Happy Thanksgiving!

How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was great, a terrific day, though I did feel some irritation when my carefully-timed food preparation was snafu-d by the turkey coming out of the oven early, and I rushed around making tarragon-cream gravy, mashing potatoes, cooking green beans, and heating up biscuits all at the last minute. Other than that, though, a fantastic day.

I put up the tree the night before for a little bit of festivity. I keep this ornament on the mantle all year long, so it was the first ornament hung on the tree. The wonderful artist Michelle Grayum made it and gave it to me last year.


I made my biscuits in the morning. I'm so proud of myself! After watching one of John Besh's shows on PBS, I learned how to get fluffy layers, and these biscuits came out SO tall.


Mr. Calm decided to make a triple chocolate cake to accompany my streusel-topped pumpkin pie, and YD's truffles. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that all-purpose flour (what we have) isn't the same as self-rising flour (what we don't have). Hence, he baked The Flattest Cake in the World. They accompany his Family-Famous Flattest Biscuits in the World, which he made four years ago for Thanksgiving.


Ah, a feast! We went shopping yesterday and didn't eat at home, so there's still a ton of leftovers. Anyone want to come over and help us make a dent in this?


Of course all our animals were around. Salem, who's been feeling under the weather lately, still has somewhat of an appetite, and he watched the culinary activity with great interest.


And here's the family, minus the Picture-Taker, waiting to start eating. It had to wait a minute or two more, because we went around the table and gave thanks. The theme was pretty common: we're all really thankful that we're together this year. T. added that he was thankful YD ate his French fries in high school.



And here's the birthday girl! Pippi was born in November, so we assigned T'giving as her birthday. She clicked constantly around the table, awaiting her plate, which she finished in about one minute flat. Because of the flash, I have no idea what's on YD's fork. Mashed potatoes, maybe?


I hope each and every one of you in the U.S. had a Happy Thanksgiving, too! :)