Emily’s Musings

Thank goodness Thanksgiving at our house is over! The actual event was great, but all the preparation for the event could drive an over eager, anxious person such as myself to an early grave! I had NO IDEA what I was getting into when I said to David, “Hey Honey, why don’t we have a big Thanksgiving Dinner at our house?” David is not one to turn down good food and fun, so he jumped on the bandwagon right away. I can’t believe people women do this every year. It is one thing to attend a Thanksgiving Dinner. It is a completely different animal to host a Thanksgiving Dinner. I learned a few things, like HOW important it it to have an EXACT guest count prior to one hour before dinner. You know, just minor things.

After slaving away in my kitchen, which boasts an entire THREE FEET of counter space, I realized why Thanksgiving only happens ONCE A YEAR. My cooking skills were pushed beyond their limits and comfort zone. I am somewhat new to the cooking world (um . . . I really started cooking like a year ago . . . you do the math . . .) and some of the cooking required me to check with Google, which I had to do with almost everything. I have NEVER cooked a turkey or a ham. I used to buy the ready made Thanksgiving Dinners from Kroger’s in Texas. They are delicious - and easy. After this experience, I will be doing that again. The turkey that comes with that meal is pre-cooked. This was my first time cooking a turkey, and hoping I did it right. I didn’t want to give everyone food poisoning! Then, I had to carve the turkey. The word carve is a nice word for GUT and RIP the turkey apart. It was GROSS. Need I say more? I REALLY hate stuff on my hands (sand, eggs, anything) and this only made the situation more unbearable. This is where David came in. He was the designated “turkey gutter and ripper” because gross jobs should be left for the “Y” chromosome.

I found all my recipes here. I made a pumpkin pie (which was delicious), coconut cream pie, cheery cheesecake, and a lemon “surprise”. I called it a surprise because I invented it (you know, didn’t have the right ingredients to make a lemon pie, so I improvised). It ended up being the favorite desert of the night. Too bad I don’t remember exactly how I made it!

Saba doesn’t celebrate American holidays (so rude I know!), so all the students had to go to school. We didn’t start dinner until 6:00. We had 18 guests and two little people (Hannah and Deya) on our patio for dinner. We (as in the “royal we” - aka David) were able to rig up a table to accommodate all of us. It was so nice to sit at one table. Next year, I will not be a stressed out novice, but an expert Thanksgiving Dinner Planner! I don’t think I will try to feed 18 though . . . I don’t want to gray early!

David, Hannah and others getting ready to eat.

Lee, Kendrick, Paul, David and Hannah. All checking out the mashed potatoes.

Beth, Lee, Kim, Kendrick, Paul, and David. Waiting to take thirds . . .

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