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However, a Thanksgiving that didn't include the foods I wanted in the way I wanted them to be prepared left me yearning to do another meal (even though I had a wonderful day in Delaware). So on Friday evening, I had four friends over -- including events editor Emily Wilson -- for a second Thanksgiving dinner.
I spent all day in the kitchen and actually did follow somewhat closely to the menu I laid out in a previous blog post. However, I did make a few changes.
First of all, as you can see in the photo, I made a chicken rather than a turkey. I did the because 1) There were only 5 of us, and 2) Even at deeply discounted rates, I didn't really want to pay $20 or more for a turkey. (There was an incident last week with my cat that involved the vet and about $800. Need I say more?)
However, I did make the sausage, apple, and walnut stuffing -- and it was GOOD! I last made stuffing two years ago, and it was lackluster. I was really happy this one turned out much better. I also made roasted garlic mashed potatoes, corn casserole -- my favorite -- green beans with a mushroom cream sauce (highly recommended), sweet potato rolls, gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.
My good friend, Jenny, ought a few bottles of wine with her, and we ended the evening by playing Trivial Pursuit. I lost - bad. Overall, though, an excellent Thanksgiving evening ... even if it was the day after Thanksgiving.
To finish things off, here's the recipe for homemade cranberry sauce. It's simple and tasty -- way better than the gel in a can.
Cranberry sauce with a twist of orange
1 package fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Juice from half an orange
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg
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Combine the water and sugar in a pot over high heat and ing to a boil. Add the cranberries and simmer until the berries start to pop. Add the orange juice and spices. Simmer for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat. The sauce will start to thicken while it cools. Chill until ready to serve.
