Thanksgiving

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We've heard some reports and would love to hear more about the get-togethers!

We had our Thanksgiving meal yesterday. I had cooked all the pies in the days leading up and our turkey had been brining for a few days in the bathroom. The brine was to keep it juicy and give it a good taste. (I think it worked really well.) So yesterday morning we got up and started the oven, as well as really picking up and rearranging the living room, after a light breakfast of course. The turkey went into the convection oven unstuffed. We got the stuffing started on the stove top and prepped for mashed potatoes. John got a hair cut and shower and Edwin finally fell asleep around 11 am. Our two burners stayed busy as the stuffing was readied and the gravy started and the potatoes boiled. Of course, we got phone calls that made it seem as if our guests would arrive around 12:30 or 1 pm. I was waiting and waiting. The turkey was out of the oven covered in foil and towels.

We were looking out the windows, keeping an ear out for our rowdy bunch. I saw an airport shuttle van pull up, and knew that our land lady Frau Vogt was home from Tunisia. Ah! I ran down the stairs to get the stuffing out of the oven before she came inside. We weren't trying to be sneaky as much as respectful that she was just arriving home from a 2 week vacation and might not want her kitchen over taken. The stuffing came up and got the foil and towel treatment. The potatoes got smashed and got the treatment too. John started steaming veggies and the gravy was thickening nice and slow. I got more anxious (maybe I shouldn't have had coffee in the morning).

I walked with Edwin down by the pond to look. I should have sit and knit and I did some, but by this point Frau Vogt was laying down for a nap and I didn't want the door bell to be rung. I finally heard them outside. It was 1:45 pm. At some point I said to John. "We should have expected everyone to be late. But it's funny how in the US, for Thanksgiving, often people arrive early and sit around, maybe eat some snacks and drink. These guys don't realize that they aren't getting a real Thanksgiving." But even with the late arrival, the food was all pretty warm.

We were pleasantly surprised by our guests. We didn't know that Pablo (from Spain, but known from Finland) was coming, but he was welcome, and we met (I met) another student from the Master's program Jessica. Our guests were responsible for bread, salad greens, drinks and vanilla ice cream. They looked like they had bought the store! We thought we would have a bunch of leftovers, but not so. We reserved one bottle of white wine (from France) for us. Many people also brought various chocolate and desserts from France, some of which weren't even opened. The Frenchies also brought cheese. How could they not? Of which we have leftovers.

Everyone was very appreciative. At first it seemed like some people were anxious to leave around 6 pm, but they settled back in and everyone stayed until around 10 pm. We had dinner and dessert and many went back for seconds. Jessica and Venka played with Edwin a lot- speaking in German. Edwin took a nap around 4 pm, but didn't sleep too long. I knit until I finished the body and now have to buy double point needles. I cast on for another project. Edwin received a present from Pablo (and Pablo's mom!) -  a red knit hat and a red and yellow (Spanish stripes) knit scarf. What a surprise! It was great to chat with everyone about summer, about their semesters, about their thesis ideas, etc. We may go to a cabin in the Vosges mountains with Lisa in about a week.

All in all it was a good amount of food. I'm glad I filled the pot with potatoes and didn't make any more. I'm glad too that we moved the carcass to the bathroom (our spare space with lots of shelves, where the pies had been waiting) when it was time for dessert. When people came back for seconds the carcass didn't get picked clean. (Haha all mine!) I did make too much pie, but that's okay. Maybe we will freeze one and maybe we will have a good time getting together with our Freiburg friends and eating left overs. I'm excited about turkey shepherd's pie, with lots of gravy of course!

And now the wreckage. The recycling, the leftovers, the compost, the dishes. (Most dishes got done.) And more getting together today with our "French" friends. So, Auf Wiedersehen!