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| Turkey Chocolate Cupcakes |
What we did do differently is the meal. No turkey, no stuffing, no mashed potatoes & gravy, no cranberry sauce, no pumpkin pie. None of it. My husband, brother and father got together and pow-wowed about the dinner. They decided to do the non-traditional dinner. By the time they told my sister-in-law and I we were having perch and bass. Can anyone say VETO! I can do the non-traditional dinner, but it was not about to be perch and bass for the main course.
My father called to ask me if I would put together a menu and do the cooking. When all was said and done we got input from the little kitchen helpers (my nieces) and had a nice menu. We also came to an agreement that we would still have perch and bass, it would just be as an appetizer....and boy was it delish!
Menu:
Crown roast of pork
Twice baked potatoes
Creamy Gorgonzola brussels sprouts
Roasted green beans
Homemade rolls
Bourbon pecan pie
Cranberry pie
Apple cheesecake
....and the best most amazing turkey chocolate cupcakes (see photo above)
I have to put a little about the turkey chocolate cupcakes....These were made by my two nieces and my brother. They were the most amazing cupcakes I have ever seen. Tasted great too! These kids have talent, I see a cupcake business in their future.
I wish I had pictures of the dinner, but alas I was the cook not the photographer.
I spent the day in the kitchen, even getting help from the SIL....boy do I love her. She can make a great cocktail too. We managed to squeeze 12 around a table for 8 and all said what we were thankful for. I have to say there were some really great things said around the table last night. Many tears and lots of laughs. We had two Marine vets with us (my baby sister and her boyfriend) and my baby brother was with us in spirit since he is currently deployed to Iraq. So needless to say we were all very thankful for them and their selfless choices they have made for all of us. One of the things that was really special is what my sisters BF said. He told us how thankful he was to have all of us. With our crazy antics, corrupt sense of humor and all that goes with being a big family, he was thankful for us showing him what it means to be family. He had never experienced the "family traditions" like our family has. You see, we don't just get together for holidays to celebrate family and time together, we try to do it on a regular basis. He has been to many of our gatherings and can't believe how much we enjoy being together and how important it is to our family to make time for each other. We are very blessed to have him in our family.
My father is amazing. He has taught us what is important in life...family. It was so evident last night when he was saying what he was thankful for. Now mind you it is not often that he gets worked up over anything. He is the most even keeled, level headed, patient person I know. Last night he had us all in tears. He decided to tell us about a letter my brother had wrote from Iraq. He told my father that he was so thankful to him for teaching my brother to be the best person he could be. Well, my father, through the tears, told all of us how incredibly proud he was of each and every one of us and that we are who we are because of our choices, not because of him. Now, I have to agree and disagree with him. We are who we are because of our choices and because of his guidance and his complete faith in us. He has been an amazing father and I could not ask for more. He is my rock, my teacher, my guide, my Daddy. He is amazing! What he said was not just directed at me and my siblings, but to our spouses as well. He is proud and loves each and every one of us.
I guess it all comes down to what is really important. It is not the turkey, it is not the stuffing or the pumpkin pie. It is not the meal at all. It really is about family and about the time we take to be together. It is really a 4 letter word. Love.
