Gobble Gobble

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.

(Just letting that sink in; I’ve been in a bit of denial.)

We are staying in Michigan because Sean has to work over the weekend. This will be the first time we’ve not been with extended family for Thanksgiving. I am very sad about missing our parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. And I’m really sad that I’ve got to cook the turkey for the first time.

I’m more of a side-dish kind of girl. My job was to bring the sweet potato casserole. No problem! I can do that. A few ingredients, 30 minutes in the oven and voila! A delicious side dish to go with everything else my Mom had prepared.

I never realized how much organization was required to plan and prepare the whole meal.

Of course, I figured it out last night at 10 pm. I was at the grocery store shopping for all the ingredients for the dishes my Mom usually prepares. Not only is it exhausting, it’s expensive! And I’m only cooking for five. I don’t know how my Mom has done it all these years, because she was always cooking for an army on Thanksgiving.

Like I said, I was in a bit of denial about the impeding arrival of the holiday, so I hadn’t even gotten the turkey. I told Mom and she said I could just get a fresh one. At 10 last night I found one of the six turkeys left; each said “Fresh” on the wrapper. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized it might have been fresh at one point but it was most certainly frozen now. I went ahead and put it in the fridge last night but this morning I set it on the countertop to thaw. Yes, I’m aware I’m not supposed to do that. But better a counter-defrosted bird on Wednesday than a frozen, uncooked bird on Thursday.

So far today I’ve gotten two pies and the sweet potato casserole made; only four more dishes and the bird to go.

I’m sure the rest of the preparations will be humorous to say the least.