Family oh family. What joy it is to have dear ones surrounding us during the holidays, even stuffing eleven around my table for four (in the 7’x10′ dining room)! We have been so spoiled these last couple weeks. My parents visited for five days and headed home. Then Dave’s family trickled in for three until everyone was here to spend another four all together!
The beginning of last week, we hung out around DC. The cousins all got to know each other. In some cases, like the back of my car, the company was cozy! (And looks like we won’t need a bigger car until after baby number three. The Mazda comes through again.)
The Memorials at night are amazing. And vacant of the usual crowds, which adds to their amazingness.
Sometimes, after making baked pasta for dinner, then preparing chicken enchiladas for the next night’s meal, and then dipping carmel apples, and baking carrot soufflé, it will be midnight and someone will feel like donuts. So, you’ll whip some up using the biscuit recipe on your Trader Joe’s pancake mix. Fried, rolled in cinnamon sugar and eaten hot before bed. Because, why not?
Wednesday we headed out to our rental house on the water in Annapolis to meet the family flying in. There is simply nothing like waking up with the sun rising over the bay. I could trade my dream of a cabin in the mountains for one of a boat house on the water.
Grandpa Mike and Grandma Melanie jumped right in to playing and walking and exploring with their five grandchildren, all of whom are totally enamored with them both.
The kitchen at the house was in full swing a getting The Feast (as we liked to refer to the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner) prepared ahead of time. On we did the carrot soufflé, pie dough, roll dough, and apple peel/coring a day in advance.
Aunt Rachel and little Susanna spent a couple hours Thanksgiving morning working on art projects to be used later in the week.
I chopped fresh herbs, mixed them with butter and got my hands dirty under the skin of my first turkey. Then I stuffed it full of lemon, onion and whole herbs, trussed it up (using the bakers twine I had tied onto my gift for the gift exchange) and into the oven she went.
While things baked, simmered, boiled and rose, some of us took a walk down to the beach at the end of the street. Newlyweds Sarah and Ryan got “married” again on the swings.
Three and a half hours later, the bird emerged perfectly browned, and perfectly moist. It was a Trader Joe’s all natural kosher brined turkey, and I followed their recipe for a “really moist turkey” and they don’t lie. Oh, and the little hint of lemon and sage in the first bite that I pulled from inside the thigh to test for doneness. It was unforgettable.
The table was simple and interesting. I used the same materials for the tablecloth that I had for the napkins. Then I carried the kraft from the journals onto the flags for the carmel apple display.
Ahead of time, I had asked each adult to send me a list of one to three things they are grateful for. I originally planned on writing them around the edge of the tablecloth, but then realized it would’t hold much impact and might be busy. So instead, I wrote them onto the kraft paper and taped them as flags onto the top of each carmel apple stick. They turned into an impromptu game after dinner as each one of us grabbed an apple near us, read the list on the flag, and everyone tried to guess whose list is was. I could’t have planned it better!
Ready to give thanks, and eat.
Let me share the menu with you: Trader Joe’s really moist turkey, Martha’s cornbread sausage stuffing, classic yam casserole with marshmallows (Sarah, what recipe did you use?), garlic rosemary mashed potatoes, light carrot soufflé, crescent rolls (Melanie, what recipe was this?), and simple spring greens with tomato, cucumber and red onion.
And then my favorites, black olives for sticking on fingers, cornichons (from TJ’s), and apple orange cranberry relish. We also used gravy from Williams-Sonoma, but it was sort of disappointing. Maybe we needed more time for simmering down? I might just stick to making it from scratch, since it’s so easy.
There might not be anything better than toasted marshmallows. Makes me giddy like a kid.
My honey enjoying his 24 hours off of work for the holiday. It was so generous of the whole family to travel to us, so Dave could commute into the office on Friday and not miss too much of the fun. (Luckily, Dave is loving his job.)
Cute Susanna made us all chuckle when she went for the turkey leg. I think she got a few bites into it:)
My mister loves the mallows (of course). In fact, all of the kids went back for more…marshmallows. When we packed up the leftovers for the fridge, the yams had lost about half their toppings!
Baby Eliot got some special grand baby time.
