Thanksgiving 2012

Despite having to work on Thanksgiving day and battling with our lame excuse of an oven, Thanksgiving happened at the Thomas house!!  Yes, we had to overcome all odds for our turkey dinner, but overcome we did and our turkey and all the good stuff that went with it were delicious (and will continue to be for the next few days I think!!)

Hot Apple Cider than bubbled away all day...very autumnal, very yummy!

We started collecting all the goodies we needed weeks ago.  The grocery stores here are sort of hit and miss...they have something one day, and the next it disappears off the shelves forever.  We have been learning the hard way that when we see something we want or may need in the future, we buy it.  If we wait for that day in the future it may not be there anymore.

I spent the week leading up to Thanksgiving mixing up all of my great grandmother's recipes so that we would have the perfect thanksgiving.  We would be celebrating on the Friday after since we both had to work on Thursday, but that's beside the point.  The point was, on Thursday night, after I had chopped all of the celery and onion for the dressing and the sweet potatoes and put them on to boil, the stove wouldn't light.  Not only wouldn't it light, but the stupid thing didn't even tick as if it were trying to light!!

It's all in the details!

So there we were, thawed out turkey, pecan pie ready to go in the oven, half made dressing and sweet potato casserole and no way to finish cooking any of them.

I HATE YOU OVEN.

We called up Carrefour because, thank goodness, we had paid for the 3 year warranty on that piece of crap in a moment of clarity when we first moved here.  Nope, they wouldn't send anyone out tonight.  No, no one was working tomorrow either.

I HATE YOU CARREFOUR.

After a minor mental breakdown, I had another moment of clarity.  The gas was working...we could hear and smell it coming out of the elements when we switched them on.  It was only the starter clicky thing that wasn't working.  Could we light it with a match?

YES, WE CAN!

Problem solved.  (For now).  Bryn went back to the store (for, like, the fourth time that day) and got some of the extra long matches and we were back in business (for now).

Friday morning we were up bright and early to put the bird in the oven.  By some amazing act of God, the oven stayed lit for the entire four hours, and we had a BEAUTIFUL turkey!

By another amazing act of God, the oven stayed lit for another hour (almost) - enough time to reheat the dressing and sweet potatoes!  The problem came when I tried to put the green bean casserole in to heat.  The oven wasn't having it anymore.  The thing is, ovens shouldn't have a choice in when to work and when not to.

Poor Bryn tried for ages to relight the stupid thing - a very hot job.  Eventually we had to put the green beans in the microwave to heat.

Next problem - who wants raw marshmallows on top of sweet potato casserole?  Um, not me.  Stupid oven.  Eventually Bryn managed to light the top broiler and we could at least brown the marshmallows...not all melty and gooey, but at least not cold.

Anyways, we finally called it done and served up heaping plates!

It.

Was.

So.

Good.

I do love Thanksgiving.

Bryn ate 1/4 of a turkey in one sitting and claimed he got the "turkey sweats".  I've never heard this term, but whatever!

Both of us were too full and tired to wash dishes yet, so we plopped on the couch to watch TV until it was time to get out the Christmas decorations.

Our Advent calendar!  We both wrote down ideas of Christmassy things we will do each day, and will take turns opening them once December gets here.

That's right.  We have become those people who put up the Christmas tree and decorations on Thanksgiving, haha.  The house is still in transition from Fall to Christmas, but it's well on its way to being very festive!!

Hope everyone has a very happy Thanksgiving and ate lots of good stuff :)

Maybe my favorite part of Thanksgiving...the leftover turkey sandwiches. 

Countdown to mystery Europe trip: 18 days!!!
Countdown to Christmas: 29 days!!!