The Thanksgiving Menu

As a child growing up, Thanksgiving was a big deal.  A really big deal.  We always celebrated the holiday with our family.  Both sets of grandparents would come, my great aunt and uncle as well.  There would be games of cribbage, at least one jigsaw puzzle, maybe Aggravation and certainly some Phase 10.  There would be football and naps after dinner.  And turkey sandwiches for supper.

I married into a family that really doesn't do Thanksgiving.  Which made it easy which family to spend it with.  But then that family up and relocated to the hinterlands and left me.  One year we celebrated with friends.  Other years we've had Hubby's parents over or just celebrated by ourselves.  This year we have invited Hubby's parents and his aunts to join us at our new farm.

Here is what we'll be eating:

• A Pastured Turkey - thankfully I saved one from last year for when my mom came home.  But she didn't come home this summer so I still had it in our freezer when the Great Mountain Lion Attacks I and II happened.  I'm not brining the turkey, although the I've always wanted to.  Just roasting it with some onions and garlic.  
• Ham from our pastured pigs - So far, we've had bacon, sausage, ground pork and pork chops from our pigs and they have been amazing.  We can't wait to try the ham tomorrow.   No fancy glazes or anything on the ham, just baked in the oven.
• Mashed potatoes and gravy - It's not a holiday meal (or a Tuesday) without  mashed potatoes and gravy.  I'll do a pan gravy with the turkey trimmings.
• Sweet Potato Gratin -  I always try a new recipe and this is one that uses sweet potatoes but does NOT use marshmallows.  You wouldn't believe how many recipes I had to sort through to find a non-marshmallow one!  Recipe here.
• Green Bean Casserole - My sister got me hooked on green bean casserole when we were in college.  Now it's a Thanksgiving tradition.
• Creamy Confetti Corn - My second new recipe this year.  This one I can make on the stovetop and since oven space is at a premium.  Recipe here.
• Stuffing - Yes, we eat stuffing.  And yes, it is stuffed inside the turkey, not shamefully baked in a pan along side.  I took my mom's recipe, made some modifications and now it's my own delicious concoction.
• Pies - I'm baking apple, pumpkin and possibly pecan pie this year.  I've never done pecan because I don't like it all that well.  But my mother-in-law loves it so I'm going to try and give it a go.
• Homemade buns - I made them on Monday and immediately froze them so they'll taste fresh tomorrow.
• Relish tray - Of course, there must be a plate of pickled things:  cucumber pickles, pickled beets, etc.

That's it!  That's our Thanksgiving meal.  I can't wait to eat and laugh and share and love around our table tomorrow.  What and where are you eating?