It's all about the memories

Once again it's Turkey day and I'm up to my elbows cooking. For a woman who's thoroughly tired of cooking, this is a real marathon. But I'm taking it slow and easy since we're not eating until the evening. I'm currently between the acini de pepe salad and sauteing the veggies for the stuffing. Jenn was ready to help and even came over yesterday to try, but she is so sick with the flu, I couldn't let her cook. She worries me.

I picked up Brittany after school yesterday and she was so excited so see all the preparations, she offered to help. So after her karate class, she came over and helped me make pies, and cube the bread for stuffing while I made the cranberry sauce. Just a week away from 13 years old, she was able to handle a lot of the pie recipes herself with just a little direction from grandma. I know these occasions are particularly important for grandma and granddaughter. She will remember making pies together and will make pies for her own family some day. And she'll use grandma's recipes as I'll be sure she has them all.

The food will be good, but I know people don't remember the food. They remember the occasion and what we did that was fun and special.

Well, enough break. Back to cooking. John Lennon is on the stereo to keep me company until people start arriving.

MENU:
Turkey
Salmon
Stuffing
Garlic mashed potatoes
Two types of gravy (one for vegetarians)
Candied yams
Homemade cranberry sauce
Acini de pepe fruit salad
Green beans
Homemade dinner rolls

Pumpkin pie
Cream cheese pie w/fruit

Cheese & crackers
Chips and salsa

Drinks: all sorts

UPDATE: Yams and stuffing are done and will go in the oven a half hour before dinner. I don't stuff the turkey as it's vegetarian stuffing. Kitchen is cleaned up first of two times before dinner. Now will start the rolls and get them rising. Then the turkey. Having a glass of wine now and the White Album on the stero. Feeling good about the dinner.

UPDATE2: Rolls are rising (raising?), turkey is roasting, salad is assembled. Now need to set the table and peel potatoes. Checked the football game - Detroit is behind in the 4th quarter. Brittany and I made a run to the store for more milk and flour as I was nearly out. Probably would have been okay, but better to be safe. Dinner's not for a few more hours, so might as well take a little break before tackling the table. Need to add all the extra leafs (leaves?). There will be 8 adults and 2 little ones. I think we have puh-lenty of food!

UPDATE3: Still live blogging the turkey dinner. Turkey is getting done. Needs to brown a little more. Potatoes are sitting in water ready to start cooking - five pounds of lovely little Yukon Golds - much more than we need. Roll dough is punched down and shaped into nice round shapes - 3 dozen+. Too many, I know. Table is set. Kitchen is cleaned up for the second time. Managed to do two crosswords, one cryptoquote, one jumble, and two sudokus in between all the work. Will get the gravies ready to go next. Things will come together fast now. This is when I appreciate my turkey roaster which frees up the oven for rolls, yams and stuffing. Peeling all those potatoes gave me a backache. Think I'll lie down for a few minutes and then off for the last sprint to dinnertime.

UPDATE-LAST: Success. The dinner was just perfect. Well, maybe too much garlic in the garlic potatoes; but at least we had both with and without, so we had a choice. Everyone took home plates and bowls of food, so I'm left with almost no leftovers. The dishwasher is doing its thing now and there are still some bowls and pans stacked in the sink. About 30 more minutes of cleanup remaining and I'll be done. Had fun. Sang some songs with Kevin. Played Scrabble with Jenn and Zach. I think I'll sleep well tonight. It's 9:30 now and it's been a long day. Have to work in the morning. So, I'll finish cleaning up, watch the news, and that will be the end of the turkey day. And this concludes live blogging.