Let the Face-Stuffing Commence!

Boy howdy, am I looking forward to Thanksgiving.  For the food, of course, but mostly for the Four! Days! Off!  This little break could not come at a more desperately needed time.  I plan to spend those blissful four days cooking, eating, lazing about, reading, watching whatever cheesy movie strikes my fancy (I feel a "Love, Actually" viewing coming on, and perhaps some "Elf") and quietly panicking over the proximity of Christmas and my utter lack of ideas for gifts for absolutely anyone. 

There may also be some tentative venturing out for shopping to allay said Christmas gift panic; but it's just as likely that any foray into the horror of Thanksgiving-weekend crowds will send me racing back to the couch to do my present-perusing online.  Oh, and I have a maternity massage booked at the Mandarin Oriental, about which I am incredibly excited even though I won't get to enjoy the spa's Heat Experience (enormous hot tub and sauna) this time.  On the up side, however, this means I won't have to endure the mental anguish of whether it's weird that I wear a bathing suit into said hot tub/sauna (many women, um, don't) or whether I might experience a sudden head rush upon exiting the Heat Experience, thereby adding a Fainting Experience to the otherwise blissfully relaxing spa day.

This holiday will be just the two of us (which reminds me, I loathe the phrase "a deux"; it reminds me of Cosmo magazine and Danielle Steel novels -- they're always talking about showering "a deux" and the like, blergh), thanks to the jacked-up airline prices that have prohibited Allison and family from joining us (boo, BOOOOOOO).  It's disappointing, but in the end we've got to soldier on.  We've gotten pretty good at the just-the-two-of-us thing, and this way I can serve dinner in my sweats from a bunch of pans on the stove instead of putting together a pretty table and a passable family-style or buffet meal for guests (not that Allison, David and Maggie would judge or that I would MIND, of course, and we would definitely ALL be in our sweats anyhow and it would be SUPER FUN; I'm just trying to look for the bright side, here, and you know what I mean). 

Incidentally, my Thanksgiving spread is something of a Symphony of Beige, Starchy Foods.  In addition to the turkey, which I plan to brine with whatever brining materials Whole Foods has to offer, and gravy, I will be serving

-- buttermilk mashed potatoes (if the entire meal had to be reduced to one dish, this would be my keeper);

-- stuffing (a fairly basic concoction of bagged Pepperidge Farm stuffing, celery, mushrooms, onions, spices, chicken broth and about a pound of butter; I may add some pancetta if I'm feeling kicky -- and, by the way, this year I'm not stuffing the bird thanks to yet another of Baby*Center's hysterical emails about Thanksgiving Foods YOU WILL DIE IF YOU EAT, sigh);

-- peas (a nod to the green vegetable family, even though, I know, it's technically a legume);

-- homemade cranberry sauce (I'm using Ree's super-simple recipe this year, although I'll probably throw in some Craisins and a few spices to jazz it up a little);

-- rolls (Pillsbury Crescent, baby -- what, do some people actually, like, MAKE THEIR OWN?  madness!); and

-- for dessert, pumpkin crisp (hold me) with, uh, Cool Whip (judge not!).

Can you tell I am something of a low-effort cook?  Middlebrow cooking, man, that is the name of my game.  If we were having more than two (and a half!) people, I'd probably throw in some jazzier dishes, like my aunt's crazy-delicious sweet potato casserole and perhaps homemade instead of from-a-bag stuffing and a pie of some kind; but since the meal still takes about 500 hours to prepare and about eight minutes to consume, I am happy with my approach.  And it tastes really freaking good, however basic. 

This meal is also a gift that keeps on giving in the form of my family's patented Post-Thanksgiving Casserole, which I have mentioned here before but must reiterate now that if you haven't tried it, you should:  before putting away any of your leftovers, get out a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread a layer of stuffing on the bottom of said dish, then a layer of bite-sized turkey pieces, then a layer of peas, a smattering of gravy, and finally a nice, fat top layer of mashed potatoes.  Throw some foil over that bad boy and toss it in the fridge.  The following (several) night(s), put some pats of butter on the top and stick in the oven at 375 for maybe 45 min to an hour, uncovered, then enjoy with a fresh sprinkling of salt (and maybe some more butter).

