Best Laid Plans

Anybody who's been hanging out around here for any length of time knows that I love me a good list. I'm the Queen of Bullet Points. I enjoy using bullet points for the following reasons...

• They help organize my addled brain.
• They help organize my addled brain.
• They help organize my addled brain.

When I'm planning for a holiday event, oh, say...Thanksgiving, I make copious lists using copious amounts of bullet points, and sometimes...an ordered list. I enjoy using an ordered list for the following reasons...

1. It helps me remember the order...
2. in which I should organize...
3. my addled brain. 

So since next week is Thanksgiving, and Jimmy's Aunt Grace is coming to stay with us for 9 (9! 9! Did I mention 9?!) days starting on Monday, I have filled an entire legal pad with lists made with my favorite good pen. Lists such as...

Things to do before Grace arrives

• Clean porch.
• Steam clean carpets.
• Hang curtains in Jude's bathroom.
• Haul all the Halloween crap back up into the attic.
• Haul all the Thanksgiving crap down out of the attic.
• Hang all the pictures back up in the kitchen. [Did I mention that I repainted the kitchen during my blogging hiatus? No? Ah, another post.]

And...

Thursday Timeline

1. Make giblet broth.
2. Make chocolate pie.
3. Make sweet potatoes.
4. Roast turkey.
5. Whip cream for pie.
6. Make gravy.
7. Heat  stuffing.
8. Heat mashed potatoes.
9. Put together salad.
10. Carve turkey.
11. Put together Brussels sprouts.
12. Rolls! [Rolls gets an exclamation point because I always forget to put them in the oven!]

Many, many things to do. Very, very organized. But then...

Sinus infection. Sigh.

• Misery
• Z-Pacs
• Prednisone
• nasal spray
• DayQuil
• NyQuil
• Vitamin C
• steam, steam, steam
• Bed rest.

So every day I've been lying in bed staring at my lists, unable to check one single thing off them. Bummer, man. 

An interesting side effect of all this wasted time is that I have...

• Spent a little too much time shopping on the internet. We now own... 1. a new 6 foot folding table which I'm setting up in the corner of the dining room to use as a buffet (smart!). 2. a new non-lumpy mattress pad for Grace to sleep on. 3. a new dishwasher that actually washes dishes! Hurray pre-Black Friday sales!
• Fussed and obsessed over the Thanksgiving menu far too much. I mean, I have changed this damned menu so many times it's ridiculous. 

Here is the menu as of today...

• Turkey. Dry brined with this recipe HERE. Which I used last year to excellent results.
• Gravy. Oh man, Mama's Good Gravy.
• Cornbread Stuffing. With sage sausage and cranberries and pecans.
• Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes.
• Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon and Maple. Because...bourbon.
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Parmesan.
• Fresh Goat Cheese and Radicchio Salad with Figs. 
• Mama's Chocolate Cream Pie.
• Apple Pie.

When you look at this list, you will see the areas over which I may have had too much time to think. Like...pretty much all the side dishes are little outside the box. A little...chefy. No green bean casserole. But I don't care, they're getting their turkey and stuffing. They can give the Brussels sprouts and radicchio a try. This is a deviation for me, I am usually of the firm belief that nobody wants anything healthy or green for Thanksgiving. Just carbs and fat. But we'll see. It's something new.

You will also notice that I don't have any kind of appetizer on the menu. I have, over the past week, had about 45 different appetizers on this list, but I keep changing my mind. Nothing sounds good. Here are my issues with the Thanksgiving appetizer...

• I want something for people to nibble on, but don't want it to be too heavy so they fill up.
• Jimmy always wants something seafood because he's a seafood freak, but nobody but Jimmy and Lynn want to eat it. It's a constant argument.
• It needs to be something that I can make completely ahead of time - the last thing I need is more last minute work. I need a dip or something I can make the day before and just stick out, no complicated canapes that need to be put together right at the same time I need to be making that good gravy.

