i'm blogging today from the great state of NJ, where we are knee-deep in thanksgiving preparations. my mom suggested that my sister and i come home early this year so we could learn how to make the huge gourmet feast that she typically prepares single-handedly, and... wow. i knew it was a feat, the fact that she did this every year, but... GOODNESS. there are THREE of us this year, and we've been working on various dishes since tuesday. tuesday! the upside is that now, at 2:30, with 1 hour to go before the guests arrive, we have everything done. turkey is in the oven (baste every 20 mins!), the side dishes are done or just need a final saute on the stove, and now i just have to make myself purdy before the guests arrive. oh, and blog, naturally.
the most important cooking lesson i have learned so far: it is a TERRIBLE idea to baste the turkey when one has recently showered, but has not yet brushed one's hair, especially if this individual has bangs. because it turns out that when you hover with your head in an open oven for 5 minutes, laboriously basting a huge turkey, your wet, tousled bangs will bake into whatever just-showered, unbrushed position they were in. and i guarantee you, it is not the position you want them in for the next 8 hours. alas.
every year, i am thankful for my seriously fantastic family. i know that i'm in the lucky minority to have a happy, intact, non-dysfunctional nuclear family. and with a bona fide chef for a mom! no wonder thanksgiving is about my favorite holiday..
but this year, i am also thankful for my boss. specifically, i am thankful that she is dating a nice boy. very specifically, i am thankful for the fact that this boy has season tickets to the redskins, and that i have finagled my way into going to the skins-giants game with them this sunday at fedex field.
I AM GOING TO ANOTHER GIANTS GAME!!!! this weekend! HOORAAAAY!! i'm going with an entire mess of diehard skins fans, which should be.. uh.. well, either hilarious, or super depressing, based on the outcome of the game, i guess. no matter what, i'm seeing the giants, though. now i just have to decide which giants jersey to wear. :-)
happy thanksgiving!
Can you believe the turkey has to be defrosted several days before cooking it? I just find that so insane.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteI must say, today is a sad day to be Canadian. I am jealous of all the fabulous feasts I keep reading about.
the more you eat, the more you poop.
ReplyDeleteHave fun!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteIt is always astonishing... and intmiidating to see how much work goes into these meals! Yikes!
Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteyou too!!! and have fun at the giants game!! : )
ReplyDeleteI still remember my mom staying up late the night before, tearing the bread into little pieces so it could dry out for the morning to mix into stuffing. It's like the house that Jack built, there is so much to do in a certain order!
ReplyDeleteUnlike my mom, I did not make my stuffing from scratch. The green beans were plain (not casserole) and the sweet potatoes were the healthy kind--just roasted. I did make homemade turkey gravy and mashed potatoes, and of course the pies were from scratch.
We stayed home, just the 6 of us, and I basically didn't sit down all day.
I'm glad you have a wonderful home to visit for holidays!
Happy Belated Thanksgiving! =)
ReplyDeleteI hope your bangs worked out in the end, and that your Thanksgiving feat was a good one.
And have fun at the game!! I'm not going to a single NFL game this year, it breaks my heart. Next year!
Well, by now the game is over (and I think the Giants won? I hope so, for your sake). I hope it was awesome. And Thanksgiving, too.
ReplyDeleteYour Giants are awesome this year, dude!
ReplyDeleteHi! You have been nominated for the uber blog award!
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/6rhkt4
A very belated, but Happy Thanksgiving to you!
ReplyDelete