A heaping helping of THANKS!

It was a a "two turkey" kind of day. We had fourteen people gathered 'round the Thanksgiving table, so we wanted to make sure that no one went home hungry. One bird was prepared in the oven in the traditional manner, and the second bird was grilled (to perfection!) on the Weber. Both were tasty. It took several side-by-side tase tests to determine which fowl was finer. No clear winner emerged, despite repeated samplings.

All of the traditional carb-laden offerings were present: sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, homemade noodles, dressing, and yeast rolls. Oh, sure, there was the obligatory relish tray, cranberry relish, green beans, and other healthy offerings, but this is a day when the carbohydrate is exalted. This is a day for comfort food at its finest. Let's not forget the pies that were present: peach, pumpkin, and apple, or the pumpkin roulade. Well, the pumpkin roulade WAS was almost forgotten since it had to be stored in the refrigerator in the garage. Out of sight, out of mind...

No one went home hungry, and the leftovers tasted even better on days 2 and 3.

 Twin smiles

Twin tables

 We went for a minimalist look for the table setting. I really like how the burlap made a nice canvas for the pumpkins, gourds, and twigs. I spent less than $10 on the burlap fabric for both table runners. Thank you, Hobby Lobby!

 Endless buffet

 The Thompsons -- thankful for togetherness

Smith Fam.

I'm thankful for my daddy!

I managed to do a little chalkboard art before Thanksgiving. I then had the idea that we would have our guests write something that they were thankful for on the board. This seemed less threatening (and less awkward) than having each person verbalize what they are thankful for as everyone is gathered around the dinner table. My plan worked! And I now have it recorded for all time. As you can see, we are a grateful group. I had to laugh at what my son added to the list. See if you can figure out what he is thankful for... :-P