Thanksgiving…my favorite holiday!

 

The first two arrived last Saturday….the other two on Wednesday.  Both of my children and their fiancés came to SoCal from NY/NJ for the Thanksgiving holiday and I’ve been in heaven ever since.  There is nothing like the comfort of having a full house, lots of activity, mayhem & games…and more food consumption than one person can handle! I also got the extra bonus of meeting and spending time with my future daughter-in-law’s entire family throughout the week….who are all wonderful, fun people to hang out with.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  It is not attached to any organized religion and it revolves around family, food & gratefulness.  The year was 1992 and we had just moved into our new home.  About 15 days after moving in, we hosted our first of what would be nineteen years of unforgettable Thanksgivings.  We always had around 35 to 40 people, three turkeys and an amazing assortment of mouthwatering sides made by all who attended.

 

The torch was passed last year to my younger sister, JoAnn (check out her blog) and her family.  This year we started the feast with homemade fried raviolis & marinara sauce that had been made by my future daughter-in-law’s family that morning…yummmo!  JoAnn had brined the 28 lb. turkey & two large turkey breasts, for over 24 hours before baking it to a golden brown….which was then carved quite skillfully by my older sister, Mariellen.  There were 27 people this year enjoying the delectable turkey and the abundance of side dishes….stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, bleu cheese mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes with browned marshmallows, broccoli/cheese casserole, cheesy potato casserole, green beans, cranberry/pomegranate sauce, pumpkin Irish soda bread & tasty pretzel challah with olives.  I get stuffed all over again just writing that list of food.

As if that wasn’t enough, my brother, Tim, & his wife, Ann…along with a few others…made scrumptious desserts.  We also had the fabulous new additions of a game of flip-cup, family trivia… a-la-Jeopardy, and a family slide show, all courtesy of my brother-in-law, Doug, and my three computer savvy nieces, Goldie, Bun Bun and Miss T.  I get so much joy from decorating the tables…the flowers, the candles, the tablecloths & seasonal decorations….and thankfully my sister is more than happy to indulge my creative side and let me continue this portion of the prep.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but that is never truer than at the Thanksgiving feast.

I am extremely grateful for my children, Austin & Taylor, and their loving fiancés, Kate & Dan, who fit in so comfortably with the whole family; my extended family, as well as the addition of my future extended families, the Brennan/Cichetti & Collerys; my fun, creative siblings & their families; and my amazing, warm, supportive, friends.

Now that’s a beautiful view!  How was your Thanksgiving this year?

 You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!