Thanksgiving Events 2012

Thanksgiving is always a big deal here. You can see previous years here:
Thanksgiving 2010
Thanksgiving 2011
We have a lot to be thankful for.

Some of my family spends the night at our house on Thanksgiving Eve. We start the prep for the next day, get a kitchen plan together, visit, nosh, talk and laugh. The last few years, we've made a little tradition of going to see the latest Twilight Saga movie. This year, Breaking Dawn 2 was the final installment. Our group has changed over the years and this year, we were definitely missing my niece, Mara who is currently serving a mission for our church in Germany! We made a sign with her name on it and took pictures "with her" in the theater. My nephew's girlfriend was also spending Thanksgiving with us for the first time and she was so helpful and fit right in. It was such a good time! Cheesy I know, but I really want to see it again!

I pre made a French Toast Bake the night before and got it in the oven by 6a so that we could eat early because now on Thanksgiving morning, we play softball. We head to a local park and just play ball. Everyone is invited and we all play, young, old and in between. Although those of us older than 10 are all sore today...

When we got back to the house, we set out the nosh. Yummy things that we'd eat up all day! We had Brie En Croute with apricots, Cheese (smoked gouda, beecher's flagship, extra sharp cabot cheddar, several kinds of goat cheese), water crackers, smoked salmon, nuts (pistachios, cashews, and almonds), veggies, onion dip (with greek yogurt), hummus nom nom nom nom...

We had a 22lb brined turkey from Trader Joes that we lathered in chunky garlic butter and herbs de provence. We bustled around the kitchen and between all of the helping hands, managed a yummy dinner for 17.

Roasted Turkey, Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Whipped Nutmeg Yams with Marshmallows, Cornbread Stuffing, Cheesy Onions, Cranberry Sauce, Corn, Corn Bake, Green Bean Casserole, Rolls and plenty of cider to go around! There were also 11 pies. No lie. Kudos to Breeze who rocks making the Pumpkin Pies! She let the kids help too and they loved it.

 

It was so yummy and being surrounded by people who we love and who love us was the best part. Some we see often and some not as much as we'd like. The table is always open and the feeling at the end of the night is a good one.

I could list the things that I'm grateful for here, again, but I truly give thanks for these things everyday.