Early on Thursday morning Matthew and I got up and got our turkey ready for his last hurrah. We got a fresh turkey from New Seasons this year, and I was really happy with it. I liked that there was no guesswork involved in defrosting, which is something I usually mess up anyways. We made an herb mixture to rub on the skin of the turkey. We mixed together 1/4 cup of minced fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, and oregano mixed with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. We also stuffed the turkey with orange and lemon slices, along with 20 sprigs of fresh herbs.
It looked delightful, and smelled so good once it was in the oven cooking. Michelle and Jason (Matthews sister and her boyfriend) got here about 11, and since we weren't planing on eating until around 2, we had plenty of time to just hang around and talk, which was nice and relaxing. Things really got going around 1:00 and with everyone helping to prepare side dishes, I was really thankful for the size and efficient layout of our kitchen. And the double ovens! It is really nice to all work together to prepare the meal, instead of just one or two of us doing all the work. Everyone was laughing and joking around, and as I worked I though how lucky I am to have such a great family. I don't have any of my own family around, so I am very thankful that Matthew has such wonderful sisters and a brother that accepted me into their family so readily. They mean so much to me, and I am so glad that we were all able to get together for this special meal.
Matthew and I carved the turkey together, and it was done to perfection!
We all ate until we could barely move, and then ate some more :) To work off all those calories Killian suggested that we play the Wii. It was a great idea and we took turns playing bowling, boxing, tennis and baseball games. Rowan is the undisputed toddler weight boxing champion! I don't know how she does it, but with her strange style of jumping and running in place, she managed to beat every adult that played against her, as well as Killian. It was highly amusing, and she was very proud of herself!
After everyone had worked up an appetite again, we headed to the kitchen table for some pie. Matthews pumpkin pies were a huge hit as always, and my chocolate tort turned out really well. After all that pie it was hard to keep our eyes open! We talked for a while more and then everyone packed some food and left around 7. I had a great day, the food was wonderful and of course the company was even better. I am thankful for great family, wonderful food, and enough leftovers to feed a small army!
It looked delightful, and smelled so good once it was in the oven cooking. Michelle and Jason (Matthews sister and her boyfriend) got here about 11, and since we weren't planing on eating until around 2, we had plenty of time to just hang around and talk, which was nice and relaxing. Things really got going around 1:00 and with everyone helping to prepare side dishes, I was really thankful for the size and efficient layout of our kitchen. And the double ovens! It is really nice to all work together to prepare the meal, instead of just one or two of us doing all the work. Everyone was laughing and joking around, and as I worked I though how lucky I am to have such a great family. I don't have any of my own family around, so I am very thankful that Matthew has such wonderful sisters and a brother that accepted me into their family so readily. They mean so much to me, and I am so glad that we were all able to get together for this special meal.
Matthew and I carved the turkey together, and it was done to perfection!
We all ate until we could barely move, and then ate some more :) To work off all those calories Killian suggested that we play the Wii. It was a great idea and we took turns playing bowling, boxing, tennis and baseball games. Rowan is the undisputed toddler weight boxing champion! I don't know how she does it, but with her strange style of jumping and running in place, she managed to beat every adult that played against her, as well as Killian. It was highly amusing, and she was very proud of herself!
After everyone had worked up an appetite again, we headed to the kitchen table for some pie. Matthews pumpkin pies were a huge hit as always, and my chocolate tort turned out really well. After all that pie it was hard to keep our eyes open! We talked for a while more and then everyone packed some food and left around 7. I had a great day, the food was wonderful and of course the company was even better. I am thankful for great family, wonderful food, and enough leftovers to feed a small army!