Thanksgiving 2010 Recap

WARNING: Long post ahead.

5:45 a.m. Wake up and realize I need to use the potty.

5:46 a.m. Notice the light is on and the bathroom door is partially pulled up. Assume Papa Bear is on the toilet. It will just be a minute or two. I decide I can wait.

5:50 a.m. STILL waiting. Could get up and go to the kids bathroom, but veto that for some reason. Decide to wait it out.

5:51 a.m. About to explode. Patiently waiting to hear the toilet flush.

5:52 a.m. Can’t hold out any longer. Race to the bathroom, shove the door back, only to realize that Papa Bear isn’t even IN the bathroom. Immediately take care of business.

5:53 a.m. Notice the outdoor light is on; Papa Bear must have the smoker going already.

5:54 a.m. Aimlessly grab my Snuggie and stumble to the den. Lay on the couch and watch mindless morning news tv.

6:00 a.m. Greet Papa Bear as he comes in from the cold smelling of smoke. The 23 lb. turkey is officially smoking on the smoker.

6:05 a.m. Decide I might as well have some breakfast. Fix some sandwich thin toast and have a “moment” at the kitchen table thinking about my Daddy.

6:15 a.m. Finish my toast and dry my eyes. Wander to the bathroom to shower up and officially start the day.

7:00 a.m. Come back to the den fully dressed, showered, and ready for the day. See Cousin Doug walking up with keilbasa sausages and buns in hand for the mens’ midday snack.

7:15-8:15 a.m. Get card tables set up and piddle with tablecloths and centerpieces. Rearrange tables half a dozen times before I’m satisfied with the arrangement.

8:20 a.m. Greet Scooby as she makes her way to the kitchen ready for her cup of coffee. Fix her some bacon and eggs. Thankful I picked up more of the Belgium Chocolate Toffee creamer just for the Scoobs.

8:30 a.m. Greet Squirt as he makes his appearance to the kitchen – showered up and ready for breakfast. He dutifully eats the breakfast I serve him, but he’s really holding out for the hot sausages that will be served at lunch.

8:45-11:30 a.m. Wander from room to room, checking things twice. Debate moving the card tables AGAIN, but decide against it. Hop on Facebook and see what other people are doing on Thanksgiving. Tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Look for BJ and Lynn and kids on tv, but don’t spot them. New York, I’m sure, is a big place.

12:00 Noon The men bring in goods from the smoker to be enjoyed for lunch. Squirt dives right in for a smoked sausage. Scooby turns her nose up and retreats to the fridge to find something to eat. I opt for a chicken quarter. It was awesome!

12:30-2:59 p.m. I mix up my Corn Casserole and Macaroni and Cheese dishes. I veto 2 sticks of butter in the Mac ‘n Cheese and go with just one. No side dish should have THAT much cheese AND butter. We’ll never miss it. However, I might should invest in a bigger Pyrex dish – my biggest one is not quite big enough to accommodate this massive dish. I make it work.

3:00 p.m. The men return to their respective houses for a nap before the big dinner tonight. Papa Bear brings in the glorious 23 lb turkey. I recommend he go ahead and carve it, but he insists it “must rest.”

3:01 p.m. I decide another shower is in order. I’ve perspired while fretting over the card tables. I take another shower and feel much more refreshed.

4:00 p.m. Fully dressed and ready for dinner and a glass of wine. I’ll wait for the guests to arrive though. I remind Papa Bear that maybe he should go ahead and carve the turkey. He puts me off again. It’s still resting (as is he – watching football!).

4:01-4:20 p.m. I watch random tv with Papa Bear. We flip back and forth from game to game, really not seeing much of any one game. I’m still pondering over my card tables – wondering if they are strategically placed where people can walk through to their seat and be able to get back up for seconds. I decide to quit thinking about the card tables.

4:21 p.m. Papa Bear hops up from his chair. I assume he’s heading to the kitchen to carve the turkey, but nope, not yet, he’s off to shower. I decide to preheat my oven.

4:40 p.m. Papa Bear comes back to the den, showered, smelling fresh, and dressed nicely in a polo and shorts. I INSIST it is now time to carve the turkey. This task MUST be completed before guests start to arrive. Mamaw is already here. The herd will soon follow. CARVE THE TURKEY!

