Thanksgiving arrived with your girl Mrs. S coming out of a very deep funk. Nearly two weeks ago, my Mom called to tell me that my dad has spots on his lungs. I instantly panicked because I've nearly lost my Daddy 3 times...once to cancer, once to a lung anyuerism, and once to an accident. To top it off, his appointment to examine and identify these spots are not until January. I took a few days off work and cried, cried, and cried. I know that I may be selfish, afterall I have had my Dad by my side for nearly 35 years and he has lived a full life. But my babies are positive that my Dad made the green cheese that the moon is made out of and I cannot imagine their reaction to loosing him. Sue me, I always panick and think the worse when it comes to illness.
Apparently, Mr. S called my dad to tell him about my mood and my Dad called me up. "You know I am still alive, right" is what he said when I picked up the phone. "Stop all that damned crying until you have something to cry about. Concentrate on the turkey and make sure you have plenty of foil when I get there." Hearing my Dad in good spirits helped to change my mood.
This is my 35 Thanksgiving and I have learned to be thankful for what I do have because it outweighs the things that I do not have. I've learned what is really important, who to keep close, who to send packing, and how to deal with curveballs. I am thankful to have two living and loving parents, beautiful kids, a doting husband, a few carefully chosen friends, you guys (my innanet family), my home, my career, my health, and so on and so on. The wine is much, much sweeter since I have been seeing my glass as half full rather than half empty.
Anyway, on to the food pics!
Ahhhh....the pride and joy of my Thanksgiving. Mr. S and I wanted to do something different so we shot her up with Mesquite Marinade and a tad bit of brown sugar. We then loved her body really good with the marinade and let her sit for about 48 hours. We lit up the gas grill, threw a few water soaked mesquite chips on the top rack and sat Birdie down. We cooked her on low and based her often. The results? A sweet and spicy bird that nearly fell apart when we sliced her. Even the white meat was wonderful. This is the first time a bird flew out of the kitchen so fast...the family devoured her...my Dad walked out with the second drumstick...Only her carcass remains...
Okay, I forgot the eggwash to brown these up a bit but their point was well taken! Carmelized onion tarts...some of the best received appetizers that I have ever served. My little brother devoured four or five and then asked me what they were.
A loin roast from a wild boar that my baby brother shot somewhere in Texas a week or so ago. I was really reluctant to cook and serve this but it beat the hell out of the supermarket pig anyday!
I am NOT a macaroni/shells and cheese person but the kids insisted. The two big boys threw this together after pouring over a few online recipes. I gotta admit, either they follow recipes really, really well OR they have talent. They also (with the help of the babies) put together some lemon bars.
The salad (dang, we ate it before I could get pictures) was iceberg, spinach, gorgonzola, pears, and candied walnuts. I served it with a tangy balsamic dressing. We had a few other sides but all in all, everything was wonderful! Can't eat like this every day.
Don't you just love Kirkland's? I bought these last year after Thanksgiving for less than $2 each. A cheapskate like myself feels so good when I can pull things out a year or so later! Check 'em out...
The babies really took advantage of Paw-Paw and the Uncles being over---that means OUTSIDE! They got a chance to run loose around the yard, get all sweaty, and come inside smelling like little wet chickens. Oh, did I mention that they picked a bunch of the flowers that I have been trying SO, SO hard to cultivate? I was almost mad but they meant well...
Anyway, Thanksgiving means family, food, and being Thankful for all that I have and also being thankful for all that I don't have (illness, misfortune, etc). I fall into funk and mini-spells of depression but all in all, I realize that life is for the living and that it is meant to be enjoyed. Talk to ya'll soon!
