giving thanks and growing up

i wasn't able to go home for Thanksgiving this year because i had to work the saturday after the holiday, but it gave opportunity to start new traditions. francis and i decided to have a low key celebration with his parents. we offered to cook the entire meal and they offered to pay for all the groceries and supplies we needed. perfect.

we were brainstorming and meal planning for a couple of weeks thinking what fun things we should try, how we should plate things, and what unexpected flavors we could include. in the end, however, we decided to just stick with a traditional meal and that we had the rest of our lives to do things unconventionally when we hosted at our own house.

francis took over on operation:turkey and a fancy shmancy, homemade green bean casserole recipe and i planned to tackle everything else. we opted for family style versus courses and ended up with a delectable table hosting the following options:

turkey: twelve pounder soaked overnight in a brine, lathered in butter and seasonings, stuffed with garlic, onion, fresh rosemary, lemon, lime, and orange wedges

mashed potatoes: russets mixed with heavy cream, garlic, salt, and fresh, minced rosemary

corn: butter sauce

cranberries: fresh simmered in orange juice, sugar, and cinnamon

rolls: brushed with butter

mushrooms: (a tradition of my family) simmered with bacon, onion and butter

green beans: cooked with homemade onion strings, fresh mushrooms, a homemade cream sauce, onion, and garlic

stuffing: boxed kind (i know, i know, but i love it.)

pie: homemade with fresh, roasted pumpkin, spices, cream, eggs, brown sugar, salt and whipping cream

his mom even let us eat at their fancy dining room table (the room with the white carpet that never gets used), with my choice of fancy china from the (usually just for display) china cabinet, and fancy, fragile, crystal wine glasses. a smashing success.

we spent the rest of the weekend decorating their house for Christmas---including a TWELVE foot tree that took about six hours to put up and decorate---and watching modern family season two on dvd (our black friday splurge---and by splurge, i mean twelve dollars. and yes, we were up at midnight for this twelve dollar purchase, because we are ridiculous like that.)

when i got back home, my roommate and i decorated our house with a fresh tree---we sawed off branches and the bottom foot so it'd be fresh to go in the water. we stood on two ladders and hung lights from the shingles and gutters and decorated the house inside, outside, and just about every single crevice that could be Christmasized, while drinking wine and blasting festive music.

making full Thanksgiving dinners, standing on ladders to hang Christmas lights, decorating houses --- so many grown up things in one weekend, when did i get old enough to manage these things by myself?

{images: darling print at the top from HEN&CO. etsy store, food images from hilaryclair}