thanksgiving dinner

this year was my first year cooking thanksgiving dinner.

it was the first year we didn't go anywhere for thanksgiving and also the first year we were celebrating by ourselves.

all of our local friends were out of town for the holiday & between work, school, and the dogs this is the worst time of year for us to travel.

actually it was nice that it was just the two of us since it was my first year cooking. there was no time pressure or worries about hosting anyone. and it's always nice to spend quality time cooking, eating, and hanging out together.

the plan was:

.. smothered brie for an appetizer

... stuffed mushrooms

... turkey

... mashed potatoes

... sweet potatoes

... green bean casserole

... caramel pie

... apple crisp

looks like a huge amount of food for 2 people.

and yes, we have 2 coffee makers on a very small amount of counter space.

charlie did the stuffed mushrooms and mashed potatoes.

i was also planning on making rolls but decided we had more than enough food without them.

i was most worried about the turkey since i had never cooked one and i didn't even think about looking up a recipe until about 15 minutes before i was planning on putting it in the oven.

all ready to go ...

and, done!

i think next time i'd let it brown a bit longer. but it tasted great.

and yes, that is henry's nose. what a well behaved dog :)

smothered brie.

i ate about 3/4 of this in 10 minutes.

and then charlie yelled at me for not leaving enough for him.

the L family's, stuffed mushrooms.

and my favorite part of thanksgiving, caramel pie.

the fact that i cooked something that has the potential to explode is nothing short of a small miracle.

and .... dinner time!

i had three helpings.

we had a great thanksgiving & even though we weren't able to spend it with family we did video chat with both families. as good as it gets without being in maryland.

hope everyone had a great holiday!