What Thanksgiving means to me and my family
Planning the thanksgiving dinner weeks ahead, so that I can figure out how to prepare the meal without spending the whole day in the kitchen. Turkey, potato salad, mixed greens, ham, macaroni and cheese, sausage and chicken dressing and yes! “Old Fashioned Lunchroom Style Butter Cookies” for dessert. We were talking about yams and Then! My mom says she wants a sweet potato pie. I would not mind making one for Christmas, but this dessert was not part of the Thanksgiving meal.
I always cook the day before the holiday, so that I can spend the holiday appreciating the essence of it. You know, cartoons, remote control, whatever you like to drink, and of course the FOOD! I cook enough and different foods to last for days. You never get tired of the leftovers, because each plate you make can have something different on it. My family and I always start eating the day before the holiday. We make sample plates and eat every three to four hours on a 24 hour basis until we fall asleep.
Now getting back to my cooking schedule. The key to finish cooking in a timely manner is to multitask and have multiple things cooking at the same time. I had planned to have everything finished by 1 pm Thanksgiving eve, so that I could put up Christmas decorations to display the day after Thanksgiving and be in time to watch the Charlie Brown marathon. Goofing around with my family during cooking time put me in an hour and a half delay to finishing the meal by 1pm. I was still able to watch Charlie Brown using the DVR.
At 9:30pm it is time to work my Thanksgiving magic on the main feature:
- Dance with the turkey (cleaning it).
- Rubbing the turkey with butter and garlic and wrapping it with bacon and foil (putting it to bed).
- Put the turkey in the oven on 250 degrees to slow cook over night (turning out the lights).
Our table is set in pure joy:
- Buffet style
- Paper plates
- Plastic forks and spoons
- Paper cups
- As many cookies and pie as you want to eat
- Remote control
- Drinks
- Relaxation
- Enjoy the day
Happy Thanksgiving by thetastytreater
