Without a hitch

I'm probably going to jinx myself for the next 1000 years, but I have to say it... our Thanksgiving was pretty much perfect. (Knock on wood for every year after this one!)

The turkey was beautiful, the sides were delicious, the wine was flowing, and my home was full of people I adore. What could be better??

The proof is in the pudding turkey! Look at that beauty.

C had his first experience with turkey-wrestling, and he totally won! He manhandled that 23-pounder into submission (with a little help from his sister!) and we got it into the oven a full five minutes ahead of schedule. It only took four people supervising (two taking photos to document the hilarity) and a few off-color jokes, but C made that turkey his b*tch. Whew!

I'm sad to say that I didn't get a whole lot of pics from the day (apparently when cooking a holiday meal for 13, you don't have much time to photograph... hmm), and most of them are of C with the turkey... but I'm ok with it, because that definitely needed to be documented for posterity.

C's dad supervised / assisted with the carving of the turkey, and they did a great job. The following pictures are too funny to me, because C & his dad are like carbon copies - and these aren't posed a bit! Check it out:

See what I mean?! Weird. But cool!

I tried (kind of) to keep the menu "small" (by Thanksgiving standards, anyway!) but we still ended up serving a feast! Definitely made good use of our counter and table space. I was pleased to know that everyone was able to have their favorite dish, and that my team of great cooks whipped up some really yummy things. I have a few definite keepers of recipes to share soon!

Biggest bottle of wine ever, courtesy of my uncle. My dad was a happy guy!

All in all, the day was a bit stressful (cooking Thanksgiving is a huge undertaking! And I had a ton of help), but nothing that couldn't be handled. I referred to my lists and my notes and my recipes, and doled out directions as needed. There was laughter and music all day long. I even got to shower and do my hair and makeup before dinner! Everything came together right on time, and everyone was happy - and stuffed by the time we were done. I couldn't have asked for more for the first major holiday in our new home!

"Look like you're owning the turkey." "I AM owning the turkey!"