Friendsgiving!

One week to go until our favorite day of the year!  Saturday Thanksgiving!  3 fresh turkeys, 36 pounds of pastrami, 2 cases of wine and a lot of bourbon.  Poundcake, walnut tart, flourless chocolate cake, rosemary shortbread, pumpkin-toffee pie.  Mashies, green beans, cranberry sauce, roasted multicolor carrots, garden pickles, stuffing, salad, pumpkin soup, deviled eggs, wild rice waffles, crostini with goat cheese & roasted grapes, butternut feta phyllo.  Rye bread, corn bread, black pepper biscuits, grain stalk pull apart.

The planning is essential.  I start in the spring when I plant the seeds.  Literally.  The pickles grow in the garden and ferment in the pantry.  The carrots grow in the dirt.  Will we be having braised greens?  Better plant them in May.  The pastrami cures for 2 weeks, then smokes and steams. The starter for the rye takes 3 weeks to hit its stride.

We all know that I have issues.  Control and otherwise.  But Friendsgiving would be our favorite day of the year even if I didn’t have to start the actual work seven months in advance.  It’s our favorite because the house is filled with friends, family, food and booze.  There’s no end time, just a good time.