Relaxing for Turkey Day

It's been almost a month since I last posted. The delay is mainly due to laziness on my part. Several things happened. Durga Pujo at Stamford, the elections, Diwali at two friends' houses, and going to see Om Shanti Om at Bridgeport. All of the afore-mentioned were hectic or fun or both and now it's time to get ready to eat like a pig (or maybe eat a pig, I don't know what my friends are cooking this year). The setting outside is really pretty here in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The late fall has left the trees deep yellow and red and even against the gray skies and the blustery winds, the colors are breathtaking.

I enjoy cooking, I really, really enjoy cooking. I spend hours cooking special meals for my family and friends and I feel happy, not oppressed, when I am in the kitchen (Oppression is the cleaning-up after the eating is over). Thanksgiving Day being K.'s favorite holiday (and my favorite adopted one), the last Thursday of November usually finds the whole family in a frenzy in the kitchen. We love having our friends and family over for Thanksgiving, but we are laidback about the preparations, usually starting things only the night before. With only one oven, that means that the morning is packed tight since all the pies and the accompaniments have to be done before the bird goes in. In between chopping, stirring, beating, whisking and blending like maniacs, there is always the house to be dusted down and made presentable for guests.

The kids spend the whole morning in a tizzy of excitement, usually over-indulged with sugary snacks in lieu of a real breakfast (I mean who has time to cook eggs and stuff when there is so much to be done). They get underfoot in a charming way, the little one wrapping herself around my leg and having to be hauled from one part of the kitchen to the other in this manner. K. is better at finding them things to do - beating the eggs for the pies, stirring the cranberry sauce (under supervision of course). I tend to be a go-it-alone chef because I have control issues. Invariably, there is too much food of one kind and not of another, so K. has to rush out to get stuff like parsley or thyme so that the bird has some flavor. Then the guests arrive and the food is on the table and before we know it, we are eating, eating, eating....and then the daze.

So this year, it will be a little different because we are going to our friends A. and C.'s place for Thanksgiving. As they are more organized about entertaining than we are, I am sure the feast will be amazing and we can relax, drink wine and chat. I find the idea novel and...welcome. This Thursday, will be the first Thanksgiving Day in years that I will not be rising at the crack of dawn to get the holiday dinner ready on time. Ahhh...now if only my little M. could get the idea of sleeping in till 9:00.