On Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving doth approach in exactly two weeks.  The day when we do nothing but watch football, give thanks, stuff our face, and prepare our shopping lists for the madness of Black Friday.  This year marks a milestone in the history of Thanksgiving because it is officially mine and Dean's first year hosting the food-centered holiday in our home.  In my mind, this is something of a rite of passage to officially being an adult.  Hosting Thanksgiving dinner is no small task, at least it isn't in my mind.  Considering this is the biggest food holiday of the year, and considering I've never made a Thanksgiving meal before, let's just say I'm kind of feeling the pressure. 

Here's the thing.  I actually enjoy cooking, and I think it's something I'm getting better at.  I am not afraid to try new things, but I'm also not one for long, drawn out recipes.  I like to get things done quickly, and while multitasking is usually one of my strong suits, sometimes in the kitchen it's best if I only focus on one thing at a time.  The good news is that Dean and I have already made a practice turkey, because there was no way in hell I was going to have my first ever turkey be made on the day of Thanksgiving, and said practice turkey was DELICIOUS!  He was only eight pounds so it didn't take him too long to bake, but in my opinion we made one fantastic bird.  And we stuffed him....which was also a little piece of heaven.  So I'm not exactly nervous about the turkey, I'm more or less nervous about everything else that is included in the meal, and having everything be ready to serve at more or less the same time.  With one oven and not a lot of counter space this is something I'm starting to have nightmares about.  Oh, and then there's the fact that I don't have a lot of pie baking experience.....perhaps that is something I should practice this weekend?

All in all I keep telling myself everything will come together, and I'm going to try my best not to turn into a stress head. Instead, I just want to make my way through the day enjoying the company of my family and the wonderful smells that will be taking over my house.  I have ordered more place settings of our wedding china, including the matching gravy boat, I'm in the process of getting some nice new serving dishes, and I have been upgrading my fall decorations to reflect what I hope appears to be a sophisticated, simple feel.  I'm a firm believer in creating appropriate atmospheres, and have become slightly obsessed with decorating elements.....not that I can afford to go all out or anything. 

As I mentioned up above, the whole Thanksgiving thing just feels so adult.  All my life the major holidays have been spent at home on the farm, except for two Thanksgivings that were spent in Hawaii and New Mexico.  It still seems strange to me to think of having a holiday up here, because while this is my home, in my mind I still consider Touchet my "real home."  Apparently, even though I am an adult, I am still growing up bit by bit, and I see this Thanksgiving as another milestone on that journey.