A Silly Goose Farm Thanksgiving - 2011

Another Thanksgiving come and gone. It's hard to believe that 2011 is almost over, but I'm very much looking forward to saying au revior to this year and welcoming 2012 with open arms. Until then, how about a little retrospective on the 2011 SGF Thanksgiving celebration?

This year's dining crew was the same as last year's, except Eric was big enough this year to sit at the table with us (well, sort of at the table -- he kept trying to stick his hands in the mashed potatoes and dump the gravy boat over his head).

I made place cards out of cardstock, vintage bird images, and alphabet pasta (yes... alphabet pasta. Listen, I had to get some Martha OCD out at 2am on Thanksgiving while the pumpkin pie was cooking, okay?). I used a similar method to make a "pie banner" (see pictures below). I got my inspiration here.

I tried to keep the tablescape relatively un-fussy. Some pumpkins and gourds for centerpieces, plus my turkey candlesticks I thrifted from Goodwill, paired with fresh-pressed linens. My $30 collection of antique china, vintage silver, and wine glasses topped of the look.

The menu wasn't too complicated, either (and almost all ingredients came from within 150 miles of our table). Here's what I made:

Maple and Cider-Glazed Turkey

Mashed Potatoes

Apple, Onion and Sage Stuffing

Pan Gravy

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Grapes

Roasted Carrots

Cranberry Sauce

Biscuits

Herb Compound Butter

Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie (made by my mom)

Vanilla Whipped Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream

Rub some herb butter under the turkey skin and roast it breast-down for maximum juiciness

Brussels Sprouts - Best part of the meal

The feast came together pretty well! Except that my oven went on palliative care mid-point in cooking the turkey, so I had to microwave the poor bird. Based on how moist and tender the gobbler actually turned out, I might nuke the turkey every year! Thankfully, that was the only hiccup of the day (unless you count my temper-tantrum in the kitchen when I noticed the turkey was uncooked and the fact that the dog almost ate half the meal off the table before we sat down). We paired the meal with a lovely Sparkling Riesling. A few more pictures to illustrate:

Based on this face, the meal was either really good or completely awful

Edith playing with her food...

...and Grammie threatening her.

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving feast, too, and that you have counted all your blessings many times over. This year, I'm especially thankful for my independence and will to always strive to be better and achieve great things. I think that theme will continue into 2012 (and of course, I'm always thankful for my family, friends, and lovely readers like you! Thanks for reading along :-). I posted some ideas for a secular grace over on the Eat Local blog, if you'd like to take a look. If you have questions or requests for recipes, please leave a note in the comments or find me on Twitter or Facebook. Now... bring on December!