The morning after

All I can say (still,18 hours later) is UGH, and full! But I think our day(after many years of going elsewhere) went pretty well; although I should ask our guests?! We had pre-big meal h'ordervs of cheese & crackers, veggies & dip, shrimp cocktail and deviled eggs. We enjoyed the big meal even a little ahead of schedule, because Mr. Turkey was done earlier than we anticipated. This was good, after I spent Wednesday wondering (and freaking a little) if he would be thawed safely in time. Thankfully a friend talked me through it over the phone. Ok, so tragedy was diverted and the turkey was SUPER moist! David used what he called the "Liz" method (my mom) of stuffing the cavity with apples and celery. Worked like a charm. Although mom was unable to attend, we still had her famous homemade cranberry sauce, pumpkin and apple pies. Yummy! I know my girls thoughly enjoyed doting on their cousin Sydney, and playing with cousin Nathan. They are all just too cute!

Thanksgiving 101

This year our family is hosting a small-ish Thanksgiving. My mom and dad, and my sister Krista & her family will be coming. It's been a few years since we have cooked the big meal, so I have been prepping by watching (and recording) the numerous Food Network shows about it. Geeky? Yeah, maybe... But I did learn some new things. David likes to take his time doing meals, where I'm more the type to hurry and get it done. Example, he wants to put the turkey in a brine. I would probably be more likely to baste it. He wants to have 3 vegetables, I want to have 2. Altough I did convince him to let me make Waldorf salad. Mom is bringing her homemade apple and pumpkin pies, and her cranberry sauce. I will be doing more research for cooking tips this week!

This Thanksgiving I will be praying for our family members and family friend who have some medical obstacles they're facing.

What are your family traditions on Thanksgiving?