Thanks for all the fish!

Thanksgiving is about two things. Food and Shopping. (Apart from actually giving thanks and it is pretty obvious what I was thankful for this year, so let’s just skip that bit.) And we did both of that in plenty this weekend. Since we were hosting Thanksgiving this year, I planned a Thanksgiving with a French twist. Everything was made from scratch (except stuffing), everything was heart healthy. I wish I had taken pictures, but we were all so hungry, we just devoured.

The Menu

Turkey Breast with Garlic and Sage Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Roasted Vegetable Terrine with Lite Goat Cheese and hand shelled pumpkin seeds
Sesame Broccoli
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Creamed Spinach
Pilaf with Golden Raisins.
Hummus
Roasted Red Pepper Spread
Baguette
Ravenswood Zinfandel 2005

Apple Galette for Dessert.


So here are snippets of our Thanksgiving day and Black Friday.

Eat
Chat, exchange gifts. I get an awesome culinary book of appetizers from Williams and Sonoma. Chip gets an awesome arcade basketball hoop. Mom gets bath stuff, BigGeek gets wine.
Peruse Store Flyers for Black Friday deals
Chat
Supper – avocado sandwiches and potato-leek soup. Eat awesome pumpkin bread made by aunt in law.
Chat
Hindi Movie – Mujse Shaadi karogi (got this at the County library, can you believe it?)
More Store Flyers
Chat
Shopping Lists
Set Alarm for 5:00 am

Get up at 6:00 am, wake up mom and aunt-in-law

Aunt in law takes rain check, Mom and self head out to stores for early bird and doorbuster specials.

Buy $5 character pajama sets for Chip, $3 crock pots and coffee makers. Buy $17 Corelle sets for mom (who refuses to buy anything else nicer from say, Williams and Sonoma)
Get angry because the Estee Lauder $250 gift set is not free with a purchase of $29.95 but they are selling it for $48.00 on a purchase of $29.95.

Restrain self from going into Bodyshop and splurging to get over Estee’s betrayal.

Head home to feed Chip his breakfast and others too.

Feed and eat breakfast, shower and head out 40 mins away to outlet malls, specifically Corelle Outlet to beat the deal we just got.

Get better deal at outlet. Aunt in law and mom are elated and do a victory dance. (OK. They didn’t do a victory dance, but that’s because they don’t know how)

Mom buys a pair of jeans from Liz Claiborne, Self buys cable knit and cords from Ralph Lauren. BigGeek is hungry and thinks we are crazy and refuses to buy a nice sweater. Aunt in law buys tons of stuff from RL.

Realize I should have worn sneakers. The boots are K-I-L-L-I-N-G me. Look at heels. I have managed to wear them out with 6 hours of extreme shopping. Eat a sandwich and a salad. Feed Chip candy to prevent him from bawling out.

BigGeek offers to take Chip home. Other males decide likewise. The three female shoparriors are still undefeated. Head next door to IKEA. Shop in their market place for silly things like juice glasses and frothers. Realize its 6:00 pm. Check out and head back to the car. Realize its BigGeek’s and has no GPS. No idea how to get home.

Call BigGeek. He asks “Are you still at IKEA?” Trick question. Quickly reply no and prepare for outrage. Strangely what comes from the other end is a “OK, because if you were, I would have given you a turn by turn how to get out.” Yipee!!

Reach home. Make a quick din-din of Khichadi and Kadhi. Open a v-e-r-y nice bottle of Tarara 2003 Reserved Cabernet Franc. Load Dishwasher and retire with a heating pad. Everything aches.