THANKSGIVING WITH US

WOW! What an ordeal! Who would have thought that cooking for 3 people could take ALL day. Well, if you know me, you know how much I just LOVE to cook AND bake (note the sarcasm). But, what is Thanksgiving without turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls and a veggie (for good measure), not to mention the desserts!!!!

So, first thing this morning the preparations began! Drew began slicing and dicing the celery, apples and onions for the stuffing. I began clearing counter space for all of the food that would be donning it (I found my camera charger!). Broc's duties included sweeping and mopping.

In this age of technology, Thanksgiving wishes started coming in the form of text messages from friends. The turkey was in the oven cooking and the aroma spreading through the house. AHHHH......the anticipation!

Earlier this week, seeing that I am not a baker, it's not that I can't do it, it's that I choose not to do it. It's a looooong story! Anyhoooo, a coworker said that she was making and selling pumpkin rolls. WHAT?!?!?!? Could this be? Real homemade treats for Thanksgiving without having to prepare them? "I'll take three!", I told her. "But they are this big," she said holding her hands out to a length that made no sense to me since apparently I have no concept of length. And three. My coworker cut them in half making 6 total. They filled a very large rotisserie pan. This pan would have dwarfed my 14 pound turkey had I roasted the turkey in it! When she brought the 3 pumpkin rolls (cut in half) to me I though someone else had ordered some as well. These couldn't ALL be mine!!!! Yep, they were. How were we going to eat all of these for Thanksgiving?

The next day I sent Drew to get the "odds and ends" for our Thanksgiving dinner. You know, the celery, apples, onions, cranberries, potatoes......I get home to find not one but TWO pies from Costco on the kitchen counter. Did I mention there are only three of us at home? So now we have 5 1/2 pumpkin rolls (I opened one at work and shared!) and TWO pies to eat after dinner!!! What was he thinking?????

Back to the dinner......I may not like to cook, but I can cook. Give me a simple recipe and I can pull it off. I just don't like to cook. An even loooooonger story! hahahaha!!! So, imagine my joy when, I have everything timed out, to the minute, and the rolls decide not to rise.....ok, we can live without rolls....we've got TWO pies!!! Then, the mashed potatoes are done too early. I overstuffed the turkey, so it's taking longer. Now, the mashed potatoes are dry...NICE! Lastly, the gravy, although nice and tasty, is runny......sigh......at least we have TWO pies!!!! I wonder if anyone at work will care if the potatoes are dry or the rolls are burned on the bottom? Tomorrow will tell!

Needless to say we have tons of leftovers!!! How blessed we are!!! Next year I will be cooking in my new kitchen and enjoying Thanksgiving with our returned missionary and listening to all of his capers from his mission! How truly blessed we are!!!!