OH, it is so delicious.  Like a big Thanksgiving shepherd's pie of yumminess.  Also, it burns up the majority of the leftovers, such that you don't end up with 5,000 Tupperware containers junking up your fridge (although we ALWAYS have about 50 lbs of turkey left even post-casserole).  Now I'm all a-quiver in anticipation of all the eating that's going to go on in a few days.  Mmm.  Food-centric holidays.  Yes!

Finally, I have recently incorporated Brisk Power-Walking (complete with vigorous arm-swinging and, I'm sure, a ridiculous-looking gait, though not as ridiculous-looking as those hip-swiveling Speed Walkers) into my fitness routine.  Running is still fair game as well, but by about Mile 3 of a (slow, waddly) run, it feels like the baby is clinging to my bladder for dear life, which sends me hurrying back to the apartment with a stricken look on my face since the peeing facilities are few and far between in Central Park.  This situation is much less dire when walking, although I can't give up my jogs altogether because, frankly, I miss it.  (I imagine by month 8 or so, I will be happy to stick with walking, if I can even accomplish that.) 

I also have this prenatal fitness DVD, which is a surprisingly vigorous workout that nearly left me without the use of my legs for several days after the first time I tried it.  There's only so much squatting that one can do before things start to break down.  And I still 30-Day Shred on occasion, although I have eliminated Level 3 from the rotation, because no, Jillian, I am not doing jumping jacks with my weights, thankyouverymuch.  Plus, Supermans on a big belly?  Not happening. 

I may pop back in with another post before the holiday, but if not, I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful, restful, food-coma-inducing Thanksgiving!

Comments

[terri]

And here we are going OUT to a community senior potluck meal with granddad and there will be NO leftovers for post Tgiving casserole. The absolutely best part of the holiday. Sigh. Think they would be suspicious if I brought the casserole pan with me to make one as I go through the line?

[beyond]

i like your thanksgiving menu. my favorite side dish is mashed potatoes too. (and i am very suspicious of any dish involving marshmallows, i think it's my european upbringing.) that post-turkeyday casserole sounds just delicious.

[ellbee]

Oh, you HAVE to have Pillsbury rolls. I'll make just about anything else from scratch, but if it doesn't have crescent rolls, it's just not Thanksgiving. I'm also not sure what the composition of this year's mashed potatoes will be, but I know there will be at least a stick of butter, probably some heavy cream and some garlic cloves involved. *drools like Homer Simpson*

[Swistle]

I enjoyed this post beginning to end, and also, I am looking forward to chocolate-crusted pumpkin cheesecake, which I bought the ingredients for this weekend.

[Jamie]

I plan on trying out a new recipe - the White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake w/Pecan Gingersnap crust from www.ourbestbites.com. Their pie in a jar got me hooked, now I'm theirs for life. For realz.

Happy Thanksgiving to the 3 of you!

[Beth Fish]

I don't suppose you would like to send me that sweet potato recipe, seeing as I have volunteered to make the sweet potatoes and the only think I have ever made with sweet potatoes is baby food.

[magpie]

the casserole sounds like sheer genius, and i don't even like stuffing.

[Lawyerish]

Oh, man, the pumpkin cheesecake recipes are killing me. I will have to make those for Christmas or something, because GET IN MAH BELLEH.

Beth -- I don't have my aunt's recipe on hand at the moment. However! I am prettttty sure that this is it, or some very close approximation of it. It doesn't involve marshmallows, and it's on the sweet side rather than savory. And OH, is it ever good.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/holidays/sweet-potato-souffle/

[Allison]

The image of your mom with a casserole dish under her jacket while in line for food made me LMAO.

I will post about my canned/frozen/refrigerated/boxed TG later.

[Julie]

You must have pumpkin cheesecake. I make it every year. I use gingersnaps for the crust. It's SOOO good.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And just think next year the little one will be tagging along. Feels good to finally write that :)