We awoke Thanksgiving morning to about an inch of snow! It was rather chilly out, too, so I was glad we were the ones hosting. I got up early to make the rolls, as they needed to rise and bake before my parents arrived with the turkey (which would hog the oven for 3 hours). While I was doing that and other odds and ends, Chip went to church. He came home with a hymn he wanted to read to emphasize our many, many blessings. I thought that would be a nice touch before the prayer and eating.
Dinner was slated for 3 p.m., 
so there was plenty of time to watch the Packer/Lions game and make last minute preparations. Carissa, David, Sue and Nate all came over mid-afternoon, with the Taylors bearing pies! Chip also got one from one of his clients who does baked goods, so we had plenty of dessert. The other fun twist was Carissa and I decided to do a green bean casserole taste test. We each baked a different recipe--they were quite different--and then had people rate them. Unfortunately for us, folks said they were so different they couldn't pick a favorite. I think they were just being nice. Mine was clearly better. ;) It was really fun, though, to see all the variations out there on such a simple dish. Both of ours used fresh green beans, which turned out to be quite tasty (and not mushy--it's still very tasty today as leftovers!).
After dinner, we took a breather before pie and watched some Looney Tunes and then some Best of Johnny Carson.
This turned out to be a fantastic idea, as laughing at the animal hijinks from the 1970s and 80s on the Tonight Show made us free up some stomach space and we could enjoy the different kinds of pie. Then after that we sat around and chatted--the girls somehow migrated to the dining room and the guys stayed in the living room. It was nice and relaxing as we digested all that food. All-in-all, a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much to everyone for the yummy food and great conversation!
Book recommendation: Mystery at Thunderbolt Mansion by Howard Pease
Recipe recommendation: Aunt Lynn's Dinner Rolls
Wine recommendation: Shiraz Layer Cake
Last year we were able to host and I'm quite thankful for all the friends and family that can celebrate with us, as well as for our house, which we can share with others. We had lots of great food, plenty of good conversation and an enjoyable evening. I'm not sure what's happening this year, but wherever we are, we'll be sure to give thanks.