4:41 p.m. I follow Papa Bear to the kitchen. He uncovers the turkey and I stick my casseroles in the oven. I sneak pieces of turkey as Papa Bear goes at it with the electric knife (a long time ago wedding gift from Aunt Barbara – we love it!).

4:50 p.m. I smell a funny smell. Open the oven door and find smoke pouring out of the oven. My biggest Pyrex dish is indeed NOT big enough for the massive amount of Macaroni and Cheese I have tried to pour in there. It is spilling out and hitting the bottom of the oven. Papa Bear suggests I get a sheet pan and put the pyrex dish on top of the sheet pan. This is tricky, but I manage to do it without dumping the whole dish on the floor. That would be tragic!

4:53 p.m. Low and behold, the smoke alarm goes off. I key in the code and turn it off. I open the door to let fresh air in. The pups are standing at the door, curious.

4:55 p.m. The smoke alarm goes off again. The kids are amused. Squirt runs outside to hear it firsthand.

4:57 p.m. Yeap – yet again – the smoke alarm goes off. Papa Bear demands we open the sliding glass door as well. Scooby slides it back.

5:00 p.m. The turkey is carved. There are pieces of turkey everywhere and Papa Bear has a big greasy spot on the belly of his nice polo – the result of leaning over the carcass. He doesn’t care – he proclaims he’s not changing shirts (and he doesn’t!).

5:01 p.m. The smoke alarm goes off again. I decide to just hang out at the controls and key in the code to turn it off.

5:02-5:25 p.m. The smoke alarm goes off (approximately) 17 more times. True story. Mamaw thinks it’s funny and she giggles at the kitchen table, but it’s getting a little old. I don't see the humor.

5:30-6:00 p.m. Family by family, our guests arrive bearing box lids filled with casserole dishes, desserts, and bottles of wine. We soon realize there is not enough room on the island for all the prepared dishes, so we spill over to the back counter. This will create a "bottleneck" effect trying to get the line moving, but so be it. It can't be avoided.

6:15 p.m. All the guests have arrived, so I gather all 24 of the troops around the island and ask Uncle Willie to say the prayer. We all hold hands. I have to turn loose twice to wipe the tears from my eyes. After the prayer is finished, I step outside on the patio to get myself under control. It’s all good, though, my Daddy is watching from above and smiling I’m sure.

6:30 p.m. Come back inside the house and it feels like an oven. It is SO HOT in that house. I round the island with my plate and fill it up with a dab of all my favorites. I pour myself a healthy glass of Snobby Weathervane wine (love this stuff!) and take a seat at a strategically-placed card table in the sunroom. I did an okay job after all of placing those tables.

6:31-9:30 p.m. Enjoy the company and fellowship of my immediate and extended family. I love this family so much. We had a total of 24 eat with us, with a few dropping by with boyfriends/girlfriends. One by one, family by family, they leave, and I silently say a prayer of thanks for the blessings I have received with this family.

9:31-10:59 p.m. Papa Bear declares he’s going to bed. I visit with Uncle Van, Aunt Pat, and Mamaw – our last remaining guests. They leave and I decide to tackle what’s left of the kitchen. I stuff the dishwasher silly and hand-wash the items that won’t fit.

11:00 p.m. I plop into Papa Bear’s chair and try to watch a little tv. Obviously, not happening. I finally get up and go to bed.

Another successful holiday has come and gone. Sadly, I didn’t snap any pictures (who AM I?), but I have memories that will last forever.

Bittersweet

Tomorrow. I'm excited for this:


But will dearly miss this:

Oh, Scooby says she will read my blog if I say that she is awesome. Scooby, you are AWESOME with a capital A. Thank you for your continued housecleaning (cough, cough, tomorrow - the bathrooms)!

