Good spuds, good meat . . .

. . . good God, let's eat! Okay, wipe that horrified look off your face -- that wasn't the REAL blessing we said at the Thanksgiving dinner table. And what a magnificent meal it was, our first traditional family Thanksgiving in the midwest in nine years. For those years, living in the deep south, Thanksgiving dinner had morphed into barbecued ribs poolside while the turkeys ran free. So nice to be back!
This year, in order to lessen the stress on our gracious hostess, we all agreed to help out with the cooking. The turkey was, without doubt, the finest and most moist and delicious I've ever had thanks to Steve's magic. Denise, Tom and Jess pitched in to make super cheesy potatoes, parmesan pull-apart bread and fresh cranberry sauce. Heather stuffed the celery, Joy made the dressing and I provided the marinated veggies. We finished off the meal with French Silk Pie by Chef Jimmy. Okay, not the most traditional menu but definitely one we all enjoyed.

Does it seem like we find more to be thankful for in these difficult economic times than when all is rolling along smoothly? Just having the family all together was ALL I could have ever asked for; an amazing meal was a wonderful extra. Gratitude to the universe!