I Love Thanksgiving

It is my favorite holiday. Why? Really great food with no religious stuff to get in the way of eating (like fasting, for example, that clearly gets in the way of eating.) There is also the Macy’s parade, which although I always say I want to watch, generally turns into me seeing two floats and finding something else to do. The best part about the whole holiday is that I have turned it into a three-day-prep-event, so Thursday I am not exhausted and bitter.

Tuesday before Thanksgiving is shopping day. Since it always involves both Publix and Costco, it simply cannot be done on Wednesday. Wednesday morning I pick up the turkey (from the butcher) and my great aunt (from her condo, conveniently located near the butcher). This year I have enlisted the serious help – my mother. I generally do not let her do anything, as she does everything for every other holiday throughout the year, even mid-tax-season-Passover. As my aunt has just returned from three months in Israel, she may be jet lagged, so Florida Keys Mom is coming to the rescue. Plus, her pie crusts are always way more perfectly crimped than mine.

On the menu for this year’s feast:

Hors d’oeuvres: Truffled deviled eggs; mini pigs in blankets (kosher version) – they are a must – the crowd starts rebelling if they are not served; seared tuna on cucumber slices; and a white bean and roasted eggplant hummus with house made pita chips.

Black bean soup (recipe from The Flaming Buoy)

Salad with roasted asparagus and zucchini and cranberry vinaigrette

Buffet: Roasted turkey (made on the BBQ – need the oven for other stuff); cranberry sauce; sweet and sour meatballs; mashed potato kugel (it’s like mashed potatoes, but with loads of sauteed onions and eggs and baked); bourbon sweet potatoes; fresh sage and mushroom stuffing, made outside the bird, but I still will not call it dressing, as that is what I put on my salad; haricot vert with toasted almonds

For dessert, the classics: Apple crumb pie and pumpkin pie

Stay tuned for photos coming tomorrow, plus an update of the wines we will be serving.

Have a happy Thanksgiving, and remember what you are thankful for. Me? I am thankful that my uncle, the English teacher does not correct me when I end my sentences with “for”. Seriously, it would take me a month of blog posts to list all of the things for which I am thankful.  (See that, I fixed the end-of-sentence-oops!)