TIERNEY JAMES

Lipstick & Danger

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Houston, We Have a Problem: A Thanksgiving Fail

There is the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving, the Waltons’ Thanksgiving, and who can forget the WKRP Thanksgiving? Today while I began the preparation for tomorrow’s feast, it felt a lot like WKRP! “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!” Remember? Just treat yourself and watch that episode. Hilarious.

Why am I having the big dinner on the Saturday before the REAL turkey day? Well my kiddos usually have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with their in-laws. They have to drive a ways so we’ve done it that way since the kids started dating their future spouses. I didn’t like it much. Made me sad to think they wouldn’t be with me celebrating one of my favorite holidays. I either made a trip to St. Louis to see my family or had all of them to my house for several days to compensate. This will be the first time the hubby and I will be on our own. We now   live almost seven hours from St. Louis and it is just too far this year.    

Because I got an upper respiratory infection this last week, I had to cancel my son’s birthday dinner. So, I’m kind of combining that with the Thanksgiving meal. Until today I was on the couch coughing my head off. Now I’m a new woman. I felt so much better I probably overdid it but I loved all the work. This was my schedule:

  1. Go to Sprouts and buy one gluten free pie crust and a spiral ham.
  2. I returned home and made one gluten free pumpkin pie and one pecan pie.

I think that is where I screwed up. When I put the pecan pie in the oven, I’m thinking some of it sloshed out to the bottom of the stove. I know this because when I took the pies out, I turned the oven up to 450 to cook my Southern cornbread. In about ten minutes the smoke alarms went off and the house filled with smoke. Of course, the box fan was nowhere to be found. Ceiling fans on and doors open! Since it was 66 degrees outside, I really enjoyed the fresh air. And man did the house need it. Reminded me of going across the Golden Gate Bridge early in the morning. Yep that foggy! I mean smoky.

  1. After I removed the cornbread, which was delicious by the way, I made another trip to the store for something I forgot.
  2. Cleaned oven
  3. Finished up some side dishes
  4. Folded laundry
  5. Vacuumed and mopped the floors.
  6. Cleaned the kitchen
  7. Time for supper!

My girls helped of course. They brought a delicious side dish of asparagus, a delightful fruit tray and another pumpkin pie. Since my family is from the South, it is common to have a large number of side dishes. One year at my aunt’s house we had 28 side dishes and about 12 different kinds of desserts. Keep in mind other aunts, uncles and cousins were there too and we needed that many.

The first time I had Thanksgiving at my hubby’s home there was the turkey, dressing, potatoes, green bean casserole, gravy and a pie. I leaned over to him and whispered, “Where’s the rest of it?” I was use to the serving table looking like the Golden Corral Restaurant. But you can take a look at my menu. There was 13 of us this time. I’m sure that will increase over the coming years.

A little side activity I did was to give the kids maple leaves I bought at Dollar Tree. They wrote what they were thankful for and then taped it to my pantry door. Made a cute decoration.

Other than the dog getting stepped on numerous times, some smashed food on the floor from twin babies, and eating too much, the biggest oops was my oven disaster. Well I guess the dressing was too dry and the pecan pie was the consistency of cement, but now I have a really clean oven! So, it all worked out.

Have a lovely Thanksgiving and be sure to share your blessings and appreciate the love and friendship around you. I am so very blessed to have this family who I love with all my heart.

 

 

5 Responses

  1. I think pies burning over in the oven is a given at a holiday dinner. My family comes to my house for Thanksgiving. Only 21 of us will make it this year, which is about 10 less than usual. I hate to see it dwindle, but as you said, the in-laws want their time. My biggest problem is that I always forget to set something on the table. Usually it’s the cranberries, but I have also been known to forget the deviled eggs. Hopefully posting this will help remind me to get it ALL out their this time.
    Happy Thanksgiving.

    1. One of the things I did this year was to set out a plate or bowl with a name tag of what went inside. I didn’t forget anything this time. And I looked super organized.

  2. I am sure you and your family enjoyed every bite of that dinner that was cooked with love. The calamities happen to everyone at one time or another you just don’t know which problem will strike this year.

    Thanks for sharing

    Kathleen Garnsey

  3. LOL Aww the memories you created. And yes, that is one of my favorite WKRP episodes. That and the flying turkey on Night Court. Remember that one with Bull? Glad you’re feeling better. Hugs!

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