turkey day menu

A note about the paella. Mine was pretty good. I've had better though. Actually I eat paella often. And the best I've ever had was just a week ago, made by a German woman in Ontario. go figure, eh?

So, this year we are hosting my husband's family for Thanksgiving. For the past few years we've either been at my sister's house, or more likely, away. One year Kevin and I "escaped" to the Bahamas and ate turkey sandwiches while our feet dangled in the clear ocean water. One year we all went away precisely to avoid Thanksgiving and yet we succumbed to dinner for 14 in St. John only because we saw that the grocer had fully-cooked turkeys for sale and suddenly we all longed for the full-on feast.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Thanksgiving. In fact, it's always been one of my favorite holidays. It's just that now I'm out of practice. And a little nervous.

Anyway, we'll be 12 people. A nice even number. Here's my menu so far: Roasted Turkey (no problem), mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole (my sister has a good recipe I'm hoping she'll share), green beans (mom's recipe), gravy, stuffing (awesome), mushrooms and pearl onions, fresh cranberries, garden salad, homemade bread.

Oh, and lots of homemade sangria (yes, red and white),
and wine. The latter are important, because if any of the former are failures then the guests are less likely to know (or care).

I admit that I'm a recipe junkie. If I'm cooking, then there's a recipe on the counter somewhere. Even if I stray from it to experiment, I use it as a safety. So if you are reading this and have a recipe for me, let me know. I welcome good ideas for hors d'oeuvres, too.

At the end of the day, it's all about the family, the laughter and the camaraderie. And the dinner always tastes best on Friday, between two slices of bread. Right?

my two sisters can cook!