Sometime around the end of October the Thanksgiving invitations arrive in the mail. Of course I never feel obliged to RSVP because I am the mom and my son knows that I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
It’s always a treat to attend a gathering at my son and his husband’s home. This time was no exception as approximately fifteen family members arrived to spend time together, eat great food and to give thanks for what we have. Due to scheduling conflicts, we celebrated Thanksgiving on Black Friday this year which was not a problem because there were no “die hard” Black Friday shoppers in our group.
We began our celebration on the patio warmed by a wood burning fireplace with plenty of great conversation, hors d’oeuvres and cocktails served. It didn’t take long to appreciate how outdoor living in the late fall can be a pleasant change from staying inside. There was a nip in the air that day but blended with the heat from the fireplace, we managed to stay warm. My son always crafts a “signature” cocktail and this year we had the opportunity to experience a “Bellini”. This refreshing libation, which resembles a mimosa, originated in Venice, Italy and is created by pouring Prosecco sparkling wine over frozen fruit puree and served in champagne glasses. Our fruit choices today were peach, blackberry, pineapple and strawberry. I believe I sampled three out of four of them! The hors d’oeuvres were a great prelude to the main course and consisted of country ham served on sweet potato biscuits with a side of chutney, antipasto skewers and prawns with cocktail sauce for dipping…delish!
The Thanksgiving meal itself consisted of “traditional” fare; turkey, ham, stuffing, green bean casserole (of course), mashed potatoes and gravy and all the rest. One of my favorite dishes this year was the slow cooker macaroni and cheese; recipe courtesy of Ms. Trisha Yearwood…very cheesy, very rich, very fattening and very delicious!
If you’d like to check it out for your holiday pot lucks, entree or side dish, here is the link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/crockpot-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe.html
My son loves to entertain and prepare great food. In fact I would consider him to be somewhat of a gourmet chef. It always amazes me how he can get all of the food prepared and ready to plate at the same time; especially when cooking for a large group. He never shies away from a challenging new recipe and he loves to have folks gather around the kitchen counter while he cooks. Being the generous hosts that they are, everyone was able to return home that day with containers full of great leftovers. The “to go” containers were purchased specially for the occasion of course, compliments of the hosts with the most! What a way to kick off the “official” holiday season.
Never disappointed at any of your son’s gatherings! Having not ventured to far from the little Village of Matoaca, I can always count on experiencing something new and different when I am with them. It was a wonderful family gathering!