Lazy Thanksgiving

Often in the hecticness of two working parents, it's easy to forget how completely blessed I am. I have two wonderful families -- mine and Phil's; two healthy, good kids; a job that I generally like and that keeps us from wondering where the mortgage payment will come from; great friends who are loyal and consistent, even if we can't get together as often as we'd like. It's beautiful to me that there's a national holiday to celebrate all that we have and all that we're grateful for, and that the celebration centers around food. Lots of food. I love it.

Today's going to be pretty low-key, and the meal's low-effort. It's just us, M & T, and Phil's parents for the day. We're having a bigger family gathering on Saturday with Phil's side of the family -- we won't be going to Michigan to see my family until Christmas.

I've been passing holiday menus back and forth with a couple of friends, and have decided my day is going to be the easiest and laziest of all. I think the food will be great, though. Here's what we're having:

• Curried pecans, olives, and a vegetable tray: Olives are purchased, I made the curried pecans yesterday (I'll post the recipe later this week), and Phil's mom is bringing the vegetable tray. So it's all done.
• Grilled Cornish game hens stuffed with wild rice stuffing: I brined the game hens overnight because a co-worker said it makes them incredibly flavorful. Phil's consulting a great grilling book called Taming the Flame to figure out how to keep a flame going for 90 minutes. I need to make the stuffing and stuff the birds, but the stuffing's a cinch, and there are only five little birds to stuff.
• Cranberry relish: Just a low-fat mixture of a bag of cranberries, 2 peeled and seeded oranges, 1 cup of chopped scallions, and 2 Tbsp sugar. Whir it up in a blender or food processor until it's a smoothish consistency with little bits of fruit still left in it. I made this yesterday.
• Waldorf salad: Phil's mom is bringing this. She makes a mean Waldorf salad that I think might have derived from a recipe in her high school Home Ec class; you don't mess with the classics.
• Roasted Brussels sprouts: I just have to cut them from the stalk, pour onto a big baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt. Then bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, sprinkle with more salt, and serve.
• Roasted potatoes: Same as the Brussels srouts except I'll add some minced garlic and bake for about an hour. So those will bake together.
• Homemade bread: Phil's dad is a fantastic baker and is bringing some great bread. He even made a couple little loaves for the table to go with the "little chickens" (as M calls them) we're having for supper.
• Crustless pumpkin pie: I made this yesterday. It's low-fat, smells great, and the recipe's here. Can't wait. Phil's mom is bringing some whipped cream to go with.
• Apple crisp: Like the roasted vegetables, this is a Barefoot Contessa recipe. I made the sugar mix to sprinkle on the cut-up apples yesterday and put it in a little bag. I also made up the topping and put it in another bag. So today I'll just cut the apples, add a little lemon juice, mix it with the flavored sugar, pour it in the casserole, top with the second pre-made mix, and pop it in the oven.

I'm seeing some cranberry wine and good socializing in my future...

I'll post tomorrow about how it all went. If you get a chance, post about your Thanksgiving.

I hope you have a great day!