Another fantastic Thanksgiving

Another day (or days actually) of culinary preparation, fantastic dining, football, and the ability to hang out with each other in a quiet, serene setting. Holidays do not have to be stressful or dreaded. We absolutely LOVE this time of year.

After Chris got home from working a 12p-8p shift Wednesday, we started with the preparation of the bird, the broccoli cheese casserole, the pumpkin dip, and the making of Grandma Torda's world famous stuffing. The key ingredient in that stuffing is bacon. Mmmmm, bacon. (Brings to mind another famous bacon delight but that's for another discussion.) The dogs were thrilled with the house smelling of bacon, so much so that when a Cake song comes on XM's channel "Lucy", Sam and I are inspired to dance all throughout the house:

We awaken the next morning for cinnamon rolls and coffee to accompany the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV. Forecast to be 70+ degrees today. Ahhh.... The bird goes in the oven, the potatoes are peeled, the apples are peeled, the sweet potatoes are prepared, the pumpkin pie is prepared, the apple pie dough is made, and the Green Bay Packers play gloriously on the telly. Now we switch over to the Cowboys game and take the bird out of the oven. Here it is, freshly de-stuffed:

The casseroles and side dishes are thrown in the oven, the potatoes are mashed, and then The Master Baker bakes her award-winning Sharp White Cheddar Cheese Crust Apple Pie while the Master Carver applies his craft to the deceased poultry:

Now the time is finally here, and we eat like kings:

The apple pie is not quite ready, so the Creamy Pumpkin Pie is served with a flourish:

We then switch back and forth between the Colts game (get DirecTV and enjoy the NFL Network like we do, would ya?!?!?) and the USC-Arizona State game to scout out Ohio State's probable opponent in the Rose Bowl.

We're all now fully stuffed, lethargic, and lazily laying around the house:

Kimberly has to be up at 4:30am Friday for work, so we call it an early night. We'll fall asleep with whatever football game we haven't switched away from on the bedroom TV. But before we retire, the world famous apple pie is ready for presentation:

Another fantastic holiday in the House of Gordon. Hope yours was just as spectacular. Plans are seriously getting kicked around for a trip to New York City in 2009 for Thanksgiving. Stay tuned...