped with sausage stuffing, broccoli rice casserole, carrots cooked under the bird in the juices, Crescent Rolls, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, and fizzy soda (sparkling apple cider).  For dessert we enjoyed Libby canned recipe pumpkin pie and a Mrs. Smith's apple pie.  After the big meal around 2PM, we barely ate anything the rest of the day.

Rather than have to pick one photo, I share the best of the day in this collage as my daily.

Here's just the bird:

SmugMug Link

I also have a collage of some of the Christmas decorating that we did while the turkey was cooking.  We have the elves out and watching over the kids now reporting back to Santa each night.  I love how Joey believes with such enthusiasm at 9.  We also got out our nutcracker collection which is newly displayed this year in a curio cabinet that came from my grandmother's house (mother's side).  Our little green sparkle tree is up.  I know we can't do as many decorations this year as usual, but we do quite a bit and enjoy them.

SmugMug Link

I bypassed Black Friday shopping this year for the first time in my adult life.  I am about as gunho about it as a person can be most years.  The boys left for their father's house this morning, and I just didn't want to shorten our time together to do something as silly as go shop.  Money is tighter and the crazy midnight or 3AM hours just took some of the allure out of it for me.  I may go out for a bit later today.