Thanksgiving is probably my absolute favorite holiday, mostly because the expectations that are attached to it (in my family, at least) are minimal. In high school, I spent Thanksgiving at a ski team training camp in the rocky mountains. In college I spent it trying not to choke on dry turkey (because my grandmother cooks the turkey like it might fly up and bite her if its internal temperature is below 200 degrees*). The last few years I have spent it bouncing between my Aunt's house, the Grige's family, and this year, FINALLY, I was able to take charge of the bird and share it with friends.
I certainly missed my family, but man was it exciting to pick out that turkey and go to town on a trendy recipe from Bon Appetit for my friends! Not only that, but every one of the other three people I shared the meal with is a bad ass cook in their own right. We had everything from tofu paneer to vegetarian sushi next to our mashed potato/parsnip blend, sausage and cherry stuffing and cider anise brined turkey. It was AhhhhMAZING. We all ran a turkey trot 5k together that morning and every bite of that delicious meal was like rain in the desert.
I'm a big fan of cooking fancy meals and sharing them with loved ones, which is another reason I love Thanksgiving. It's like a sanctioned holiday where I get to go to the grocery store and splurge on fresh herbs and new spices and try new recipes and buy the fancy wine. In fact, I do the week before thanksgiving in grocery stores what most people do on black friday in box stores. It's expensive! My mint.com "budget exceeded for groceries" reminder was popping up in my inbox every 30 seconds.
But ohhhhhh, was it worth it! A good meal almost always is, in my world. If the Grige and I learned to appreciate Ramen Noodles and thought of Chipotle as a "nice meal out", we would probably have enough money to stop playing chicken with our empty shampoo bottles and live in an apartment with more than one closet. It's all about your priorities....
Double E
*My grandmother also makes the MOST DELICIOUS COOKIES IN THE WORLD! It is not a comment on her baking skills to say that she has no clue how to cook meat, she's just trying to save us all from bacteria a little too zealously.
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| This is my bird. I am the only one who was really disappointed that we didn't name it. |
I'm a big fan of cooking fancy meals and sharing them with loved ones, which is another reason I love Thanksgiving. It's like a sanctioned holiday where I get to go to the grocery store and splurge on fresh herbs and new spices and try new recipes and buy the fancy wine. In fact, I do the week before thanksgiving in grocery stores what most people do on black friday in box stores. It's expensive! My mint.com "budget exceeded for groceries" reminder was popping up in my inbox every 30 seconds.
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| My Cousin made these last year... They are awesome. |
But ohhhhhh, was it worth it! A good meal almost always is, in my world. If the Grige and I learned to appreciate Ramen Noodles and thought of Chipotle as a "nice meal out", we would probably have enough money to stop playing chicken with our empty shampoo bottles and live in an apartment with more than one closet. It's all about your priorities....
Double E
*My grandmother also makes the MOST DELICIOUS COOKIES IN THE WORLD! It is not a comment on her baking skills to say that she has no clue how to cook meat, she's just trying to save us all from bacteria a little too zealously.
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