Suddenly *Not So* Single Journey

And the bellies were happy…

Author: thenicknick

Well, our Thanksgiving morning was dark and ugly, which was rather perfect.  I had been warned previously that Ed was planning on working unless weather prevented it.

me: Yes! We get Ed.

(Admittedly, I didn’t do that happy dance until much later in the day.)  In all honesty, I kind of rolled out of bed, not a big drop since I’m already on the floor.  And then I headed out to the kitchen and forced my eyes open wide enough to work with knives.  Yup, I had to mince celery and onions for stuffing.

Soon, Rachel came out and kept me company while I worked.  And there was the little meltdown I had when I discussed the distinct possibility of me winding up in an early grave if things continued the way they were.  So, yeah, other than that all was running smoothly.  There was the occasional snafoo, like the realization that I had to run out and purchase a casserole dish if I was going to make everything on the menu.  (No straying from the plan no matter how spontaneous I am…)

Noon found me at Target.  I had my second loaf of bread baking in the bread machine and the bird was roasting nicely.  The only things left to do: make the sour cream mashed potatoes, throw a broccoli casserole in the oven, and try not to ruin the gravy.  So, I had the casserole dish in hand, and some disposable plates for dessert…

Target employee: Are you all ready for Thanksgiving?

And I know they are just supposed to be making conversation, but she asked.

me: I’d better be.  We’re having it today.

Target employee: What time?

me: One.

And I saw her glance conspicuously at the clock.  And then back at me.  She studied me a moment, marveling at my calm exterior.  And I laughed.

What did I have to be stressed about?  I know my Bubble family.  They would show up a little later than anticipated.  They would laugh and joke with me, not mind one bit if I was running a few minutes past schedule.  And there’s a lot of comfort in that…knowing there’s no pressure.  Ahhh.

Soon I returned to the apartment where I pulled the bird out of the oven.  Rachel and I joked over the miracle that is a Butterball turkey.

me: So, do you think they feed them buttered grain from birth?

Rachel made some muttered response while filling her mouth with strips of stolen poultry.

Then everyone arrived.  The teens sat at the counter.  The four youngest had the table.  And the adults gathered around the coffee table and the football.  Ed and Jay rigged the television while we finished the meal preparations.  Everyone has a role.

It’s a different Thanksgiving from last year.  It keeps getting bigger.  More people.  More love. More food.  More joy.  More happiness.

And after the clean up was completed from the meal, there was dessert.  It was perfect.  Three kinds of pie.  Spray whip cream.  All served on disposable plates.  Yay!

As they were leaving, Laura and I had a moment.

Laura: I don’t know what you were worried about.  You could have fit six more people in here.

And I laughed.  It seemed plenty crowded.

me: Nope.  I used every last plate that I had. It’s a good thing you stopped with Bailey.  I couldn’t have fed one more person.

I literally had eleven plates.

According to my friends, the applesauce was a hit.  And so was the stuffing.  And the broccoli casserole.  And pretty much everything. Yay!  (The electric oven is really giving me fits.  I’m used to cooking with gas.)

For those of you who need help with an easy dessert for your big day…here’s the recipe for Chocolate Pie that I’ve been using for YEARS.

Chocolate Pie

*graham cracker crust

*Jell-o cook chocolate pudding (large box)

*2 1/2 c. milk

*1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

In a saucepan, add milk, pudding, and morsels.  Cook over medium heat stirring CONSTANTLY until bubbly.  Pour into pie shell.

That’s it.  Really.  Okay, I garnish with Redi-whip.  There.

Enjoy!

Oh, may your table be filled with friends and family.  May your hearts be filled with love.  And may your bellies be happy.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 6:02 am and is filed under Reflections, recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.