Thanksgiving brainstorming!

It’s that time of year again!  I’ve sort of let November get away from me (somehow today is the half-way point) and I have about a week to prep for Thanksgiving.  I have already ordered a turkey from Porter Road Butcher, but until this morning had not actually put together a menu.  I’m probably going to consult some cookbooks when I get home, but here’s the tentative plan —

Make an Alice Waters-inspired turkey brine, and then cook the turkey with herbs and white wine.

Make Alice Waters’ cornbread stuffing.

Make gravy and a vegetarian gravy for Katie.  The regular gravy recipe I want to try is Ina Garten’s and calls for cognac and heavy cream.

Make a bourbon (or possibly cognac or brandy) vanilla cranberry sauce.

Make caramelized shallots.

Make sweet potato casserole, and mashed potatoes.

Make honey butter rolls.

And make Grandma’s Magic Chocolate Pie, of course.

Katie said she could bring some green vegetables, and maybe another pie.  And wine and cheese.

I’m sad that Stephen won’t be there this year, and not just because he won’t be there to help with paying for groceries (ha, ha)!  At least I’ll be able to sit around playing video games that weekend and eating Thanksgiving leftovers without feeling guilty, though!  (If you’re reading this, I will definitely miss you.  I’m just trying to make myself feel better about not being in London.)

So far my Thanksgiving schedule is thus.

Saturday/Sunday

Go grocery shopping

Clean out the fridge before grocery shopping

Get Thanksgiving stuff out of garage (e.g. roaster etc)

Make pie crust(s)

Monday/Tuesday

Make cornbread for stuffing

Chop veggies for brine, stock

Make cranberry sauce

Clean house, prep linens, centerpiece, etc

Wednesday

Take Stephen to the airport

Pick up turkey

Brine turkey

Prep stuffing

Prep sweet potato casserole

Prep mashed potatoes

Make pie

Make whipped cream

Thursday

Make stock

Make turkey

Make rolls

Caramelize shallots

Make gravy

Make mashed potatoes

Bake stuffing

Bake sweet potato casserole

Set table, etc etc etc….

 

I think that just about covers it!  I guess I’m done planning, then?  Already wrote out my grocery shopping list too.  I need to work on dragging out my planning sessions a little longer….