The pies, oh, the pies. I generally am not a big pie person. Not that I’ve ever turned one down, but if I had to choose, I’d always choose chocolate mousse cake. Or a brownie. But anyway, the pies were delectable. Amy’s apple was the best I’ve ever tasted. Pumpkin pie is not at all my favorite, but somehow I managed to get a slice of this one down without too much trouble:) And the chocolate coconut was great…in teeny tiny doses. The concept is right, but I think it would be better with a thinner, more finely blended coconut crust (maybe 1/2 the quantity of coconut), and a lighter chocolate mousse filling rather than straight chocolate ganache. Easy as whipping the cream before adding it to the chocolate. I’ll take one for the team and try it that way, then report back. How’s that sound? I know, what sacrifices I make…
My baby is growing up. Eliot turned 5 months just a couple days before Thanksgiving, and he is just as divine as ever. And so happy, especially when watching the family perform at the first annual Thanksgiving talent show. Grandma Melanie almost got an Oreo from her forehead to her mouth without hands. Try that one at home!
Even though we all thought we’d never eat again, somehow on Friday we found our appetites and hit up Cantler’s with the Livingstons. These cute cousins were happy to be reunited.
Most of us ordered the lump crab cakes (a must try, should you ever go), but Uncle Ben decided to work for his meat and got cracking.
That evening, after a schmorgesborg dinner of leftovers supplemented by bbq pork sandwiches, we celebrated all of our birthdays with an Un-Birthday party. Rachel put up decorations, baked funfetti cupcakes, planned games and passed out gifts of wrapped up birthday cereal! It was awesome. Such a good idea for families like ours, that are living all over the place.
Throughout the weekend we were spoiled by gifts from the heads of family. One of them was a special tee shirt! M&M for Mike and Melanie! On the back is listed each of the 17 of us, and Thanksgiving, Annapolis MD, 2011. These made it an official family reunion, and Kate suggested the Christmas card say “We’re not plain, we’re nutty!” Hilarious.
(for this photo we set up three DSLRs on the fence across the stree, set to self-timer with 10 consecutive photos. Probably took 200 photos in 4 minutes. And most of them, at least on my camera, are pretty good!)
My little orange m&m’s.
Uncle Ben, called “einkle” Ben by Milo, started and finished the six-pound milkshake at Chick and Ruth’s. He shared a sip or two in the middle, but it was basically all him. And ladies, he’s available! Email me if you’re interested in a blind date with the food-conquerer and I’ll see what I can do;)
After man vs. food, we sent the men on their way with the babes for a couple hours so we could browse the shops along main.
I fell in love with a really cool, simple silk shirt, that I wish I would have bought. So today I went to the fabric store and bought the fabric to make it. Only in a dress…and in goldish green instead of honeysuckle…so pretty much not the same thing at all. Dang, I think I need to go back.
I fell in love with a really cool, simple silk shirt, that I wish I would have bought. So today I went to the fabric store and bought the fabric to make it. Only in a dress…and in goldish green instead of honeysuckle…so pretty much not the same thing at all. Dang, I think I need to go back.
It’s fun to get away, but always so great to be back with my kids. How could I resist this face? And that cowlick!? He’s going to be a heart breaker.
Saturday turned out to have the most perfect weather. We watched the sun slowly sink down over the bay as we, once again, played at the beach near the house.
Eliot is in that funny and sweet stage where he opens his mouth and sucks on whatever is in front of his face. In this case, my nose.
I just love these guys. And snuggling. And the beach. And days off. And Thanksgiving weekend. And the fall. And the sunset…I could go on and on.
What a little stud. Yeah, that one there in the hands of that other stud.
Dave and Milo finished off the trip by taking “throwing rocks into the water” to a whole new level. Of course Milo was thrilled and kept choosing new, bigger boulders for his dad to toss. Then he went back to building and smashing sand piles in the surf with the others.
As quickly as it began, it ended. One car rolled out late Saturday, then the rest drove and flew early Sunday. Dave and I packed up the final bags and boxes of stuff, loaded them in to our car and drove the short hour home.
It was a memorable week. A heart-warming, tender, comfortable and delightful week.
I’m so glad we got to spend such fun time with our dear ones. It ignited the Christmas spirit in my heart. I am excited to cozy up my home (once I finish unpacking and putting things back in order from ten days of visitors/vacation!) and taking advantage of the many opportunities I have to celebrate.
