Our Thanksgiving, 2012

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving. It's the weekend before Thanksgiving and normally we make our own turkey, potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and the rest of the fixings the day before the national holiday. But this year Jeremy wanted to smoke the turkey in his meat smoker. 

Our menu today consisted of:

Smoked turkey
gluten free/dairy free mashed potatoes and gravy (see notes below)
cranberry sauce
citrus spiced green beans
pumpkin pie
pumpkin bars, gluten free/dairy free

As we have more children, we continue to make our favorites every year...like mashed potatoes. You can't have T-giving without mashed potatoes and gravy. But we've had to simplify a little. For instance, my favorite pumpkin pie EVER was entitled: Pumpkin Pie with maple whipped cream and sugared pecans. And it took about that long to make. This year, we had my standard gluten free pumpkin pie. No whipped cream, no sugared pecans. That way, I wasn't tempted to eat dairy and get sick. Jeremy doesn't like whipped cream anyway. I personally don't understand not liking whipped cream on pie. 

Everyone had to say what they were thankful for before we ate.
Audrey: my preschool friends
Allie: gymnastics
Jeremy: my family
Sarah: my girls. (and my amazing husband, of course)

My favorite part of the meal was when Allie wanted to eat the leg of the turkey. So, Jeremy cut it off for her and she ate it, just like a viking, and just like a caveman. Audrey, sitting right next to her, preferred to eat her turkey with a fork. This afternoon I sent the girls out to play while I baked pumpkin pies because it was unseasonably warm. Audrey danced around the patio, pretended to sing for an audience while Allie made it her mission to dig up all the garlic Jeremy planted a few weeks ago in the garden. She loves to play in dirt. 

Ava wasn't her self today. She's either cutting teeth or has a small bug. She's just been really fussy all day, but she was happy to watch us eat dinner while she snacked on her sweet potato puffs.

The girls and I made these little turkey place cards today. 

carving the turkey. I don't fancy up my turkey like the commercials. Jeremy smoked it this year, so there wasn't much in the form of garnish. Look at how Allie is licking her lips!

potatoes and chives, gluten free, dairy free. cranberry sauce. 

Sarah