’twas the dawn before Thanksgiving…

And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for the nutty woman making cranberry sauce at 5am.

It’s pre-gobble time. Run to the store time, prep your turkey time, run to store again time. I love this holiday. It’s my all-time fav. We never celebrated it when I was growing up, which is ironic because a holiday about food would have fit right in. My husband’s family taught me to love Thanksgiving. The gathering, the laughing, the shouting, the forcing-the-vegetarian-to-mix-sausage-stuffing-by-hand-ing.  I digress.

Through the years I’ve found my own way of doing the holiday – I’ve tried garlic mashed potatoes and truffle mashed potatoes and pecan glazed sweet potatoes and apple cranberry stuffing and every other recipe that Martha Stewart pimped out. You know what I learned? All I need is pounds and pounds of butter. And maybe some heavy cream. Other than that – I leave everything alone.  My mashed potatoes just have potatoes in them.  I save the pecans for the pie, and the craziest thing I add to my stuffing is some green onions.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to blog throughout the cooking, but I’ll try.  Here’s almost everything – minus the 28 pound fresh bird that’s waiting for me at the market.

If I knew how to do one of those cool panoramic shots, I would. But I don’t, so I won’t.

Yes, we’re a Poppycock family. There’s no hiding it now.

I thought I’d highlight two of my favorite “cheats”.

Why cut celery and onions when you can use that time for more productive things, like watching Top Chef Seattle (do you love it like I love it?).

The best $2.99 cents you have ever spent at Trader Joe’s.

Here’s the other thing I don’t bother making from scratch … sorry about the blurriness but it’s early you know. Get off my back.

I do make a quick honey and maple syrup to drizzle on top. See, it’s kinda like homemade.

Ok, gotta get back to my day. Hope you are all knee deep in turkey day prep too! No? Damn.

Falling in Love and Snow

It snowed last night. Nothing major, just a few inches, but enough to cover my pumpkins in the front yard. It made me happy. And then, magically, something made me even happier.  Let me set the scene.

Almost every night, at about 9pm, my day ends. All mouths are fed and relatively happy, kitchen is closed, work emails have slowed down or mercifully died –  and I am tucked in for some series tuning-out-the-world time (my husband’s a lucky man right?).

One of the most used tools in my home isn’t the oven, it’s the DVR.  But last night, I didn’t need it. No reality shows for me. Nope. It was me, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep – and Metro North.

Have you seen Falling in Love? Yes? Ok so you get it. No? Please, go rent it, or itune it, or Red Box it. It’s so good and heartbreaking and wonderful. It’s about two married people who slowly, gently become friends and fall in love on a morning commute.  Not exactly your Ryan Gosling/Tatum Channing romantic comedy – but you’ll love it.

Because my husband loves me, because he knows me – he got the computer, put on his earphones and left me alone for an hour and a half.  To all you young lovers out there – this is equivalent to flowers and jewelry for a couple that’s been together for more than 2 decades. Trust me.  It’s the height of romance.

Go watch the movie – preferably with a quiet, ignored house.

Storemade with love

There are things that have fallen by the way side during this crazy busy time.

Covering up my grays. Dusting the house.  Planning for retirement. All put to the side.

Wondering why I haven’t done a cooking/baking post? No? Nevermind.

I love that I can be honest here and you don’t judge (or at least I don’t hear you judge or see you roll your eyes). I really love that my mother doesn’t know I blog – actually she doesn’t know what a blog is but whatever – I’ll take it.

Here’s what my family will eat tonight for dinner:

Thank you McCaffrey’s for thinking about making angel hair pasta with fresh tomatoes and basil, and for making Tilapia covered in breadcrumbs so I can call it “fish stick fish” for my son.

I’ll cook again soon. In 2013 at the latest.

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