A Feast to be Remembered

Thanksgiving preparations left little time for work and thus my delayed post: Please excuse me.

Our Thanksgiving feast was, in a word, fabulous. :)

Menu:

Starter:

Clam and saffron soup (a little Spanish touch, compliments of my mother-in-law)

Main Course:

Oven-roasted turkey (previously brined--soooo moist and tender!)

Traditional bread stuffing with roasted pine nuts

Steamed green beans with garlic

Lemon mashed potatoes

Dessert:

Pumpkin pie

Maple syrup yams with cinnamon and walnuts

... Although I gave specific directions to each of my sisters-in-law--bring nothing other than drinks--they showed up with more food! So in the end add shrimp, green salad, tomato/tuna salad, pastries and a cake to the above...

There was too much food, but Angelines and I have been pecking away at the leftovers throughout the week and we're nearly finished. Needless to say the week's menu has been somewhat monotonous. (I'm currently eating turkey soup).

Everyone liked the food. My green beans didn't turn out as good as past years, but everything else was delicious! The turkey was incredible. I was able to brine it the night before and this year I squeezed it into my tiny gas oven. It slow cooked on low flame all morning: 8am-2pm. I'm not sure if it was the brinning, the slow cooking, or the extra love and attention I added, but this was by far one of the best turkeys I've ever cooked/eaten. (Only surpassed, of course, by my dad's BBQ turkey!)

Angelines took the day off so she could really enjoy and relax with all of us--definitely something to be thankful for.