Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving 2014

I spent ages pouring over my Thanksgiving menu.  I'm super excited because Fran is even taking the day off work, which is practically better than Christmas.  We'll be cooking all day and sorting out the new house. It'll be our first real chance to settle in and unpack and inaugurate all those lovely bridal shower gifts. Plus it's THANKSGIVING. So excited!!!!! Since I spent AGES planning the menu, I'll share the over-ambitious list.

Our menu:
- Pecan pie
- Pumpkin pie
- Apple pie (?)
- sweet potato souffle
- shoe peg corn and green been casserole
- rice pilaf
- cranberry sauce
- dinner rolls
- bacon and bourbon stuffing
- spiced apple cider
- creamed corn
- green beens
- mashed potatoes
- one turkey

Thoughts: always start with dessert, of course.  Souffle of course isn't really a souffle, it's just sweet potato goodness.  The shoe peg corn and green been casserole has cheese in it-- sssh don't tell Fran. Stuffing or dressing? The infinite dilemma. Bacon won out this time.  Spiced cider or spiked cider?  I still don't know how I feel about turkey. Can you have a thanksgiving without a turkey?

Cooking my own Thanksgiving is something that has been really fun living abroad.  Because it's not a national holiday here, the great thing is most people celebrate it on Saturday, so I get extended Thanksgiving goodness.  This Saturday we're heading over to friends for round two.  And Amazon even does some great Black Friday deals so I'm not even too bummed about the shopping.

 I've thrown Thanksgiving  nearly every year I've lived away, I think all but the first.  I no longer rely on my mom or mema or aunts to cook up something spectacular.  I get to throw this all by myself and it's so inspiring! It feels like home. This year I'm particularly excited to have found creamed corn. Of course, it is from a can and won't compare to the home grown goodness I love, but still! It's the sentiment that counts. And because it's already 'Christmastime' in the England, I practically feel like it'll be minutes before I'm soaring home to see my family, so I'm not even missing them too badly this year.  Well, until I get the what's app from my mom that asks what kind of pie we'd like. (Kentucky Derby, mom? Ah, you're killing me!) Only be missing the sound of Carolina football in the background and playing catch during half time. Love xo