First Turkey

I hosted a late thanksgiving dinner at my house tonight. It was a day filled with firsts. I roasted my first turkey ever, baked my first batch of homemade stuffing, and whisked up my first gravy ever. All of which I researched on line before attempting. (How did people ever manage before the internet???) Let me tell you, it was an all-day project. (The only photos I had time to snap were of my table setting. I didn't even get a shot of my first turkey before it got carved up.) I guessed, faked it, and improvised a lot. But in the end I must (humbly) admit everything turned out GREAT!

I had one of those cheater turkeys with the pop-out thingy to tell you when it's done. I had a timer set as well, and wouldn't you know it—that plastic button popped out just as there were 59 seconds left on the timer. Can't get it much more accurate than that!

My guests brought lots of stuff, too. Mashed potatoes, veggies, homemade dinner rolls (wow!), a pumpkin pie, and a cheesecake. Everything was just YUM. All in all I think it was a great night.

Most of the day my Mr. just stayed out of the way in the safety of his office, although he did chop mushrooms, and then washed ALL the dishes after dinner. What a guy.

The cat slept at strategic times (when my hands were stuck inside a turkey, for instance), and then woke up while the guests were here. She wasn't quite sure what to make of all the people, and seemed a bit stressed out. Now she's sleeping again, exhausted from all the excitement.

It's time for me to get some rest, too. I've been up since 5:30 this morning. I jogged, which took a real measure of will power. But tomorrow I'm giving myself a break. No jogging, just sleeping in as long as I can. (Which isn't usually very long.) :-(

I'm so grateful everything turned out. Phew.