Foodie Chickie

Thanksgiving Day was very nice. We hosted it again this year. Niel enjoys cooking the turkey. Our guests were my parents, brother Jakop, Niel's mom and her two sisters. Niel's brother Mike dropped off his mom and aunts and baked us a custard and pecan pie. He had dinner with Erin and her family. Everything went off without a hitch. Everyone enjoyed themselves and conversed with one another. I made some of the dishes and cleaned the night before. So on Thanksgiving Day I wouldn't be too frazzled and Niel only went out on one errand this year. That is what Niel was thankful for. We made a Cajun marinated Turducken with (Southern) cornbread and sausage stuffing(ok the people and Cajun Grocers made it), mashed sweet potatoes(Niel's recipe), cornbread(Northeren), zucchini casserole, salad, Spinach and spinach and feta in phyllo cups,(a take off of my mom's Spinach Pie) hummus, eggplant dip and red pepper and feta dip, (I served them in peppers instead of dip bowls), antipasti platter, a pumpkin trifle, and miniature fruit. My mom brought a mushroom casserole with onions and mozzarella and blenchik (an Armenian savory crepe with ground beef, hard boil eggs, onions and seasonings) and my mother in law brought her famous dressing and two bottles of sparkling grape juice (red and white). The turkey was moist and falling off the bone. Niel did a great job cutting it. Niel picked up some Australian wine for my dad to try, but he liked Niel's Magic 8 Phat Angel beer. He said it was not bitter like some beers are. The TV was switched back and forth from the parade to an Armenian telethon and football. It was nice and relaxing and we ate till we could not eat anymore. Niel also got to hang out with Dave a bit who swung by after dinner with his family. I would say it was a successful holiday. Here are some pics. Today like two crazy people we got up really early for our first Black Friday holiday Shopping. I got most of our holiday shopping done but we wanted to experience Black Friday. Let me tell you NEVER AGAIN. Niel understandably had a mini melt down in Circuit City. The customer service was terrible and they only had two registers open. But as Niel said the store is not set up like the larger stores, so of course it would be madness in there. He felt better after he got some decaf in him and came home to take a nap. This weekend we will probably put out the Christmas decorations, watch movies, finish our holiday shopping and see some friends. I love the holidays.

Turducken