Thanksgiving 2011

I canceled our Thanksgiving dinner party on Tuesday, knowing I wasn't feeling well and I didn't want to have friends over while our house should be quarantined. Still, the turkey breast was already defrosting and there was no turning back. Austin bravely forged on, ready to eat the entire thing himself, if needed. He roasted a beautiful bird and learned the art of carving.

We had our usual meal with over-the-top cheddar ranch mashed potatoes, lemon-hazelnut green beans, and stuffing. I always include the canned cranberry blob for nostalgic reasons but it really is a good blast of sweet/tart at the end of the meal. Our other addition this year was yeast rolls. I've heard several people mention them down here and it wasn't anything Austin or I had ever had. We just bought some frozen ones to see what the fuss was about before considering making our own. Well. Those little golden-brown nuggets make delightful dinner guests and will be invited to future meals for sure. I've never been one to get excited by a dinner roll but these were wonderful. I look forward to making them from scratch next time.

Austin laughed while I spent way too much time making the little garland that was over our table, saying I didn't need to decorate for two. Nonsense! I like it so much I may consider it part of our Christmas decorating. Who knew that a little tissue paper and ribbon could make me so happy?

And ever the lover of flowers, I had to have a bouquet for the table. I love the combination of traditional oranges and russets with hot pink and chartreuse. Again, a simple pleasure.

All in all, Thanksgiving à deux was a success. The Packers won, Austin conquered the turkey from beginning to end (making stock today), the meal was fantastic, the leftovers plentiful, and today we'll laze around and maybe put up the Christmas tree--if we feel like it.