Suzanne and Michael Are Getting Married: Thanksgiving, Part 2

So, our first Thanksgiving as an engaged couple was a success!

My sister and her dog stayed over for two days, and we calculated that we went through 76 beers and two bottles of wine. That was probably part of the success.

I’ve mentioned my wannabe culinary aspirations, but for this Thanksgiving, my first cooking, I wanted to keep it traditional- our traditions, the way my mom made it. (Except for the turkey. That was the only change.)

So I made mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, asparagus, rolls and my mom’s famous macaroni and cheese. She taught me the recipe a few years ago and I’ve been trying to perfect it ever since. She cooked like I cook- eyeballing it, not measuring, so replicating is all trial and error.

I’m proud to say that I think I finally got it right! My sister said it was fantastic and I have to say, it tasted pretty good. :) Thank you, Mom.

On Thanksgiving morning, Mike and I woke up early, watched some of the parade and then walked to the Food Bazaar to get some extra snacks (as well as the can of cranberry sauce my sister insisted on, if only for decoration).

It was weird being out in New York for a holiday- so many stores were still open, but the energy was so different. It was a perfect fall day, and we enjoyed our walk. We also ducked into a party shop and loaded up on turkey day paraphernalia. I think waking up to the parade and taking a walk through the neighborhood might be part of our new tradition together.

I ‘made’ the appetizer table just like my mom did, with a few small additions- brie and goat cheese in addition to the cheddar, and shrimp for Mike.

Somehow I got everything made, correctly, in the right amount of time. I know it’s not really a big deal, since all the dishes are basic, but the 6 dishes going on the table all have to be made at the same time (by the same person), so I was definitely worried. I'd bought a chef's hat while we were visiting Mumford's, and was wearing my mom's old Christmas apron, so I really had a lot to live up to.

But we pulled it off!

'We' pulled it off- here are my helpers, contributing.

Today, we plan to just lamp out on the couch, each with our heads buried in electronic devices- Mike’s on his phone now, I’m about to spend a few hours looking at OffBeat Bride Wedding Porn. I also found a bunch of locations to investigate thanks to their Bride Tribe. I will leave you with an abundance of our holiday pictures.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!