Does anybody have any ideas? Seriously, I need help here. A favorite Thanksgiving appetizer that is a real crowd pleaser?

So here I am, staring at my lists and hacking up phlegm when I should be hauling crap in and out of the attic. 

Rosa's here today (see previous post for explanation of this new member of the Second Blooming family), thank the good Lord. She took one look at me, wheezing and moaning and said in her kindest voice (and again, please forgive me if the voice of Rosa is a bit like Consuela on Family Guy)...

ROSA

Oh, you seeeek?

GRETCHEN

(sadly sick)

Yes.

ROSA

You cook turkeys?

GRETCHEN

Yes, everybody's coming here.

ROSA

How much peoples?

GRETCHEN

Thirteen, counting the kids.

ROSA

Is too much peoples! You cook too many food! Is too 

much work!

Don't you just love Rosa? She understands everything.

So how are your Thanksgiving plans coming along? Leave me a comment if you...

• Have an excellent Thanksgiving appetizer idea/recipe to share.
• Feel sorry for me and want to tell me how sorry you are for me.
• Want to come over and steam clean my carpets.
• Want to share your own sad story and don't have a Rosa to sympathize with you.

And check out other Thanksgiving doings over at the Spin Cycle at Lemon Drop Pie!

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Katherine M]

First, I am thankful that you are back to blogging. I have missed reading your stories. Second, I will have 13 people at my house as well, arriving Wednesday and leaving Saturday. I have lists upon lists, lists of lists. I would never be able to sleep if I didn't feel confident that all I need to do and remember is safely written down for my convenience. I do heavy appetizers that take the place of lunch and then do the Turkey and all the fixin's for an early dinner. The best appetizer recipe I have is an old Southern Living recipe for marinated shrimp. (Sorry it's seafood.) I, unfortunately, am not a fan of shrimp so I have never tasted it, but the other family members get very excited and ooh and aah while consuming the shrimp with gusto. The rest consists of cheese and crackers, olives, dry sausage, some random fruit, grilled asparagus, and pigs-n-blankets for the kids.
Good luck getting everything ready and cooked to perfection. Feel Better!

[Shelly Martischewsky]

I, too, am cooking this year, with a nerve issue causing terrible back pain, (surgery is Dec. 8), the best appetizer is a giant relish tray, pickles out of jars, crackers and celery with easy cheese and sliced summer sausage. make Jude make it. (yes,, easy cheese, the only time we ever got it as kids was Thanksgiving on the relish tray, so special) also black olives to put on your fingers.

[Shelly Martischewsky]

you could even put on some shrimp cocktail for Jimmy.

[Lynn]

I will happily take an appetizer bullet point for you! Want me to bring crab dip and crackers? Don't forget Isabella can scarf down seafood like a champ (so maybe I should bring shrimp cocktail, too).

[Becca]

I don't even know what I'm doing for Thanksgiving yet. I think I'm going to my aunt and uncle's house, but I'm not positive. If you want to do an easy appetizer, go with delicious cheeses and crackers. :)

[Ginny Marie]

Our appetizers usually involve Doritos, so I'm not a very good source for appetizer recipes!

Thank you so much for linking up to the Spin Cycle this week...I hope you'll write a Thanksgiving recap, too! :)

P.S. I hope you're over your sinus infection. That stinks!

[Lisa]

Another vote for the relish tray. We're big fans of random pickled things. Beets, green beans, okra etc.

[Arnebya]

I do not have an excellent Thanksgiving appetizer idea/recipe to share, but I'm going to keep checking back here for one. I'm going to adapt that Brussels sprouts one to add mushrooms and carmelized onions, I think. Oh, how I love them. I was thinking of a light salmon wrap of some sort too but I haven't found a recipe yet. I may just wing it.

I do feel sorry for you.

I would come steam clean your carpets. Alas, there's a bit of distance.