Ready For Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is late this year, but it still crept up on us. We sometimes get so involved in house projects or getting back into a schedule, we forget the holidays are upon us in a snap of a finger. When we were kids, we felt the holidays would never come. Now they swoop right in and we’re always in catch-up mode. We managed to scavenge for all the feastly fixins this past week.

We were waiting for Thanksgiving ‘deals’ on turkeys. The best we found was 69¢/lb with a $25 purchase at three competing grocery stores in the area that we considered pretty reasonable… a 20# turkey for under $14. We bought two at that price at different stores: one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.

There were lots of big birds to choose from. David sought out the biggest.

We’re home for Thanksgiving this year. There will only be three of us Thanksgiving feasting at the Lynn household, but David insisted on a big turkey nevertheless. He likes leftovers… a lot. I must have a gazillion recipes for leftover turkey from which to choose… hot turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, turkey tetrazzini, turkey pie… the list is endless. Turkey is a versatile protein and we don’t seem to ever get tired of it. Then, of course,

One of our turkey behemoths is in the freezer and the other is currently defrosting in a cooler of cold water on the back patio. We’re traditionalists when it comes to roasting and stuffing. No deep frying, no chestnuts or sausage, or cranberries or oysters in our bread stuffing… we keep it simple with bread and poultry seasoning spices… and we cook it in the turkey, not in a separate pan.

Veggies… always a quandary. David and Mary prefer squash and yams or sweet potatoes. I like green, but not green beans. Broccoli, maybe?

Whole berry cranberry sauce made from fresh cranberries, not canned. David considers this a waste of sugar, but Mary and I can’t do without it.

Dessert? For me, Cranberry Pudding is a must. David and Mary prefer pie… pumpkin and apple are on the menu this year. Whipped cream on top, of course.

We bought fresh OJ and champagne for mimosas, which make the prep work much easier and a lot more fun. A nice Sauvignon Blanc will compliment the big bird quite nicely. I guess we’re as ready as we’re going to be. The turkey platter is waiting patiently on the dining room table.

After a year in storage, the turkey platter is waiting patiently to be put into use again.

What about you? What are your holiday plans? Home or traveling? Cooking at home? Big turkey or small or something else? Traditional bread stuffing or something a bit more exotic? Do you like leftovers? Do you watch the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (we do not). What about football games? What happens after dinner when the food coma sets in? Card games? A nap? A walk? Any special traditions?