To Give Thanks

November has been mild. The turkeys are fat, no need to burn extra calories by shivering. We got two turkeys from a local farmer who also provides us with eggs and pork: one turkey to eat on feast day, the other to save for the lean winter months. Between the two of them, our turkeys weighed over 70 pounds. We had to defrost them in the bathtub. Our oven couldn’t hold a forty pound turkey, so my mother and brother spent Tuesday afternoon deconstructing the turkeys so that they could be reconfigured to fit in the roasting pan. The turkey carcass was cooked down for broth that my mother used to make the gravy.

Wednesday, my parents put the turkey parts in a brining solution for twenty-four hours, infusing the meat with flavor. And Thursday we worked together in the kitchen. My dad made mashed squash and sweet potato. My mother roasted turkey and made her gravy and cranberry sauce. I made mashed cauliflower (much to my sadness I can no longer eat potatoes, but mashed cauliflower with goat butter, shredded goat cheese, dill, salt, garlic, pepper, and rice vinegar makes a pretty good mashed potato substitute) and pan fried green beans in duck fat. My grandmother made gluten free dressing which was the star of the meal.

This year we had two of our favorite families over as well as my grandparents and it was the best thanksgiving we’ve had in a few years, full of friends and family and dogs. And I am thankful that we were able to have such a wonderful, low-stress afternoon. We ate and we talked and we petted dogs and the dogs were so happy to have so many faces to lick and so many plates to beg from.

There’s so much I am thankful for: I am thankful for good books and the people who write them. I am thankful for music and musicians. I am thankful for all the wonderful people I have met this past year who have been so supportive of the band, and of my writing. I am thankful to have a job that challenges me and for my wonderful, passionate co-workers and boss. I’m thankful for my family for their love and support and occasional reality checks. I am thankful for my friends.

And I am thankful to you for reading.