Thanksgiving Take 1

The Swedes came, we had a lovely dinner, and I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with how it came out. My one complaint is that the stuffing wasn't what I wanted. It was made with whole wheat bread, which just goes to show that I'm not one for health food. But below is the menu, and while it was pretty traditional, some of it was executed perfectly:

Turkey rubbed with Herb Butter
Green Onion Gravy
Wild Mushroom Stuffing
Green bean casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce
Pop-overs
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Fudge Pie

I was most impressed with the cranberry sauce, gravy, and the turkey. I had never made a turkey before, but luckily T helped me with it. The gravy was beautiful and silky, the cranberry sauce had a really nice zing, and the whole evening was perfect. Luckily my friend also came to bring a little light-hearted sarcasm to the dinner. I wonder if she will ever catch on that I bribe her with food because I'm just not that entertaining of a hostess?

Oh well, my first attempt at Thanksgiving was a pretty good success. And I liked working on it. Sometimes traditional can be the best.

Dastardly Donuts

I'm sitting in a meeting discussing software radios. Or, more acurately, trying to focus on radios and instead spending lots of energy trying to resist the other half of the chocolate glazed, sprinkle coated, saturated fat-laden, demon donut that is sitting next to me and taunting me. I'm trying so hard to lose weight. But since I'm getting to the point where I can't easily lose weight I'm trying to lose it in a "sustainable" way. I'm doing pretty well, but there is this stubbord 5 pounds on my waist that just won't budge. Despite the 5 days a week of cardio, and watching what I eat (mostly......I gave in and had half of the donut........but it makes up for only eating half my waffle this morning.....how's that for logic?), it still won't budge.

Well, as I've been sitting here I drank so much coffee that my stomach is queazy and I'm jittery and not in the mood for the donut. I guess I'm still obsessing over how T always says that he wants to lose weight except that he likes all the good food I make. I feel like I have to be responsible for what I weigh and what he weighs and try to not cook, I guess I just feel stifled. I want to lose weight, and I love to cook, and I want to support T, and I just feel like crying.......or eating this donut. Ugh.

I guess I need another hobby.

Thanksgiving

Well, I'm so thankful the holidays are coming that I'm doing Thanksgiving dinner early. Plus, I get a chance to cook for a bunch of people (2 of them Swedes who don't have Thanksgiving). The only problem is that it will be on a Tuesday, when I have to work, adn I have a doctor's appointment. So......... my anal-retentive planning side is coming out and I get to write a detailed plan, menu, and execution schedule.

Side note: Since I don't let anyone I know in on the fact that I write this blog, I can admit that for Easter Dinner last year I had 12 guests, had it on a Sunday, and I wrote a 6 page plan. To include down-to-the-minute ations for completing parts of recipes and a by-location grocery list, cross referenced to the recipes, and matched to the wine. And all of this was out of my 5x10 kitchen with semi-broken electric stove.

So, needless to say, this gives me an excellent opportunity to start my extensive planning process. Below is the tentative menu:

Turkey (I'm thinking I need a 10lb turkey for the 8 people)
Gravy
Marscapone and Chive mashed potatoes
Wild mushroom and sage stuffing
Cranberry sauce (of some sort)
Grean Beans
Salad
Bread (of some sort)
Pumpkin Pie
Some other desert (TBD)

Well, looks like I have some holes to fill in this menu. Bring on the glass of wine, cookbooks, and my planning tools!