November 24th, 2010

My absolute favorite meal of all times is Thanksgiving.  For me it’s not one dish that is my favorite, but the combination of all the classics that meet on my plate for one night a year (and sometimes a couple nights after that thanks to my generous mother in law sending us home with yummy leftovers).  I love everything about Thanksgiving, the family time, cousins playing together, the cooking, and what I hope will be a new tradition, Michelle, Kiki, and I running the Turkey Trot 5k together that morning.  Kiki’s been doing the run for a decade and it was the first year Michelle and I joined in (along with Kiki’s husband, Mickey).  It was freezing outside, but a fun run that kicked off the day great with more family time.  Kirk and Sally host Thanksgiving and everyone is pretty much at their house around 5 for cocktails and appetizers.

Sally made her traditional BV dip (cream cheese mixed with BV sauce, which is a kinda like a liquid version of a bouillon cube, I have never heard of it until I started dating Trent and it’s a staple at a Bond get together.  My niece Elizabeth would make a meal out of it if Michelle let her.), a horseradish dip, and Michelle made a fruit platter with a dip. 

Sally went crazy this year and did a turkey and a ham, both were delicious.

Kirk doing the manly duty of turkey carving. 

Managing oven space, oven temperature, and cooking times.

Pictorial tour of Thanksgiving dinner. 

And now for our dessert bar, for some reason this year we all made a dessert and Sally made 3, so we had almost as many dessert options as we did for dinner, it was quite something!

This is Michelle’s doing.  The most ridiculously delicious flourless cake I’ve ever had.  Definitely the perfect culinary ending to my favorite meal of the year. 

(Warning: I’m going to get cheesy, and I don’t mean parmesan.)

I am so thankful for all aspects of my life.  My family, my friends, my daughters who teach me the definition of love, and most of all my husband who is the happiest and most selfless person I know.  He’s a joy and lives life with wonderment and gratitude.  He works so hard for our family and plays equally as hard.  Also he puts up with me and that in itself is a miracle.  I am one lucky lady and do not take it for granted.  I am thankful.