Our Thanksgiving was quite enjoyable.  My husband and I spent the morning cooking and working at a leisurely pace.  Arriving at our friends’ house just before noon, we completed the cooking of appetizers immediately, as everyone was hungry.  Both the Spiced Cauliflower and Baby Pears with Goat Cheese were hits.  In fact, my husband thought the pears were the best dish of the day.

After our hors d’oeurves course, we continued work on the dinner dishes and placed the turkey in the oven for the late in the day dinner.  (Note that although we only needed turkey for sandwiches, my husband felt that a 13 pound turkey was the right size!)  The Turkey and Cranberry Ravioli and Pureed Caramelized Squash were exceptional, but I thought the Wild Mushrooms and Spinach needed a little revising.  The taste of soy sauce overpowered the red wine in that dish.

Once dishes were done, the guys headed to the living room to watch a football game (AKA take naps).  The girls decided to enjoy a little fresh air and embarked on a late afternoon walk.  Returning with chilly toes and fingers, it was time for some coffee and cocoa and a piece of Banana Cream Pie.  The pie was tasty, but I think I will work on a few improvements before sharing this recipe.

With full stomachs and warm fingers and toes, it was time for a cocktail and board games.  In a game of Apples to Apples played boys versus girls, the girls won handily.  Other games were played while the girls enjoyed Cranberry Coolers, but their victory was the news of the evening. After several rounds of games, some diners were ready for a late dinner.  The turkey was carved, and several unique sandwiches were made, though sadly I can’t report a first-hand account.  I was stuffed at that point!

As the group’s energy was renewed from the turkey sandwiches, more games were played.  Thanksgiving day was nearing its end as my husband and I finally decided it was time to head home.  Thankfully, home was only 10 minutes away.  Filled with wonderful memories and food, we put Thanksgiving ’08 to bed.

Recipes from Thanksgiving will be shared in the near future.