Thanksgiving

I was a little puzzled this year on how to celebrate Thanksgiving. Turkeys are usually only served for Christmas here, and are terribly expensive. Plus, with only the three of us, a turkey seemed a little over the top. We usually get one of those breast turkeys that already have all the appendages chopped off. Probably not the best way to describe it, but it is what it is. I love those because I just can't seem to cook a complete turkey. The breast always ends up dry and the dark meat is usually undercooked. Last Thanksgiving was a bust, food wise. I selected a free range turkey and brined it for two days in a really elaborate broth from scratch. It took up a huge portion of my fridge for the days leading up to Thanksgiving, and the anticipation was incredible. I had imagined the pleased looks on the faces of our friends and family, looked forward to the nods of approval around the table. Alas, I couldn't get the darn thing cooked all the way through. I even had my friend bring over her meat thermometer, thinking mine had somehow failed. However, it quickly became evident that the only thing that had failed was my cooking. Add to this gummy mash potatoes and it was a disaster disappointment. I had been using a potato ricer for a few years, and I loved it. I decided that on Thanksgiving I would use Yukon Gold potatoes instead of Russets - try to shake things up a bit with a fancy potato. Turns out that the starch content has a lot to do with how mashed potatoes turn out. Yukon Gold have a different starch content than Russets, and my ricer had somehow broken down the potato cells and released a flood of starch and moisture, resulting in something that resembled what kindergardeners use for art projects. Good times. Everyone kept telling me that it was wonderful, but I knew better. This year we baked a chicken. I did make mashed potatoes with my ricer, but I used Russets and they turned out perfect. I also made herbed carrots and gravy. A small spread, but with the Thanksgiving tableware, it was perfect for us. I even located Ocean Spray Cranberry sauce; it totally made the meal.

These last three months have been challenging to say the least, but for one day I decided to put on my big girl pants and be thankful instead of looking for the worst. We have a home, we have three meals a day, we have our health, and we have each other. What more do we need? Well, being with friends and family would have been really nice. Maybe next year.