Thanksgiving is in 4 days?!?! I'm not ready :(
Ahhh!! Only three more days until we go out of town for Thanksgiving! It really crept up on me, and I have NO clue what I'm going to make at this point.
My parents are having friends over and everyone is bringing something, but since Ryan and I made this deal that we go to my parents for T-giving, and his parents for Christmas...for good (or at least until some changes are made over at his house, which is the main reason he's not too keen on going there for Thanksgiving anymore), I feel more pressure to make more dishes than usual, as well as making them GOOD, so that Ryan doesn't feel like he's missing out on his family's traditions.
For example, his grandmother makes the best biscuits, dressing and corn I've ever had. They're truly addictive. His mom--my MIL--isn't a bad cook herself, but we tease her about taking 8 hours to make mashed potatoes :) My parents, on the other hand, are more "healthy-conscious" and as a result, tend to make all their food with little, um, flavoring.
So, on a holiday we both look forward to, I want to make sure Ryan gets the best of both worlds: yummy, indulgent food AND great company at my parents' house this year!
*Disclosure: The real reason we decided on this arrangement recently has more to do with his family traditions being altered to accommodate our nephews and their parents (my bro and sis-in-law) and there tends to be less conversation around the table and more kids yelling and people paying attention to that than anything else. There is also more rushing to get out of their house as soon as everyone is finished eating, rather then relaxing after a good meal....all things that we've gotten used to growing up with both our families. Thanksgiving used to either be at Ryan's parents or his grandmother's house and that is no longer the case anymore. He's a little upset about it, to say the least. BUT, we will be going there for Christmas even though the situation is still the same as Thanksgiving; my parents don't really care much for Christmas and so we don't feel so guilty about skipping them during that time. They usually visit me for my birthday which is a few days after Christmas anyways, so it always works out.
Last year, I made a turnip puree which I thought turned out really well and I remember it was pretty easy to make, so maybe I'll do that again. My parents aren't into dressing/stuffing, so I may make that mainly for, um, myself, because I love the stuff! I'm definitely getting a honey-baked ham, since I have a voucher that I bought from a former student that is about to expire. No point in wasting that.
As far as desserts go, I'm thinking about a pumpkin cheesecake and possibly cookies. My mom makes a mean flan, and she's also planning on baking some pies, so I figure that's plenty of dessert already.
I can't decide if I should do some of my shopping a little at a time for the next 3 days, or do it all at once on Wednesday morning, my day off. A lot of other people might have the same idea, too. Ugh. I hate shopping crowds. Some creep also hit on me the other day at the grocery and I made the mistake of telling Ryan as soon as I came home. He's been making fun of me about it ever since :( [This so-called creep muttered "damn, damn, DAMN!" as he was crossing my path, and I KNOW he was saying it to me, but Ryan offered the suggestion that he perhaps was saying that to himself in wonderment at what good deals he got at the store. Sigh. At least my husband has a sense of humor about these things! I, however, get disgusted by it. I'm sure it showed on my face...]
Yeah, I hate crowds. And creepy men.
Well, that's it for now. Baked Sausage Ziti is on the menu for tonight, along with some good wine and The Walking Dead/Boardwalk Empire. I love "Winding-Down Sundays" :)
My parents are having friends over and everyone is bringing something, but since Ryan and I made this deal that we go to my parents for T-giving, and his parents for Christmas...for good (or at least until some changes are made over at his house, which is the main reason he's not too keen on going there for Thanksgiving anymore), I feel more pressure to make more dishes than usual, as well as making them GOOD, so that Ryan doesn't feel like he's missing out on his family's traditions.
For example, his grandmother makes the best biscuits, dressing and corn I've ever had. They're truly addictive. His mom--my MIL--isn't a bad cook herself, but we tease her about taking 8 hours to make mashed potatoes :) My parents, on the other hand, are more "healthy-conscious" and as a result, tend to make all their food with little, um, flavoring.
So, on a holiday we both look forward to, I want to make sure Ryan gets the best of both worlds: yummy, indulgent food AND great company at my parents' house this year!
*Disclosure: The real reason we decided on this arrangement recently has more to do with his family traditions being altered to accommodate our nephews and their parents (my bro and sis-in-law) and there tends to be less conversation around the table and more kids yelling and people paying attention to that than anything else. There is also more rushing to get out of their house as soon as everyone is finished eating, rather then relaxing after a good meal....all things that we've gotten used to growing up with both our families. Thanksgiving used to either be at Ryan's parents or his grandmother's house and that is no longer the case anymore. He's a little upset about it, to say the least. BUT, we will be going there for Christmas even though the situation is still the same as Thanksgiving; my parents don't really care much for Christmas and so we don't feel so guilty about skipping them during that time. They usually visit me for my birthday which is a few days after Christmas anyways, so it always works out.
Last year, I made a turnip puree which I thought turned out really well and I remember it was pretty easy to make, so maybe I'll do that again. My parents aren't into dressing/stuffing, so I may make that mainly for, um, myself, because I love the stuff! I'm definitely getting a honey-baked ham, since I have a voucher that I bought from a former student that is about to expire. No point in wasting that.
As far as desserts go, I'm thinking about a pumpkin cheesecake and possibly cookies. My mom makes a mean flan, and she's also planning on baking some pies, so I figure that's plenty of dessert already.
I can't decide if I should do some of my shopping a little at a time for the next 3 days, or do it all at once on Wednesday morning, my day off. A lot of other people might have the same idea, too. Ugh. I hate shopping crowds. Some creep also hit on me the other day at the grocery and I made the mistake of telling Ryan as soon as I came home. He's been making fun of me about it ever since :( [This so-called creep muttered "damn, damn, DAMN!" as he was crossing my path, and I KNOW he was saying it to me, but Ryan offered the suggestion that he perhaps was saying that to himself in wonderment at what good deals he got at the store. Sigh. At least my husband has a sense of humor about these things! I, however, get disgusted by it. I'm sure it showed on my face...]
Yeah, I hate crowds. And creepy men.
Well, that's it for now. Baked Sausage Ziti is on the menu for tonight, along with some good wine and The Walking Dead/Boardwalk Empire. I love "Winding-Down Sundays" :)
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