Thanksgiving 2008

We had a nice, peaceful Thanksgiving at home this year. Instead of traveling to Michigan, we decided to stay put in Georgia so we can spend more time with family around Christmas.

I. HAVE. NEVER. MADE. A. TURKEY. IN. MY. LIFE. I admit it! So, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to cross that item off of my "bucket list". :-) With a little help from Martha Stewart, I brined, chopped, diced, peeled, whisked, basted, baked, boiled, rouxed, stirred and seasoned.



















The spread


















Making holiday dessert on Thursday morning

I went the ultra-traditional route this year. We served up a brined turkey filled (YES FILLED!) with stuffing, extra stuffing on the side, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy and a yummy salad. I made everything from scratch (short of growing and snapping the green beans myself!). We had a Marty Salad like they used to serve at the Family Buggy Restaurant in Rochester, MI. For dessert we had a Black Forest Trifle, completely avoiding a "caloric coma-inducing" pecan pie. Ava helped make (or should I say eat!) the dessert.

Not normally one to appreciate stuffing INSIDE the bird, I had to do it. Once. For tradition's sake. Check. I do think brining the turkey definitely made the difference in how nice it tasted. Next year, I think a Honeybaked turkey is the way to go, unless I find some shortcuts!

It was nice to fill my own home with the scents of a holiday meal this year, I must admit. :-)

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These are the recipes from this year's Thanksgiving, for posterity's sake:

-Marty's Salad
-Martha's Perfect Roast Turkey
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/marthas-perfect-roast-turkey?xsc=stf_MSLO-RECIPE
-Gravy
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/gravy?xsc=stf_MSLO-RECIPE
-Simple Stuffing
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/simple-stuffing?xsc=stf_MSLO-RECIPE
-Mashed Potatoes topped with Parmesan Cheese
-Green Bean Casserole
http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipedetail.aspx?recipeSource=search&recipeID=27303&page=0&index=1&SearchText=green+bean+casserole&advSearchParams=&LastIndex=false -Black Forest Trifle
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On Friday we put up the tree and holiday decorations. I'm loving the cable channel that plays holiday music! It's nice to work from home and be cozied-up near a Christmas tree all day.

Ava and Daddy decorating tree

Hopefully I will be posting more blog entries soon to catch up. Ava has amazed us with the sweet prayers she now likes to say aloud at the dinner table. I guess when I say "let's pray", she thinks SHE should do it. Her sweet prayers put a smile on our faces. She prays for "the children" and names many friends and family members. I'm amazed at how grown-up her prayers sound! They're too cute.

Until next time...
Peace, love and leftovers,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam