Thanksgiving Day

Our day began with a round of Pie Face. Much more fun than logic might suggest. Delightful for all ages. 

Early in the day, we decided to include GG in our celebration, even though she's hundreds of miles away in her sheltered-care home. 

A favorite pic of GG and JA from a few years ago. 

We took many more photos than usual to text to her, and we FaceTimed throughout the day. 

Here we're sending "cheers" her way. GG loves a good drink. 

The Fun Kids find a tight corner to play together. Where's JA?

There he is! Watching football with Uncle DM. 

Next, while the Fun Kids moms find spots to relax, the kiddos play another game together: Apples-to-Apples. 

Our turkey is in the oven. Looking rather angelic. 

The Apple Crisp with Oat Topping is hot and juicy. Recipe from allrecipes.com. The same recipe I made for CA in the early years of our marriage--from the red and white checkered Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. We ate this with vanilla ice cream. 

I sent this pic to family and friends to illustrate how I was spending my day. 

The beautiful 12-foot table that MA's dad built out of reclaimed barn wood is almost ready for our feast. Four generations of Carlsons and Smiths have lived on the farm in Waverly, Nebraska. This wood is from a barn that was recently disassembled and reclaimed in such a lovely way. JE and MA did all the finishing work themselves, and the table is beautiful. 

The instant-read thermometer said he was done. He wasn't, but we had enough meat for all. Next time we'll stick that thermometer into a variety of places before believing the turkey is done. 

Almost ready to eat. 

We had a wonderful meal, and a perfect family celebration of all the love and blessings our family enjoys. Our hearts belong to Jesus, our redemptive savior and Lord. God is so loving and kind to us. Great Grandpa died just 2 weeks ago at 95 years old. He's with Grandma now. (my parents). GG (CA's mom) had a close-call in September, but she's healthy and strong now, and truly enjoying life.

International Day of Thanks, Part 2

The People...

MK prepared beautifully, seating for 30 guests. 

Guests from 11 countries blessed our Thanksgiving: Rwanda, India, France, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, Slovakia, USA. 

The Feast

 

We are thankful. Very. Our family is abundantly blessed, and today is special as we share it with JE, MA, and the Cincinnati Fun Kids.

 

A Blessed Thanksgiving

 

Lots of thankful thoughts and prayers today... It's just the two of us, but we have a lovely day. Yoga for me in the a.m., then we work together to prepare brunch--a long-talked about Eggs Florentine w/our favorite tortillas instead of English muffins.

movielistmania.blogspot.com

Later we watch Moulin Rouge and head out for a meal at Jamesons' Original Charhouse in CL around 6:00pm. Wonderful food. NY Strip Steak for CA and Sea Bass in a lemon-butter sauce for me.

We're content to be home today--the weather is mild, the house is in order, and we have our yummy Tollhouse Tart for dessert!

Tollhouse Tart

 

We're eating out this Thanksgiving, but I'm still baking--for a friend. This tart is a favorite that I make every once in a while when we entertain our Small Group. The recipe was passed onto me years ago by a childhood friend, and I've adapted it a bit over the years.

TOLL HOUSE TART

2  Eggs
1/2 cup  Flour
1/2 cup  White Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup  Butter, melted and cooled
8 - 10 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate chips (best quality)
1 cup  Walnuts or pecans, chopped medium
Pastry for a 9" pie shell (we use Martha Stewart's Pâte Brisée, but Pillsbury Refrigerated Crust works fine)

1. Prepare Pâte Brisée .
2. Roll the crust very thin and press into the bottom and 1" up the sides of a 12" drop-bottom tart pan. Set aside. (I sometimes pre-bake the pastry for 10 minutes at 350˚; cool completely before continuing with assembly.)
3. Beat eggs until foamy.
4. Add flour and sugars.
5. Slowly stir in melted and cooled butter.
6. Evenly distribute a layer of chocolate chips, then a layer of chopped nuts.
7. Pour batter over top, making sure to leave 1/2" margin to top of pastry crust.
8. Bake one hour at 325 degrees.
9. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

TOO QUIET

Kids' table at GG's on Thanksgiving.

Liliana Grace

Jonah Allan

Kristina Faith

Lucy Elizabeth

Noël Joy

Levi Christopher

David and Majka

(Whoops! Missed getting Jenni and Matthew together. 

Update to come...)

After almost a week of family activity it is very quiet here this morning. CA and I are on our own after an early wake-up (3:45am) and driving both cars to O'Hare Airport for a 6:25am flight.

DM's family are on their way home to Orlando, while JE's family is unexpectedly in Cincinnati after three days in Central Illinois visiting GG and extended family. Cousins, cousins, and more cousins. Some of them middle-aged and older, but plenty of them just the right age.

Besides visiting great grandma (CA's mom), everyone (except Marielle) spent Friday dinner with my dad--their great grandpa. He raised 6 kids who in turn had a total of 13 offspring resulting in 26 great grandchildren, and counting... My sister and her husband (PM and MM) hosted a casual family evening at their home which included 7 of those grandkids and 15 of the great grandkids (14 of them 6 years and younger).

