A Thanksgiving Saga

Our story begins on Wednesday afternoon.

Mommy agreed to supply pies and rolls for this year's Thanksgiving repast. She searched through cookbooks old and new. She studied recipes from Martha Stewart, Betty Crocker, and our friends to the north. She pulled out a ridiculously easy pie crust recipe . She settled on a Betty Crocker Pecan Pie. She carefully chose a Martha Stewart Pumpkin Pie. She pulled out a jar of apple pie filling she (watched) her sister and her sister's MIL put up in the fall of '06. (A great year for apples!) She went to work.

With BBJ underfoot, it took all day, but she finally got it done. With the threat of a burned baby lurking at every open oven door, she took to relegating BBJ to the "toy chest" (playpen) while the oven was open. The visits to the "chest" were as short as possible, and BBJ never even realized she was prisoner.

At the end of the day, BBJ could smell the pies. She could see the pies. She just couldn't eat the pies.

Everyone went to sleep with the smell of toasted pecans still stuck to their clothes.

They all slept marvelously, rolling out of bed around 8 am. Daddy and BBJ sat down to watch the Macy's Day Parade. (BBJ enjoyed the music. Is she, possibly, the youngest teeny-bopper in existence?)

Mommy worked on making her rolls - a ridiculously rich dough that should only be consumed on holidays. (Or, in the week prior...twice...just to try to get the recipe right. Chef sends her apologies to everyone who was subjected to her rolls this week!)

While the rolls were busy rising, Daddy and BBJ settled down for a pre-turkey nap.

When the rolls were golden and delicious, it was time to hit the road. We packed four dozen rolls, three pies, two sticks of butter, one jar of jam and one pie server into the little red car and took off, over the hills and through the woods, to Grandmother's house.

Dinner was amazing - turkey, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, salad, rolls, cranberry sauce and spiced cider. Plates were so full, seconds were a must, just to have a taste of everything! The evening ended with three slices of pie apiece (you have to taste everything, right?), topped with fresh whipped cream.

A very happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and welcome to my favorite time of the year - the Holidays!