Happy Thanksgiving, Part 2

They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Here's the 2nd half of our Thanksgiving Day. Squirt and Scooby were delighted to finally see their cousin, Richie and his sweet girlfriend, KP. We had tons of wonderful food! Uncle V made me giggle when he stuck his croissant in is pocket! What was up with that? According to him, he didn't have room on his plate for it, so it went in his pocket. Too funny! Kathy had the table set beautifully, and Papa Bear, myself, and Richie were assigned to the "grown-up" table with the siblings. She wanted Richie to spend time with his grandparents (which was a good idea!). Uncle V and Aunt Pat, Uncle Willie, Aunt Nettie, and Mama and Daddy were also seated at the big table. That left 2 open spots -- and Kathy said Papa Bear and myself would be dining at the grown-up table because we never sit with my parents. It was nice to hear them chit-chat, although it did get a little politically heavy. ha ha! And even though I have bought into Al Gore's global warming idea, they are all convinced "he's a crook." Me and Papa Bear had just seen a program on that the other night, but we just kept shoveling in our food and decided it best not to comment on that conversation. We had to be on our best behavior -- we were, after all, at the grown-up table. We actually got a good laugh when they started talking about the couple that somehow made it past White House security to attend a state dinner that President Obama hosted the other night. Other topics of conversation also included a story about a Timewarner employee who rode down the road, just past Uncle Willie's house, spotted what appeared to be a bear in the field, rode by, turned around, and confirmed that it was indeed a black bear. BEARS!?! In Midway?!? I was fascinated by that story. Sure hope my pups don't run across the big mean bear one night.

Happy Thanksgiving, Part 1

I have so much to be thankful for! It's a beautiful day and I'm blessed to have my family right here with me. Papa Bear (aka DH) got up at 5:00 a.m. this morning to get the fire going. Uncle V and Doug were here around 7:30, and my Dad pulled in around 9:30. It takes four men, sometimes even more, to cook the meat. ha ha! They like to sit out there and drink their beer and coffee and smoke keilbasa while they're at it so they can chow for lunch. Here's a few pictures showing what we've been up to the first part of the day:

Early Thanksgiving

My mil always cooks us a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. There have been years past where we have filled up at her house, only to go to my family gathering that evening and stuff ourselves silly again. The last several years, though, she has decided to have her Thanksgiving meal on the Sunday before, and it has worked out perfectly. I had every intention of taking lots of photos today, but sadly, I only snapped this one. I always get caught up in helping my mil in the kitchen and I forget to take any more pictures. I am glad I managed to get my fil here with the golden turkey. Isn't it a beauty?! It was us, my parents, and DH's aunt and uncle, Dick and Sharon. Here's what was on the menu:
Turkey (our contribution but mil cooked it to perfection!)
Dressing (this was outstanding!)
Gravy
Green Beans
Green Peas
Mashed Turnips (this was a first for me - probably wouldn't eat them again!)
Scalloped Potatoes (a healthy dish mil claims - it was very cheesy!)
Cranberry Sauce (nobody ever eats this!)
Corn Casserole (my contribution to the fabulous meal)
Cole Slaw (Sharon's contribution - it was yummy with pineapple in it!)
Pumpkin Pie (compliments of Food Lion deli mil said)
Rolls
Chocolate Pie (delish and another one of Sharon's contributions)
Blueberry Torte (the star of the dessert table - my mother's contribution)

As Rachel Ray would say - YUMM! Or is that - YUMMO? I tried not to overdo it, but it was soooooo good. I'm just thankful I have a few days to recover before we do it all again on Thursday. Of course, DH will be smoking the turkey for Thanksgiving Day, along with Chicken Quarters and Ribs (he'll have help from the men folk in the family). I love meat cooked on the smoker, but honestly, is there anything better than a golden turkey fresh out of the oven? It was fabulous. I jotted down mil's Dressing recipe as she recited it from memory (she doesn't really go by a "written" recipe). I'm surprised that I haven't ever asked for it before. My kids love it, we love it, it really is so good. I'm hoping to start a recipe blog and this will definitely be one of the first recipes I post. She didn't give me exact measurements, so I'll just have to wing it on that part. The Blueberry Torte will be making an appearance on the recipe blog too. It was exceptional today. That's always been a Christmas dessert that my mother has made, but everyone loves it so much, she's started making it for other occasions too. There's nothing any better. Ahhh - I love the kickoff to the Holidays!