Monday, November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving Plan

This year we're hosting. Current plan (already slightly revised)...

Menu:

Appetizers:

Smoked Salmon w/Goat Cheese
Crudité Platter
Something from my brother
Champagne, Pinot Noir

Meal:

Roast Turkey
Challah stuffing with apples and celery
Mashed Potatoes with Cider Sage gravy
Sweet Potatoes Anna
Braised Cauliflower
Green Beans - from my brother
Vegetarian Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust
Riesling Kabinett, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Sparkling Cider

Dessert:

Pies - Pumpkin, Apple and Mincemeat.
Pies from Dad and Mom. Not me.

Coffee

Plan:

Order turkey from Whole Foods - they stopped taking orders yesterday. Oops.

Revised Plan:

Monday:

Go get 18 lb. turkey so as not to miss getting turkey I didn't order.
Make challah dough for stuffing.
Hang curtains.
Possible guest coming in. College friend of the boy's.
Clean house...for a while. Get caught up in tv, take nap, leave rest.
Map out timing of the cooking for turkey day.

Tuesday:
Make challah, cool, cube, set out to get good and stale.
Do rest of shopping.
Continue to clean house, get caught up in a good book, take nap.
Make dinner.

Wednesday:
Husband off work, time to look frazzled busy.
Brine turkey, finding some way to store in suddenly microscopic fridge.
Chop and saute vegetables for veggie pot pie for baby girl...who is now driving.
Make cranberry sauce.
Thanksgiving Eve service at All Souls Anglican Church, Wheaton. Favorite one of the year.

Thursday:
Continue to clean, now frantically.
Slice sweet potatoes and soak prunes in port for Sweet Potatoes Anna.
Peel and chop potatoes for mashed potatoes.
Clean and cut up cauliflower.
Make sure wines are chilled. Very important step. Didn't even need to write down.
Set tables.
Order kids around.
Kids go hide in the basement.
Turkey out of brine, aromatics in, and into oven.
Appetizers out.
Family in.
Turkey out to sit, side dishes into oven.
Make gravy.
Eat myself silly.
Nap off turkey coma...

2 comments:

  1. Revision number two, kosher turkey, no brining.
    Also, curtains not up yet...

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  2. Tuesday, got sick, visited doctor, got weird exercises for inner ear issue which causes vertigo, dizziness and nausea. Now on Claritin D, so still dizzy, etc., but now also very alert.
    Wednesday, curtains are up, baked two kinds of bread, one being for dressing. Made brioche instead of challah for dressing. Am rethinking dressing something with chestnuts and apples and brioche and plain bread.
    Off to pick up kids from drivers' ed then up to church, still thinking about dressing dilemma.

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