Happy Thanksgiving

This is my adopted turkey, Elizabeth. She's so beautiful, and I sort of wish she could actually come and live with us, but that would be a bad idea, because our dog Lucy would think we had brought her a big fluffy snack. But for a mere $30, you too can adopt a turkey from Farm Sanctuary, which really means you sponsor a bird, and help to cover the costs for someone else to care for it. Everybody wins, especially the turkeys. I'm going to print this picture, and have Elizabeth sit at our Thanksgiving table with us. Really.

I'm planning a small and simple Thanksgiving Feast this year. There will likely be only three or four of us at the table, and I just can't work up the enthusiasm to go all out this time around. Christmas will be a big family event, with out of town guests and lots of festivity. I'm saving my energy for that.

But that doesn't mean we won't be having a wonderful meal on Thanksgiving. In fact, we'll have two wonderful meals. Rick and I don't have TV service in our house (on purpose), but I love watching the Macy's Parade every year. So, we're going over to our daughter's place, breakfast in tow, to watch it on her TV. I'll make chilaquiles, red chile, and maybe some cinnamon rolls. We'll also take some soy nog to splash in our tea, because in my world, Egg Nog Season officially begins on Thanksgiving (as does Christmas Music Season, but I know many people are sensitive to that, so I'll leave it for now), and a bottle of champagne and some orange juice for mimosas. To be honest, the parade is really more like background for our BreakFeast, but it's an important component, so I'm glad we can do it this way. Last year we tried streaming it online, which meant hopping between several live-but-achingly-slow street cams to see what we could see. No sound, no motion, no commentary. It was sort of dismal and required way too many mimosas to make it even sort of fun.

So after BreakFeast, back home, with no TV so no football (yay), we can relax, read, play a game, go for a walk, nap, and prepare the next meal. Dinner is scheduled to be some sort of shepherd's pie, which I haven't completely invented yet, along with fresh cranberries, because I require them, some kind of salad or side veggie, and sweet potato biscuits. Simple, but still special, and not days and days of work to pull it all together. And for dessert, an apple-pear crisp.

I like a Thanksgiving with some wiggle room. It leaves space for spontaneity and surprises, and I think it will be just a darling little day. Of course I will share more recipes after the fact, but for now, if you need help planning your own feast, I'll advise you to wander the internet a bit. You won't have to go far to be hit over the head with dozens of recipes for all things Thanksgiving. I hope you have a lovely, loving time with family and friends, and I hope the turkey at your table is a portrait of one you've adopted. Happy Thanksgiving!