It's THANKSGIVING!!!!

You know how little kids wake up on the morning of their birthday, open their eyes and kind of pop up with this "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!" crazed-look of joy on their faces? I think that's what foodies must do on Thanksgiving. "Yey. It's THANKSGIVING!!!"

Since we decided to not go camping due to The Bug's cold/flu (and yes, $60 later we are certain it's a virus and not strep throat), I'm doing the dinner *on* Thanksgiving for the three of us, instead of on Sunday.

I'm going to post as I go along (I know all the other foodie bloggers will too....). I'm KNOWN for my big-meal kitchen fiascos. And even more so for Thanksgiving. As this will be our first TG at home by ourselves, the chances that I screw up royally are good, if not great.

The first year Juicboy and I were together I was assigned the "relish plate." What the hell is a relish plate? It turned out to be veggies and dip. I went over the TOP, which is hard when you're a nanny, have no platters, no real knives, and are trying to make a great impression on your fiance's family. I freaked out, Juiceboy and I argued, we got there nearly an hour late and everyone was pretty much done with appetizers.

The next year I was assigned the lowly rolls. I bought about ten different kinds and had about 5 for everyone. Another year I was elevated to potatoes, which in our British/Irish/Scottish family is a key dish. Thank god my sisters in law also assigned potatoes to their mom as a back-up, because I burnt mine.

So I got busted down to appetizers after that and I showed them. I brought a KILLER artichoke cheese spread in a bread bowl with sourdough dippers, and about six other great appetizers. Everyone filled up before the actual dinner and didn't really eat the dinner food. Hostess/sister-in-law was not happy for some reason, and the next year I was demoted again to rolls. Which I forgot.

So we'll see what happens with my home-cooked TG dinner. Now is the time when karma will come into play, because I also secretly sniggle to myself about one SIL who puts her turkey into the oven at 9am, steam roasts it with a lid on for about six hours until it's falling off the bone dry, and then says, "Isn't this tender and delicious???"

Today's Menu
Roast Turkey (no brining or dry salting--as there wasn't time with my turkey still thawing)
Cornbread sausage stuffing
Bubble and squeak (Juiceboy's request for potatoes)
Corn on the cob
Organic greens with roasted beets and goat cheese
Chocolate toffee trifle (Paula Deen's recipe)