Food, and lots of it

[yendi]

Talking to a coworker yesterday about Thanksgiving:

Him: Yeah, we had to make a run for more mashed potatoes.

Me: Yeah, I doubled my recipe this year, and it still barely was enough.

Him: You guys do all your own cooking for the holiday?

I honestly didn't know what to say (other than "yes"). Thanksgiving has always felt like the holiday most about DIY, to me. It's not much cheaper, mind you, but it's part of the tradition for us.

Anyway, things that shadesong and I made and that we (and others) consumed:

Stuffed mushrooms filled with garlic, cheese, and (in some cases) bacon.
Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese.
Cheddar-rosemary biscuits (gluten-free)

One turkey (eighteen pounds), brined for about 36 hours and with garlic/rosemary/thyme/sage butter rubbed all under its skin before roasting.
Green beans with bacon.
Really garlicky mashed potatoes (made in crockpot).
Thyme-roasted sweet potatoes.
Gluten-free cornbread stuffing (also in a crockpot).
Honey-roasted carrots
Crescent rolls

Crack pie.
Chocolate bourbon cake.
Maple pumpkin pie.
Peanut butter pie.
(Both caramel cream and bourbon-infused whip cream on the sides)

The peanut butter pie was new this year, and definitely one we'll repeat. The crack pie was more popular this year than in previous years, being the rare dessert that yielded almost no leftovers. With the exception of the crescent rolls and half an apple pie a guest brought over, everything was gluten-free, and it was all yummy.

As always, The Princess Bride was watched, alcohol was consumed, and people (as best I could tell) left here full and happy. It's hard to not be aware (and it came up often during the meal; we do tend to have like-minded folks) that the world's often a horrible, horrible place, and that most of us in the house were protected from some of that awfulness entirely by accidents of birth. But we all treat it as a day on which we're not only grateful for all we have, but on which we can have hope for the upcoming year, on the personal, national, and global levels.

Anyway, that was last week's Thanksgiving. This is the fourteenth one I've hosted with 'song, and we'll continue to host them as long as there are chosen family people who need a place to eat.

Comments

[greylistening.livejournal.com]

That sounds wonderful. Really wonderful.

[yendi]

It really was. :-)

[merrick42.livejournal.com]

It does the heart well to have those people who you always want to feel welcome in your home and their camaraderie. I wasn't able to spend Thanksgiving with my parents this year, but I was able to make it over to some friends' house for where our own group and family were able to sit, eat, burn a large bonfire, and celebrate those we lost this year, one very recently. A couple weeks before we observed that at our ages, when the largest group of us comes together it is too often to eulogize and that we should make more nights like this.

[yendi]

*nod* It does seem like each year becomes more and more like that. Life so often makes getting together in large groups tough, so it's nice to have the occasional holiday where it really does happen.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

I need to arrange to be in your neighborhood for Thanksgiving some yea so I can weasel an invite.

[yendi]

You are totally invited if you're around!

[raidingparty.livejournal.com]

I have a hard time imagining not cooking for Thanksgiving. I vaguely remember it from childhood, and even then it was family cooking and just not the kids.

Crack pie?

[yendi]

http://fireandsalt.blogspot.com/2010/09/gluten-free-crack-pie.html