HappyTummy              

After four days of hosting my in-laws, hanging out with my visiting sister, shopping, eating and lots and lots of cooking and baking, I’m exhausted. But what a great weekend it was…I’m so sad it’s over and that I have to go to work tomorrow!

This year was my first hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and I have to say, it was so much fun. It certainly wasn’t my first big sit-down dinner–my mother, sister and I usually cook Christmas dinner for 11 adults–but it was the first sit-down dinner I’ve made for my in-laws, which made it especially important. And because my father-in-law is a vegetarian, I wanted to make sure that besides the turkey, everything else was vegetarian-friendly. So after weeks of thoroughly researching various recipes for that perfect menu, I settled on this:

Appetizer
Asparagus Spirals

Entree
Buttermilk Brined Turkey 
with Vegetarian Gravy and Cranberry Relish

Sides
Leek-Celery Root Stuffing
Broccoli Casserole
Vibrant Tasty Green Beans
Yams with Ginger and Scallions
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Sauteed Sweet Corn with Basil

Dessert
Thanksgiving Twofer Pie
(see my earlier post)

Unfortunatey, I wasn’t able to get pictures of everything…things move fast when people are starving! :) I was really happy with the way everything turned out–my favorites were the stuffing and the yams. And although it seemed like a lot for just seven adults, it was actually the perfect amount of food, because there was enough leftovers for B, my sister and I to eat for dinner the next day…and aren’t leftovers the best anyway? :)

Thanks to my wonderful husband for being my dishwasher and kitchen cleaner when I whipped through all the cooking that day. And thanks to my sister for helping me plan and cook everything–spending time with her in the kitchen is always so fun. And finally, thanks to my in-laws for coming to our place and helping us celebrate Thanksgiving!