Thanksgiving 2010

Today, I hosted my first Thanksgiving. I also acquired a new appreciation and gratefulness for all my mother does to host us for holidays regularly. This stuff is a lot of work!

I've been baking for about a week... cookies and pies and banana bread, even a test turkey!

The whole crew arrived from Gurnee and Wichita on Weds evening, so we ordered some pizza pies and began the celebration.

Turkey Day morning arrives and I had to finish preparing BDR's birthday breakfast. Yep, lucky guy's birthday is on Thanksgiving this year! Too bad he could only join the family for part of the fun - he had to go to work at 2:00. We had Aunt Kelly's breakfast casserole, blueberry muffins, cinnamon rolls, fruit and fresh squeezed juice! Quite a tasty start to the day if I do say so myself.

Sean was a great help in the kitchen all day!

Vrooom Vrooom! No pit stops at this birthday party!

After breakfast, SIL and I headed to the kitchen to start on our Turkey Dinner. She buttered up the bird while I made the stuffing. I learned from my Test Turkey that my oven definitely cooks slow so we gave it some extra time to roast.

And then of course, nap time began. Hey, the birthday boy gets to do whatever he wants! I am amazed though that he was able to shut his eyes amid all the ruckus!

Peter even found a place to bask and avoid the crazy for a few minutes!

I was really pleased with how all my dishes turned out, but I did warn everyone of the motto around our house:

Here's Poppy admiring the spread. Thank goodness for the bar in the basement, we wouldn't have known what to do otherwise!

This is my plate. Holy cannoli it was good! I'm so excited to enjoy some leftovers for the next few days, and thankful there still are leftovers!

Ian really loved his drumstick - so much so that it was what he was thankful for!

This is how I do things after a delightful meal!

And of course, after dinner, the Festivus Feats of Strength began. Looks like Uncle Timmy is losing this year!

While relaxing after dinner, we had to ask Peter what he was thankful for this year and he had a LOT to say!

All in all, many blessings to count - and I had 12 of them in my home this year!

Get in my belly

Does anything else really need to be said about this, really!?

Dunkin' Donuts. Tastiness in a box.

DD works out really well when BDR is waking up and wants breakfast and I'm finishing my day and want dessert. Plus, there's never a bad time for a donut. So this week, we headed out for a little dessertfast as I like to call it. We ordered a half dozen and I asked BDR which one he wanted me to stay away from. No response, so I had a little bit of everyone! I particularly enjoyed the glazed Maple one in the bottom middle.

We've been doing a really good job lately of not eating out, sticking to our budget. Its hard though, after a long day at busy work the last thing I usually want to do is cook something. So last Friday, we went to my new favorite Chinese buffet, Joy Wok. We wonder if its just a front for a money laundering ring or something, because its sooo cheap for so much food (even good sushi!) that there is no way they are making a profit on it. We also went to Stix on Monday for our friend "Brant's mom"s birthday. I love when they toss the shrimp at you, expecting a clean catch in the mouth. Never works for me. That and the "egg roll" joke...

Otherwise, I've made a delicous veggie-enduced meat lasagna, roast in the crock pot and some gourmet PBnJ this week.