Thanksgiving Recap!

Here is what is left after the delicious and painful consumption that was Thanksgiving:

It's such a lonely piece of pie, isn't it? Maybe I should go take it out of its misery...

Anyway, here's what we had for Thanksgiving. My sister is actually a pretty good cook, and she chipped in a lot. Overall, it was a success!

-Salume and Sopressata with Melba Toast Rounds

-Turkey rubbed with butter, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

-Standard sour dough stuffing with celery, onion, mushroom, rosemary, and sage.

-Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top.

-Mashed potatoes with disgusting amounts of butter and milk.

-Fresh cranberry sauce and cranberry jelly. The sauce had orange zest and fresh orange juice.

-Heat 'n serve rolls.

-Steamed green beans.

-Homemade gravy.

-Pecan Pie

-Apple Pie with Splenda

-Peppermint Ice Cream (no winter holiday is complete without it!)

Now, this may seem like a bit of a basic menu, and it is. Keep in mind, though, that I have a very small family (four of us only!), and I am just a beginning cook. Considering we used to use Stove Top, canned Cranberry Jelly, and store-bought pies, I think we did quite well.

This was our first year with fresh stuffing, and it was pretty clear that my family didn't have a ton of confidence in my newly found culinary abilities! My dad bought about four boxes of Stove Top "just in case." This was also our first year cooking real cranberry jelly (yes, jelly!) and it was super easy, and so worth any of the extra effort! We also enjoyed a Prosecco before the meal and a Riesling to accompany the turkey. Nothing like a good bubbly bubbly to get the holiday spirits going!

I was also pretty impressed with the Splenda Apple Pie. My father's diabetic, so I've recently been trying to have at least one diabetic-friendly dessert. Confession: I did use an already-made pie crust for the apple pie and the pecan pie. It was still delicious!

I cannot wait for Christmas to bake more desserts and cookies. I think I'll ask to make a ham this year instead of a turkey. And I promise to try and make things a bit more...nontraditional.