Thanksgiving Prep

I love Thanksgiving.  When I was little, we'd always go to Grandma's house with my aunt, uncle, and cousins.  We'd all squeeze around the table, some of us sitting on her piano bench, and eat her delicious meal prepared with love.  Her mashed potatoes were my favorite--fluffy and buttery, oh so buttery--and I remember loving the rolls.  (I was a carboholic like every other kid back then.)  I also remember being deathly afraid of her electric carving knife and that Pap Pap would always ask someone to pass the beets (actually the cranberries), and everyone would giggle.  Ahhh, holiday memories.

Though our celebration today is small, normally just the four of us plus GiGi, I like to make a big deal about it.  Besides, I enjoy cooking and entertaining so hosting Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter are big affairs at our house.  Sometimes my parents or in-laws are in town, and last year we hosted Brian's co-worker who was here from Malaysia.  Brian thought it would be nice to show him a traditional American Thanksgiving, and I agreed.  Cultural differences made themselves known when he arrived two hours later than Brian had told him, and GiGi was not amused.  As we waited, I strategically tried my best to keep the meal ready and warm without drying out but that proved difficult as time went on.  I coped as best I could then when the doorbell finally rang GiGi said, "Now, Sara, don't act drunk."  Whee!  What a day!

This is what our cozy and quaint Thanksgivings normally look like, though.  And dessert really is always the best part.  Poor Brian is stuck taking the photo again.  Note to self:  must set the camera timer this year.

GiGi will be our only guest tomorrow.  She always makes the dressing, and helps whip up the gravy right before we sit down to eat.  The rest of the day, I'm normally multitasking like a champ by cooking, cleaning the house, and washing the china and crystal.  GiGi always says, "Don't go to any trouble, Sara," but I'm a stickler on using the china, crystal, and fancy silverware at holiday meals.  If I don't use them then, when will I use them?  Why did I agonize over which pattern to register for fifteen years ago?  Plus I'd feel guilty for leaving all those beautiful gifts from our wedding guests in the cabinet.  No.  They must be used.  But because they are used so infrequently, I feel better if I wash them.  My schedule this year allowed me to cook and clean and prepare today so that I can actually enjoy my Thanksgiving tomorrow.

The china and silverware are ready.

I also polished my silver relish platter, and then got carried away as a domestic goddess by bringing out GiGi's old silver plate and candy dish that she almost sold at a yard sale.  "Sue gave us these for our 25th wedding anniversary, but they're so much trouble to polish."  I thought they should stay in the family so she gave them to me, and I apparently took awful care of them by never, ever polishing them.

Because she was right.  They were a pain to polish, and I obviously gave up on the plate because an hour and a half of polishing was starting to feel like a strength training session.  To show off my work, take a look at this before shot.

They were black!  Oops.  I guess I have a project to work on because I don't intend to ever sell these on a garage sale.  

While I was working on this stuff my sweet potatoes and pumpkin  pie were baking, so a lot of my work for tomorrow has already been accomplished.  Tomorrow I have to roast the turkey and make the mashed potatoes.  Easy!  I'm looking forward to a peaceful and relaxing Thanksgiving.  I hope yours is peaceful, relaxing, and delicious, too.