And perhaps even to those who were there and wish they could relive it.
Although we wouldn't be eating our dinner until late afternoon, a couple of turkeys showed up anyway.
The menu for breakfast had been planned out with care:
Oh yes, I forgot to mention. Thanksgiving breakfast with my family is dessert, not breakfast.
Let me repeat. We eat desserts for breakfast.
Yes, that was plural. DessertS.
Now, before you begin thinking my family as totally crazy there is, of course, a story behind the madness. When I was growing up, my Aunt Linda (whom you may remember from this post) and my mother would talk on the phone as they began their Thanksgiving feast preparations early in the morning. The overwhelming temptation to taste their freshly baked pumpkin pies was among the highly important conversation topics. Then one Thanksgiving, my aunt had enough. When she called my mother that morning she told her, "Kathy, I did it. I ate some of the pumpkin pie for breakfast!". My mother joined in and soon the entire family was partaking in the tradition of eating dessert for breakfast on Thanksgiving.
My Aunt Linda has passed on. Continuing the dessert tradition, in a way, is a piece of her still with us. When I got married, I wanted to have Thanksgiving breakfast at my house. I get a little carried away, and, well, Thanksgiving breakfast is no longer just a few simple pies.
It's apple cider donuts.
Chocolate trifles.
Pumpkin and chocolate chip bundts.
Cherry cheese pie.
Chocolate chip cookies.
And more! It is with great sadness that I admit I didn't take pictures of the apple dumplings, the better-than-pumpkin-pie, or the delicious cinnamon rolls that my SIL, Kristina, and I worked painstakingly on during Thanksgiving Eve.
This Thanksgiving I had a "mini" theme going which is why most of the desserts pictured are bite-sized or in quantities of more than one.
Somehow, each year, despite the second and third helpings of dessert that we all enjoy, we still find the energy and drive to want to eat more only a few hours later.
If the dessert pictures were hard for you, this will probably be worse.
You've been warned.
This is contestant number one: the deep fried turkey.
But oh wait! What is that behind contestant number one?
It's everything you thought it was. Contestant number two: the roasted turkey.
Unfortunately, there is no heart warming story behind the fact that my family makes two turkeys every year for Thanksgiving. It is simply this: we like deep fried turkey, we like roasted turkey.
All we want is everything. That's not to much to ask, right?
This year, my parents purchased a new turkey fryer. The last one could only fry a 13-pound turkey. The new one fries a 20-pound one.
So of course, we got a 20-pound turkey to deep fry.
It was a little hard for dad to get the other turkey out of the roasting pan.
I forgot to mention, the roasted turkey was 24-pounds.
I'm not sure what method of turkey lifting he is trying here.
All I know is I was really worried for the safety of that bird.
Even Justin was worried.
Carving a turkey has become a full family event. It started as a special time between me and my dad, yet it has evolved into quite the show.
Some people work a little harder than others.
But this is always the end result.
I'm going to level with you here. That's my fork in the bottom left corner of this photo.
I'm not ashamed. This is the way I eat turkey.
Never at the table.
Never on a plate.
Once both of those 20-pound delights were carved basically bare, that was when I really began to dig in.
After all, right up against the bones is where the best pieces of meat are.
It's all about waste not, want not, right?
I hope your Thanksgiving table was as plentiful as ours! I must admit, I'm longing for next year already.
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