Happy Thanksgiving week, people… are you ready? Are you hostessing or attending dinner elsewhere?
I have been doing Thanksgiving for strays for easily 20 years or so. This year is no exception– though we do have a number of good friends who attend annually and no longer count as strays at all– so I’m getting ready for about 20 people. It’s nominally a “pot luck” dinner but that means two people are bringing a dish (an appetizer and sweet potatoes) and probably two other people will bring desserts and someone else will bring wine… which is fine, I really like to cook and I have it down to a method. I do my grocery shopping well in advance and have a meticulously-listed plan telling me all the things I need to do each day leading up to Turkey Day so I don’t ever get overwhelmed. It also has a minute by minute, play by play schedule for the day of, starting at 5am (walk one hour) and concluding with “run sink of hot soapy water and start coffee when dinner is finished.”
So for instance, yesterday I chopped celery and onions and sauteed it with herbs for the stuffing… chopped and fried bacon for garnishing the brussels sprouts… prepped ingredients for the enchilada casserole for Tuesday’s dinner with my British houseguest… and sorted out linens, table decorations etc. Tonight, I take the turkey broth I made on Friday out of the freezer and use it to make a gravy base with some nice dark roux, and then on Turkey Day I just finish it with the deglazed juices from the pan. I’ll also slice the brussels sprouts, trim the green beans, and make a banana bread and a cranberry-orange-pecan bread. And hope I have time for a pedicure tonight, as well.
Tonight will be day four of FSH stims for this ER cycle. Last time I didn’t notice boob soreness but I feel it this time! and my tum is already feeling pooched out. I hope this means my follicles will all have eggs in them this time. (Since we’re not changing anything about the protocol, I’m doubtful on that score, but whatever. I trust Dr. B and we made 3 blasts last time, so I will be over the moon to get 3 more this time.)
How are you?
Wow….you are a busy woman. I haven’t even started my prep yet. I’m bringing a pumpkin pie (new recipe) and green bean dish to my in-laws. Best of luck with your stims and retrieval! Happy Thanksgiving!
Your dinner list is making me hungry. Good luck on the last week before ER! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
I’m like – detailed lists and schedules. I’m cooking everything this year in our new home, including a 27lb turkey! LOL. Fx for lots of egg filled follies!
holy cow. I think I am the stray – I just go to friends houses bc I hate cooking.
Fingers crossed for lovely follicles!
Whats your fav recipe??!! Yah for ER!!
you are a machine, lady. And I love anyone who can get banana bread and pedicure in the same sentence. Hope it all went smashingly.