This week, I wanted to share a snapshot of our Thanksgiving festivities.
Like many families, we split up our celebrations into multiple gatherings to accommodate the various sides of our families. We had a brunch Thanksgiving morning, the main event Thanksgiving evening, a turkey trot, and a second Thanksgiving on Black Friday. Plus, we technically had a friendsgiving for the kids at the start of November and enjoys a “trial run” of the smoked rotisserie-style turkey that Robyn’s family prepared early in the month.
Needless to say, there was a lot going on this November.
Come Thanksgiving week, we ended up running into some challenges, but I am very grateful we were able to enjoy the holiday weekend anyway.
Rain, rain, go away
First, our annual turkey trot was rained out on Thanksgiving morning. Sad.
Joy, Robyn, and I have been gathering with our families to run, walk, bike, and stroll our way through Thanksgiving morning for four years now.
We were committed to still trotting, so we pushed the event to Friday morning instead of Thanksgiving day.
Aside from the rain, Joy’s family ended up skipping this year’s “race” due to illness, so the rescheduled event was quieter than usual.
Rolls gone awry
Leading up to the holiday, I encountered a few challenges preparing for the food portion of our gatherings too.
My first attempt at sourdough rolls – a recipe I have successfully made many, many times – flopped.
I chalk this failure up to a neglected sourdough starter. I had pulled my starter out of the fridge and tried to feed it and use it pretty quickly, giving it only a few hours to rest on the countertop. The resultant rolls were very flat and dense (though still edible and delicious).
Since I had tripled the recipe, this was pretty frustrating. But I fed the starter several more times and tried again, adding a little commercial yeast for added security.
Take two turned out very well indeed! I also made a batch of cornmeal biscuits, a recipe I make only at Thanksgiving, and those came out lopsided (but thankfully tasty).
More illness
Finally, our second Thanksgiving – a traditional dinner scheduled with my brother’s family for the day after the holiday – ended up being cancelled when my nephew came down with a nasty stomach bug Thanksgiving night.
Well, I had all the food prepared or nearly prepared, so we forged ahead. We called upon A.’s parents to come help us with our second feast, and Robyn and three of her kids ended up joining us after the turkey trot for some puzzle fun and lots of good food.
I packed up a doggie platter for my brother’s family – at least those who had an appetite! – and he was able to pick up the food.
While I really missed the opportunity to see my family members, I was grateful it was only a passing stomach bug and that other family and friends were able to come and dine with us so the food wouldn’t go to waste.
Of course, there were more minor challenges. My roasted vegetables were undercooked and crunchy on Thanksgiving day when we celebrated with A.’s extended family, and my apple crisp turned out dry for dessert.
But these minor annoyances are a great juxtaposition for the many blessings we have to be thankful for. Friends to trot with, family to dine with, and another day on this earth.
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Here’s the the holiday season ahead!