If you come from a large family, you need math skills to keep track!

This was the first time in almost two years that CA and my family were all together. In January 2010, NJ was a 2 week-old infant when we were in our home celebrating JE and KF's birthdays--31 and 2 years, respectively. Since DM's family resided in Bratislava, Slovakia until moving to Orlando in August and JE's family lives in Omaha, getting together was difficult.

But at GG's request, everyone traveled to her home in Eureka, including CA's sister's entire family of 5. We drove in or flew in from Orlando, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, Kalamazoo, and Omaha. GG's retirement community offers two 2-bedroom cottages for rent and a 2-bedroom lodge (basement!), which turned out to be spacious and comfortable and only 2 minutes from GG's cottage.

So, we gathered... GG's two children, their spouses, 4 adult grandkids, 2 spouses, and an adult step-grandkid talked, laughed, cooked, ate, laughed, talked, ate and interacted with the 6 great grandkids--ages 6-1/2, 4-1/2, almost 4, 3-1/2, almost 2, and 4 months. Lots of personalities and loads of energy. And, everyone was well-behaved. Really. Shockingly so. It helped that the weather, while cloudy most of the time was temperate and so the little kids could run off some of that excess energy.

We ate traditional Thanksgiving food, including home-made apple and peach pies and GG's home-made noodles and dinner rolls. We'd planned to order-in for a meal or two, but between all of us there were plenty of food options--including homemade soups and cookies, and Thanksgiving leftovers. No one got a chance to be hungry.

GG's brother, sister, and nephew visited on Friday, spending hours reminiscing and sharing genealogy details--details 17 year-old Hannah was keen to uncover.

We enjoyed every moment of our time with our kids and their families and while DM's has gone, we are anticipating an unexpected few days mid-week with JE's family on their return from Cincinnati. That visit is motivating me to deck the halls in preparation. There's not much better than seeing the delight small children express when they are surprised by Christmas lights and decorations.

Noël helps bake apple pie.

PREPARATIONS

My days recently have been mostly "hurry up and wait." D+M's family flies in on Monday morning and on Wednesday the family gathers in Eureka. J+M's family drives in from Omaha (can't wait to cuddle baby Levi), and LFW's family arrives from New Orleans, Michigan, and Colorado. GiGi's cottage will be bursting at the seams and overflowing. Between now and then there's a bunch of grocery shopping, some more cookie baking (molasses cookies and shortbread already in the freezer), and a bit of rearranging of the guest bedrooms.

The Huge Project is closer to being done--draperies arrive and will be hung on Monday afternoon. The two lovely lounge chairs require some adjustments by the upholsterer, but for now we're just happy they're in-place providing much needed seating in the great room. Not sure if the custom throw pillows are coming on Monday, but I've decided that any accessorizing can wait until the little girls are back in Florida. I don't have my mojo together, and there's just less to worry about by keeping things simple.

CA has been working more than he'd like, and found out yesterday that this will continue until midway through January. He's just happy to have a defined schedule for now. This very, very part-time work has escalated more than anyone expected. He's such a trooper.

BLACK FRIDAY

No shopping for us today. We do not contribute to the retailers' hopes of climbing out of the red... Our family gathers at our hotel for a group breakfast before LFW's family heads back to New Orleans. Sad to see them go; sad for them to go. The rest of us adjourn to the pool where the bigger little ones swim and play while LE has a nap in grandma and grandpa's room.

GIVING THANKS - Our Goose is Cooked

It is Thanksgiving and we are thankful. For giggling little girls and a squishy little guy, for healthy and loving children, and a very good life.

I sleep in while CA and DM go to help RK and EK move furniture! They have ordered red couches, a chair and ottoman. It is delivered, but not transported beyond the street. Of course, the large couch is a sleeper. Everyone has at least one and they are almost impossible to carry. We are happy to help and they are so appreciative.

CA and LG have made Martha Stewart’s pâte brisée for our pumpkin pie. At only 3-1/2 years, LG is very interested in baking and has to be a part of every endeavor. She and I mix the filling and we bake a beautiful tart. MK has adopted this American tradition, although she cannot convince her Slovak family to love it. In Slovakia pumpkins are pig food. We get even because we think the Slovak Christmas delicacy—Carp, the bottom feeding fish—is garbage fish.

Today we eat the traditional Slovak roast goose meal at Grobsky Dvor in Slovensky Grob. We gather around the table—DM and MP with their little girls, LG and KF; great grandma, and CA and I [the parents and grandparents]. We start the meal with foie gras, rye bread, and a beautiful bowl of pickled vegetables. We choose a local late harvest Riesling [Ryzlink Rynsky] with a fine result. It matches well with the appetizers and also the entrée. Along with the goose, there are crepes, browned in goose fat, and shredded red cabbage.

As with every Thanksgiving, the meal is over too soon and we are stuffed. How fun to celebrate in a new way and there is no clean up! Now, home to the pumpkin pie and coffee we have been anticipating for days. LG proudly serves the beautiful tart, but has no interest whatever in eating any of that pig food!