A Thanksgiving dinner unparalled...

For the past four years I have enjoyed a big family Thanksgiving dinner in Georgia with Grandmommy and Granddaddy, Grammalou, Grandpa Mike and a big loving family that I successfully merged myself and my girls into since meeting Michele and Andy several years ago, before getting J (and them getting their L). This year the girls and I hit the road and went to Kansas City for turkey day.

Check out this gorgeous turkey - you can practically smell it.

Beautiful and the perfectly seasoned stuffing peeking out the end of that turkey. I am a stuffing girl - dressing is good, I'll eat it...but nothing as yummy as the real thing cooked inside the turkey.

Mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, homemade cranberries, the classic green bean casserole, rolls warm from the oven. There is NOTHING like a great Thanksgiving dinner! ...and this was nothing like a great Thanksgiving dinner.

2:00 Dinner was planned to be ready...the big fat turkey wasn't done. It was a big turkey.

3:00 Dinner was expected to be ready...the big fat turkey wasn't done. When you cook it with stuffing you need to add 45 minutes.

4:00 Dinner should be ready, don't you think? ...the big fat turkey wasn't done. The oven is on, right? Right temperature...let's break out some spinach dip.

5:00 ...the big fat turkey wasn't done. Is the temperature inside that turkey going down?

6:00 Time's up - isn't it? ...the big fat turkey wasn't done. Was there a brownout condition in the kitchen or something?

6:30 ...the big fat turkey wasn't done. Isn't something open today?? Oh yeah - let's get something

7:00 ...the big fat turkey wasn't done. All the side dishes were on the table and Uncle J returned from the grocery with what can only be described as 'turkey disks' from Swanson.

8:00 ...the big fat turkey wasn't done. We had finished our excellent collection of side dishes, had a bit of turkey disk - to simulate the essence of turkey - and moved on to the pumpkin pie and whipped cream.

9:00 ...beeping...beeping coming from the meat thermometer. We have a turkey!! So below you see we have an aunt, a cousin and J & S carving up and nibbling on 'leftovers' - 20 pounds of leftovers. 20+ counting the stuffing - it was delicious, worth waiting for!

Look over at the half carved turkey picture and check the foreground. That green can is Vernor's ginger ale and the glass has the last few drops of a 'traditional' concoction of Vernor's and eggnog. Sounds a little disgusting at first, but I gave it a try...mmmmmmm.....a very frothy light eggnog drink. For those of you outside the Vernor's belt look for it in the 'upscale' softdrinks at your grocery store and you may find it. The recipe is a 50/50 mix.

You know, when you don't make your own turkey dinner you sometimes miss out on the traditional day after Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches. I knew that staying at my brother's over Thanksgiving would afford me those 'next day sandwiches'...I was not disappointed. In fact, they may still be eating them.

Simply nothing like Thanksgiving dinner memories...