Well, the T-Day Dinner countdown is t-minus 25 hours and counting.  Lots of stuff to do, and things being added to my list all the time.  Thankfully I have only one dinner guest coming, an ailing elderly neighbor who’s become an extended family member (a fuddy-duddy right-wing great-uncle, of sorts).  This is his fourth holiday meal with us, so he’s pretty familiar with the cook and the cooking.  He’s not going to get the nuclear-blast-clean household either, since he’s family.

In the past, I’ve always forgotten one thing when preparing the T-Day feast.  Like putting out all the turkey and fixings, pie, rolls, then discovering I have no wine.  Or forgot to put on the coffee, or something equally silly.

If you’re in the same situation as I am, confronted with the entire task of the T-Day feast, you’re in luck.  There are a couple of great resources to keep you from making my silly mistakes.  Check them out at:

Williams-Sonoma – they even have information about turkey roasting times and wine selection here.

Martha Stewart -- don’t laugh or snort with disdain, this woman knows her way around a feast.  Pies 101 and Wine 101 here as well as a planner.

So what’s on the menu at this house?

• Antipasto of vegetable crudités, olives and feta cheese
• Romaine salad with pomegranate, toasted walnuts and gorgonzola with balsamic vinaigrette
• Roast turkey with Herbes de Provence
• Chestnut stuffing with chicken-apple sausage
• Mashed home style garlicky potatoes
• Pan gravy
• Steamed broccoli and cauliflower
• Homemade hard rolls
• Your choice of pumpkin pie or rustic apple pie

Serving above with a vinho verde for starters, finishing with a cherry champagne produced in state.

Half of this is already done, just needs to be plated or heated through.  I think I’m doing well only because I don’t have a larger crowd to feed and this menu is normal faire around this house (except for the pomegranates, they’re delicious but a pain in the *ss!).  My 8-year-old is a great help, too -- knows how to set the table, great at polishing silver and checking the list for completed items.  The 5-year-old is learning quickly; his favorite task is running a little vacuum around the house.  I'll take the help whereever I can get it.

Tip: get a potato ricer, cuts mashed potato effort in half.  Don’t peel the potatoes, just scrub well.  You’ll have little bits of peel that end up in the potatoes, but that’s ‘home style’ for you – has more fiber and vitamins with peel anyhow.

Don't forget make the time to put your feet up and have a glass of wine before your guests arrive.  I’m going to have everything ready at 4pm except for the turkey and gravy, so I can have that last hour to myself.  At 5pm, the bird comes out and rests while I make the gravy.  Our elderly neighbor walks over at 5:30pm and presto, let the feasting begin.

Let’s hope it turns out just this smoothly for all of us feast-preparers <fingers-crossed>.  Best wishes to you, fellow turkey-basters!

4:31:27 PM    comment []