Thanksgiving Day Feast

This year is going to be a special holiday season. I can already feel the holiday spirit percolating inside me.  Yes, I know it isn’t Turkey Day yet and I’m already excited to pick out a Christmas tree. I will also confess that I’ve created a new Pandora radio station on classic Bing Crosby Christmas songs.

Among all the things that come along with the holiday spirit, planning delicious meals for the main events has been on my mind. This part actually hasn’t been too much fun for me. It’s been my FROG! (For those of you who have no clue what I mean, watch this: Eat That Frog Movie)

Last year I was overwhelmed during the holidays and made the executive decision to order a complete Turkey dinner from QFC. It was probably the worst meal I’d ever had. The rolls were white and doughy and the remaining foods all looked like some form of regurgitated food stuffs. Not my finest hour.

My husband’s adorable parents will flying into town soon and I owe them a re-do (they were the unfortunate subsidiaries to last year’s massacre). Having said this, planning for the meal isn’t something I will feel like spending time doing once they arrive.  So, after putting my little one down for a nap yesterday, I sat down with a cup of tea and some good friends (Moosewood Cookbook, Cooking Light, and Feeding the Whole Family Cookbook). Together, we ate my FROG!

My Thanksgiving Menu:
Butternut Squash Dip with Veggies (Cooking Light-appetizer)
Pistachios mixed with Dried Cranberries (my own idea-appetizer)
Roasted Turkey (using Williams Sonoma Brine)
Savory Herb Gravy (Cooking Light)
Massaged Kale and Currant Salad (Feeding the Whole Family)
Comprehensively Stuffed Acorn Squash (Moosewood Cookbook)
Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Hazelnuts (Cooking Light)
 

I’m asking guests to bring:
Stuffing and Desserts

Planning the menu felt like ACT 1. ACT 2 was figuring out the execution.  I, among many people I know and love, am not very good about asking for help. However, since I will be working right up until the holiday itself, I am succumbing to the realization that I can’t do it all by myself. (That is so hard to believe sometimes!)
Luckily, my father-in-law is a great cook and I am sure he will be delighted to learn which delicacies I’m holding in his charge.  Hee, Hee, Hee.

Zen Recipe Corner:
Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Hazelnuts:
See the Cooking Light Recipe Here