Friday, November 28, 2014

Only Leftovers---Post Thanksgiving Blues


Peeling Brussel Sprouts
Mom and Daughter
Well, it's over, the best holiday of the year, all that remains the leftovers.  And it's a sunny morning here in Lees Summit, clear skies, a pleasant 36º, as the temperatures over the weekend will be in the 60's.

Yesterday was your typical American Thanksgiving Day, at least that's what I gleaned from the various Facebook posts from all over the US and even in foreign countries.  Everyone seems to enjoy a turkey and Thanksgiving is a good reason to bake, fry, or smoke one.  We smoked one again this year and it was perfect.  Our friends in Maine, the Armontrouts and Websters, were eating oysters outside, watching their turkeys cook over a fire as the electricity went out.  It looked like fun.  Other families had the varied side dishes, always stuffing, mashed potatoes and a vegetable, probably brussell sprouts.  Lots of pictures before, during and after dinner and everyone looked happy and thankful and prosperous.  Wonder what it was like in families who might not have been able to afford a dinner.  None of them seem to be our friends or are on Facebook.
Sous Chefs
Practicing The Viola With A Human Music Stand
We had a late breakfast of eggs and pancakes, thinking it would be our only meal of the day and it was.  We then spent or I should say Mary, Marlena, and Evie spent a good amount of time getting everything set for the big meal while the boys, Tom, Nick, and I were ensconced on the couch, watching first, Kansas beat Rhode Island in basketball, then various NFL games on and off during the day.  Marlena has become quite the sous chef, chopping veggies and the like, peeling brussell sprouts, fun things like that.  Around noon, Tom put the turkey on the grill, added apple flavored wood chips and viola, we let it grill for close to three hours, basting occasionally, checking the temperatures.  I was getting too lazy, so I forced myself to get up off the couch, drag Bella outside, and go for a forty five minute walk around the community.  Bella is single minded, as we walk, never stopping, seemingly zeroed in on one thing...getting home.  Now, when I ask if she wants to go for a walk, she hides, or rolls over on her back, begging to stay home.  While we were out for a walk, Mary, Marlena and Evie put up the Christmas tree and decorated it.  And it looks real, despite the fact that its been put together in minutes by the guys, one of the wonders of the modern world.
Barbecue Boys
We decided, since Mary's parents were not coming to dinner, that we would not have any appetizers before our dinner which was a great idea.  We all started getting hungry around 3:30, more so by 4:30 when Tom started carving the turkey.  Thus, by the time we sat down to eat, Marlena and Tom had already had a roll...they could not wait.  Dinner was filling and tasty as usual, with an interesting twist on the brussel sprouts, thanks to Mary.  They were roasted, then baked with a gruyere cheese and milk mixture.  It went quickly.
Goofing Around With My Grandson In Our Matching Hoodies
The only real excitement of the afternoon, if you can call it that, was the two hours Tom, Marlena and Nick spent in a line at Best Buy where they were able to get 'deals' on Beats headphones and a sound bar.  Best Buy open on Thanksgiving?  They must be in trouble.
Three Crazies Head To Best Buy
After dinner, we all relaxed, watched some football and waited till about 8:00 to watch the movie CHEF, which we all wanted to see.  It turned out to be the perfect movie, funny, touching, a good story, with a happy ending.  The story line, a chef gets fired, loses everything, but makes a comeback with a food truck with the help of his estranged young son.  It's worth watching as a family with only 47 'bad words.'  We all went up to bed around 10:30, fat and happy, from pumpkin pie or cheesecake before the movie, a turkey sandwich after.  Another great day in Lees Summit.

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