Turkey Talk

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I certainly did. My sister Kate and her boyfriend Michael, our (newlywed) friends Chris and Rebecca, and Jeff's friend Curtis came for the feast (Curtis staying for the weekend). It was much more satisfying cooking for 7 than it was last year cooking for 2. It also took some pressure off, as folks brought dessert, a side dish, wine, and an extra 1/2 turkey.

I was lucky enough to find this entertaining and helpful guide to cooking the Turkey Day Feast on Wednesday. I followed as much of the advice as was practical, and had my detailed schedule and menu listed on the Palm, and assigned "tasks" (pouring wine, plating cranberry sauce, etc) all lined up and ready to go. Our newly finished dining room table groaned under the weight of the brined-then-roasted and slow-cooked turkeys, giblet gravy, stuffing (with fresh herbs), squash casserole, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts w/ bacon, broccoli, cranberry sauce, and rolls.

After stuffing ourselves, we retired to the living room for a fun fireside game of Beyond Balderdash; Kate cleaned up. We burned all of the answers, which was a shame, since I can't remember any of the classic "definitions" that set us off giggling.

Finally, we topped things off with Kate's pumpkin pie (her first ever from scratch crust was a flaky success!) and Rebecca's chocolate torte with rasberry sauce.

Good food, family, good friends, a warm home, and good fun. I'm very thankful.

UPDATE: I (gasp) forgot to mention Jeff's not-for-the-children homemade eggnog. It was quite a treat: all eggs, cream, and booze, topped with freshly grated nutmeg. Mmmm.