For foodies, Thanksgiving week is just about the biggest week of the year. Other holidays, like Christmas, are important as well but for different reasons. Thanksgiving is just about food and family. I can remember as a child our whole extended family would gather at my Aunt Janet’s house. I have no idea what time Aunt Janet got up to put a huge stuffed turkey in the oven, but by the time we got there, around noon, she would be busy basting that wonderful bird and the whole house would smell of Thanksgiving. A long group of tables extended through the living room, groaning with all the traditional dishes. Even at age 10, I was so proud that I could out-eat my Uncle Alan, a young adult.
The early days of that week dinners were kept simple because so much time was devoted to assembling all the side dishes for the big day and I do the same thing now. Sunday was the last day I really cooked a big meal, the rest was freezer food. Sunday’s featured dish was a Herbed Pork Rib Roast with the mandatory mashed potatoes and gravy.

One of our favorite side dished is Creamy Leeks Parmesan and I fixed that as well.
Meatballs from the freezer came in handy as a quick pasta topping and did double duty in meatball subs.

Emily did the majority of the Thanksgiving cooking this year. She was the one who got up before the sun to put a 22 pound turkey with Bread Stuffing into the oven. She also made the traditional Green Bean Casserole and Broccoli Casserole among other things. Aaron and Jen brought Granny’s Green Stuff, otherwise known as Waldorf Salad, and homemade cranberry sauce.  The Green Stuff doesn’t look very green in this picture, but trust me, it was.  My main contribution was Cornbread Dressing, Kelton’s favorite.
.
All in all, there was way too much food, but we certainly enjoyed it and had a good time.
Friday night’s simple supper was Clam Chowder.

Along with the Clam Chowder we had Red Lobster Biscuits. We really like that combination on winter nights, and even though it wasn’t really chilly outside it hit the spot.
Be thankful for what life gives you.