Menu
APPETIZERS
• Devilled Eggs
• Crudités
• Cheese Balls with Crackers - H & D
MAIN DINNER
• Turkey
• Mashed Potatoes
• Gravy
• Candied Yams
• Dressing
• Corn with Butter - oops forgot to buy
• Cranberry sauce - H & D
• Rolls - Geraldines - oops forgot to pick up or bake the substitute
• Butter
• Salt & Pepper
BEVERAGES
• Spiced Apple Cider
• White & Red Wines
• Water
• Coffee
DESSERT
• Cheesecake - purchased
• Banana Cream Pie - purchased
• Pumpkin Mousse - H & D
Gingerbread Houses
Nick's traditional/realistic house
It was entertaining to have all three of us begin with the same kit box house. We ended up with three very different houses. On Thanksgiving day we were lucky to get the walls up, it took us a couple more days to finish them.
Heather & Duo came for the gingerbread house raising and appetizers. They found a train kit that had premade frosting that was ready in its own piping bag. Now that was awesome cheating. We watched cooking and house shows and then 'How to Train Your Dragon' and 'The Incredibles'. Terry and Robin came for dinner and afterwards we watched 'Up!', the two short movies on Up! and 'Boneknapper Dragon'. It was an animation extravaganza.
Shanna's Viking/How to Train Your Dragon inspired Swedish Fish house
I had dinner prep interruptus. I was going to baste the turkey for the first time and got a severe steam burn when peeling back the foil. I ended up with second degree burns. And while we're on it, that dang turkey was quite the trial. First I wanted to brine it. I've never tried it before but it's all the rage right now, so why not. I made the brine on Monday and left it to cool on the stove. I remembered it the Tuesday morning and had to chuck it out. You do not cook with chicken broth that's been left out overnight. Then I needed to figure out how long to cook it the way I normally do. So I took the weight on the package and did the math. Good thing Nick figured out the weight was in kilograms not pounds and redid my conversion. Now I felt I was in a hurry, eep. Instead of using my tried and true Betty Crocker for the timing, I used the Joy of Cooking. It suggested to preheat the oven to 450 degrees then turn it down when you put the turkey in. I put the turkey in and forgot the turning down part for 30 minutes. I'm really glad I remembered at all. So the Turkey was finished about two hours before dinner was on. Nick is the hero of the day. We turned down the heat and he basted it every 15 minutes till dinner was ready to be served.
My Cinnamon Bear Fantasy Cottage
The burn on my hand gave me the opportunity to do two new things. One, let go of the control of the dinner. I continued to help as best I could with a cold pack on my hand, but everyone else had to do the cooking. Nick, Shanna and Heather pretty much finished the dinner, set the table, and served the food. The second one was to cry in front of people without freaking out. I was in real pain for about 8 hours even using the prescription burn ointment, cold packs and pain killers. I was also no longer in control of my dinner and it just kinda messed with me. I do not cry in front of people. It seems like a sign of weakness. I also feel that I'll be mocked or perceived as weak and or that it will be used against me. It's one more symptom of my inability to trust people. I seem to have a huge need to keep who and what I am and what I feel a secret in order to prevent mocking/shaming/dismissing. Well Thanksgiving 2010 seems like it was a breakthrough.
Friday was a day of rest for me if not for Nick who was the hero again cleaning up the kitchen, doing the dishes etc...