Thanksgiving Menu

This is last year's Thanksgiving table.

What kind of a person would invite their friends over to share a Thanksgiving meal and then forget that they had invited said friends? Only a low down, dirty rotten, paramecium brain. That's who.

I would certainly never forget.

Look, when I asked her what she was doing for Thanksgiving (knowing perfectly well that I had invited her to my house several weeks ago) it was because I assumed her acceptance of my invitation had slipped her mind. Also, the local Medical Students like to go to the cafeteria at their school for Thanksgiving (don't ask), and I will not compete with the school cafeteria. I was giving her an opportunity to gracefully opt out of coming over. Just in case she had decided to eat her turkey served up by a lady in a hairnet and prescription shoes.

It's not like I forgot that I had already invited her. I mean, who would do that?

I started inviting local friends when Sissy broke the news that she and her family weren't going to make it. (sniffle) I understand the relentless master of School Schedules and Tight Budgets. (I am, once again, assuming that's why they aren't coming.)

I am excited that there are people around here who want to share the holiday with us. Corny as it sounds, I feel honored that these women want to bring their families to my home and break bread together.

Do you want to be my bosom friend for life? Then prepare food with me. There is magic in the preparation of food as flour, butter, and sugar bake away in the oven or chicken breasts simmer with mushrooms, rosemary, butter, and white wine.

Somewhere in that last sentence there is a metaphor comparing the melding together of different foods into a finished product more magnificent than any of the ingredients can be if they stand on their own to all different kinds of people with different experiences coming together and lifting one another up. Whatever.

Here's what we are eating at our house on Thursday:

Herb Brined Turkey with Gravy

New Wave JELL-O

Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes with crunchy Streusel Topping

Stuffing

Dinner Rolls

Fruit Salad

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts (or as we call them, B. Russ Sprouts in honor of Bryon Russell)

Assorted Pies

I'll probably have a wheel of brie and some crackers with olives and veggies for snacking. Because I love snacks. The only thing I am trying this year that I haven't in years past is the preparation of the herbs for the turkey. I'm going to blend them up and mix them with olive oil to make a paste that I will slather all over the bird.

I'd love to go down to my dad's and celebrate with him and my new Not Wicked Stepmother and my new Beautiful Stepsisters and Talented Stepbrother, but Robert's schedule won't allow it.

This is my turkey from last year soaking up the brine.