Thanksgiving Prep

Back in September when I volunteered to have Thanksgiving at our house, I think David was a bit worried.  A few weeks later when I committed to doing the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day, he really began to doubt my sanity.  I was convinced though that with sufficient preparation, lists, and crockpots, we could pull it off!

 Many important tasks were started up to a week before Thanksgiving.  Things that just had to be done - like taking every dish from these shelves and washing them. ;)  Okay, I'll be the first to admit that some things that I do to get ready for company don't make a bit of sense.

 They day before, I peeled, boiled, and mashed 6 pounds of potatoes.  That turned out to be a little much for 13 people, but there's nothing wrong with extra mashed potatoes!

 I knew better than to take on the task of making gravy, so we tried (and disliked) a jar variety.  David bought this at Sam's, and after making a sample batch, we declared it a winner.  We did not foresee that I would get distracted on Thanksgiving Day and boil it over on the stove.  What a mess!  Thick smoke and gravy that I thought would NEVER come off the stovetop.  By the time the first guests arrived, though, the smoke had cleared and David had scrubbed the stove clean.

 I even learned to make coffee!  We received this coffee maker as a wedding gift, and hadn't yet used it.  Coffee turned out not to be too hard to make, and my Dad declared it "pretty good" and "better than McDonald's" - which he drinks every day.

Riley does not like change, and the folding table in the kitchen was just almost too much for him.  I can't remember if it was before the gravy debacle or after, but Gracie made a failed attempt to jump on the table, pulling the tablecloth and a couple of dishes off with her.  The only casualty was a really cute pumpkin plate that was a wedding gift, but I was still thankful that the plate was empty and that I didn't already have the jello sitting out!

I was pretty worried about having a house full of people AND an excited dog, so when Todd offered to dog-sit, I was so relieved!  I love that dog, but not having to worry about him jumping on people or eating off anyone's plate took a lot of stress away!