Thanksgiving Menu!

I'm elbow deep in the kitchen, with splotches of flour here and there, pumpkin pulp, a thawed out turkey and all the makings of a great meal.

It's usually just us 4 for Thanksgiving, but this year we're having a family friend of ours spend it with us, it's their last year on this base and they're not going anywhere, so we're getting together and eating and drinking and laughing.  It's what Thanksgiving is all about.

With that said, I know that at this time of the year, the day right before Thanksgiving, there is a flurry of excitement all around, the women are busy cleaning their homes and cooking up a storm for the next day's meal, it also tends to lead to panic and stress and things going wrong.

I decided a few years ago that the stress of the whole holiday is just not worth it, so Thanksgiving Day for us is all about being together, sitting down for a big meal where everyone wears comfortable clothes and does not feel guilty about having seconds or thirds OR going back a few hours later with a plate in hand and piling it all back on again.

Maybe it's easier for me to detach myself from the chaos because I love cooking, so hours spent in the kitchen are joyful for me and not unhappy.  One thing I also do is to make some of the desserts and even side dishes the day before, or assemble it all, pop in the fridge and the next morning I just have to crank up the oven and bake them one right after the other.  It really does save me a lot of extra time and gives me the chance to sit down and enjoy myself.

There's nothing worse than seeing everyone having fun while you're stuck in the kitchen trying to quickly finish up dishes.

I'm sure I'll be back tomorrow to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving but for now, I'll leave you with my menu and I'll post some of these recipes on the food blog as I make them.  Most of these, especially the desserts, will be made this afternoon.

What are YOU having for Thanksgiving and what are your plans? 

A relaxed day at home with just the family or are you traveling?