Thanksgiving roundup

Did everyone have a nice Thanksgiving holiday? For a brief time I was afraid we wouldn't due to our stove pooping out on us. Actually it "poofed" not pooped as the heating element went out in flames in the process of cooking a pork roast a week before the holiday. But as luck would have it, we got a screaming good deal at BrandsMart and

my new stove came just in time for Thanksgiving and having the boys home.

I have cooked on the same old range for over twenty years and things have changed. This baby has a smooth flat top instead of the old coil burners that I'm used to and it has a convection oven which I haven't a clue how to use. But, once I get the hang of it and stop feeling intimidated by it I think I'm going to like it.

Eddie came straight in today and said, "oh look, a new stove. I like it. But it doesn't fit right, it sits lower than the old one."

Sigh.   He's right but really, who points that out?

I swear he's not an eleven (yes, he just had a birthday), year old boy. He's an eighty-five year old woman without a mouth filter. Gotta love him!

In other news, we managed to have a lovely Thanksgiving meal despite the fact that I forgot to set the rolls out to rise until about two hours before the dinner hour. They turned out quite small but were still good and for the first time in ages the bottoms weren't burned. Yay new oven!

Also, I totally forgot to fix the mashed potatoes (but I don't think we really missed them). On the plus side, I fixed a new corn dish was which was quite delish albeit a bit spicy due to the red pepper flakes. We also had green beans, carrots, cranberry sauce, dressing (that's the Southern variation of stuffing for the uninformed), and of course the obligatory turkey. 

Speaking of turkey, the only almost real disaster we had involved the turkey. Have I ever mentioned that our sweet kitty loves, absolutely LOVES turkey? Once the bird came out of the oven she started stalking it and I had to keep one eye on her and the other on the task at hand. Of course it was inevitable that at some point my eyes had to close. Who could have predicted she would try to swoop in and catch her prey ... right as we paused to PRAY? Yep! Right in the midst of our blessing I heard a sound and peeped just in time to see her springing onto the buffet. I sprang into action, swooshed her up, and carted her off ... my guys all tried not to giggle and my mother-in-law never noticed a thing. Thank goodness.

The cat was banned to a bedroom as we ate our meal. She kept pawing at the door in a frantic attempt to escape and continue on her quest for turkey.  Finally my husband took pity on her. It was after all, Thanksgiving, a time for feasting and sharing time with loved ones. He fixed her her very own plate of turkey which she quickly gobbled down. Yes, I said gobbled. We are talking turkey day ya know.

After our meal my boys gave me the bestest present ever. They joined me in the kitchen for cleanup. I'm so proud of my big strapping young men who don't mind helping mom do the dishes. They're going to make excellent husbands some day. Girls take note.

Cleanup was followed by relaxation time in the living room. As is written in the book of American traditions we had the tv turned to football. I also spent some time picking my mother-in-laws brain for family facts, it's time to start adding details to the Frazier line on the family tree. One day my kids are going to thank me for tracing their roots meanwhile let them thank me for dessert. We had two - pies - apple crisp and pumpkin. And just so no one thinks I'm out to earn the Betty Crocker award ... I can't take credit for the pies. Alas, they weren't homemade but fresh from Marie Callender and Kroger. Everyone claimed they were good but I can't say for sure 'cause I don't do sweets. I know, hard to believe, huh?

All-in-all it was a nice day of family time. Even if I had foregone all the cooking and fretting over getting things just right, we would have still had a good day because we were together as a family. Now that the boys are moving out and moving on I don't know what the future holds for future holidays. Maybe that's why I want the holiday to be perfect ... so they'll always want to come home to Mom's. Time will tell.

Speaking of time, now it's time to put Thanksgiving away

and bring on Christmas. Who's ready? Not me!