Happy Thanksgiving!

My trusty cookbook

I have been a busy bee this week, preparing for my first Thanksgiving hosting family! I gotta say, I was a little bit nervous. I'm not used to cooking for more than two, and I've never made Thanksgiving food before (save for mashed potatoes, of course).  I decided to stick with a really simple menu. My parents got me a newlywed edition of the Better Home and Gardens Cookbook as a wedding gift, and lo and behold, it had four Thanksgiving menus--ranging from beginner to expert. I happily stuck with the beginner menu-- roasted turkey, garlic whipped mashed potatoes, home baked stuffing, green bean casserole, and pan gravy. Josh, who been a hobby baker the last few weeks, whipped up some homemade rolls on Wednesday afternoon. Josh's mother contributed some delicious homemade pies and cranberry salad.

I say that I made the turkey, because I looked up the recipe, arranged the ingredients, and kept an eye on things. But the reality is that I wasn't touching that raw bird in my current delicate state (hello nausea). Josh made the turkey. I just watched. I also don't do mashed potatoes. I don't know if this is normal, but in my household growing up, that was a man's job. So Josh made the potatoes as well. In his Kitchenaid mixer. So really all I did was the two casseroles and the gravy. And put together the menu. Am I a lazy host?

I was pleasantly surprised by how well cooking went. Turkey is ridiculously easy to make, as is stuffing and green bean casserole. The hardest part was probably finding a place to put all of the food!

Our Table. Note that there's very little food on it.
And yes, I did have a small glass of wine. Sue me. 

Buffet-style is more our style

I think next year I'm ready to move on to a more advanced menu. I had a lot of fun cooking for everyone and I was very pleased with the results. I think I'm going to try and serve a big holiday meal for Christmas as well, when my family comes up. 

Josh, carving his first turkey

My plate. A picture for my sister. 

We're going to try and brave the Black Friday crowds tonight to go over to Babies R Us and score a good deal on a crib. I'll post about my success rate later on. Wish me luck!