(See the end of the post for pictures of the dishes and thoughts on the recipes)
This Thanksgiving is very special. For the last 6 years, our Turkey Day tradition had been the same…travel to Northern Virginia to spend time with my husband’s family and stuff ourself silly. As we just moved to Atlanta, travelling for a short holiday becomes a luxury that we unfortunately had to skip this year. I told myself I wouldn’t dwell on the lack of (extended) family time and, instead, would be thankful for what I have and make the best of it.
Although my husband has been sick for the past two weeks (on the road to recovery now, yay!), I decided to make our own little Thanksgiving feast, to follow some of the tradition.
Here’s a round-up of the recipes I have used:
- Citrus and Herb Stuffed Cornish Hens, from The Cozy Apron
- Stuffing Muffins, from Making Jiggy
- Sweet Potato Casserole, from Cooking Light
- Cranberry Sauce, from Simple Recipes
- Homemade Gravy, from Serious Eats
- Maple Pumpkin Pies, from my collection!
- Cranberry Lemon Curd Tart, from Café Johnsonia (my version wasn’t gluten free)
- Lil’ Pecan Pies, from Taste of Home
Yes, this is certainly too much for two people. No, I do not mind. I had a great time on Wednesday, baking away while watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special on iTunes. Once the movie was over, I put on the Thanksgiving playlist on iTunes radio and wiggled around the kitchen as I kept cooking and baking.
Of course, my furry sous-chef Fattie, gladly took care of anything I might have dropped on the floor. Such a helpful kitty. Fattie and her sister Spaz will also enjoy their own Thanksgiving feast as I bought them a can of indulgent cat food: turkey in cheese gravy. It sounds disgusting but I’m sure they’ll love it.
Moving to a new state this year definitely made me even more thankful for my husband this Thanksgiving. Being somewhere new where we only know a few people brought us closer together. And our small apartment definitely makes us spend more time together as well. I am thankful for him, the kitties, our families and all of my friends, old and new, near and far.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!
*Post-Meal Update:
Now that Thanksgiving is over, I would like to take a few minutes to share pictures of the dishes I made (or tasted) after my original post was written.
All in all, I’d call this a successful first Thanksgiving at home. I was bummed by the few elements that didn’t go as I had hoped but I’m still proud to have made so many dishes in two days. I will happily eat and use the leftovers over the next week. We have a tons of cranberry sauce so I expect to be cooking for pork tenderloin soon…among other things. 🙂
The Hungry Quebbie 