Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving to all. It was a wonderful day for those of us gathered at our house today.

We were up early this morning to get the turkey into the smoker. To give the turkey lots of flavor without using salt, I filled the cavity with chopped onions, carrots, and celery, mixed with herbs, no-salt seasoning, and pepper. I lifted the skin over the breast and rubbed it with olive oil, seasoning salt, and herbs, and then rubbed olive oil all over the top of the bird and rubbed in no-salt seasoning, herbs, and pepper. The 23-pound turkey cooked in three and a half hours.

After the turkey was in the smoker, I fixed the deviled eggs, and then did last-minute house-sprucing, before getting ready for the day. Once I was dressed, I made a short trip to town to take advantage of one store's pre-Black Friday sale.

Daughter and her friend, and Sis were here by the time I got back home. Mother came over, and she, Sis, and I commenced kitchen duty. Before long, other family members began arriving, bringing delicious desserts like mince, pecan, and chocolate pies, and bread pudding, to add to the cherry and pumpkin pies Mother and I had made. Sis brought wonderful whole wheat rolls to add to the loaves of yeast bread Mother baked.

Before lunch, everybody selected canned foods that their families can use (these were ones I can't use because of the salt content). Among the goods were cans of soup, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, jars of spaghetti sauce, etc.

Then everybody selected grab bags. I think this entertainment was a hit with folks, and everybody seemed to like what they got. They also took jigsaw puzzles and magazines home with them. Those who had recent birthdays, or will have birthdays in December, received gifts in celebration of their special days.

Then the guys moved furniture and set up tables and chairs, and the women spread white and brown table clothes on the tables, and set them with autumn-colored plates, clear stemware glasses, and a mix of colorful yellow, orange, buff, and red napkins in napkin rings.

Just before lunch, we served glasses of white and pink sweet wines, and then folks filled their water glasses with ice and fixed the drinks of their choice...water, sweet and unsweetened tea, and a variety of soft drinks.

Buffet tables were set up in the den, and once the turkey was carved, veggie dishes heated, the potatoes mashed, and the gravies made, and everything placed on the buffet, Hubbie offered a prayer of thanks, and we lined up to fill our plates.

After lunch, some folks gathered in the living room to visit, while others watched a DVD of "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" in the den. The rest of us cleared tables, washed dishes, and put food away.

Before we put the food away, though, we urged family to fill whipped topping tubs with leftover foods to take home with them. Everyone filled tubs with their favorite foods, and, thank goodness, Sis also took the turkey carcass (including the veggie stuffing) to make turkey soup, and Son took the ham bone for making a batch of beans. We're now left with a more manageable bunch of leftovers, though some of it will still make its way to the freezer.

Before everyone left, the nineteen of us gathered in the yard for group photos, on this sunny, but nippy afternoon. Folks left around 4 p.m. The day seemed to just fly by, but we loved seeing our kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.

Mother, Hubbie, and I spent the rest of the afternoon watching the "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," that I'd recorded earlier on DVR, after which we had a light supper of leftovers. Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I watched the "National Dog Show," which I'd also recorded on DVR earlier, and a couple of other shows, before calling it a day.