If he is born on the ACTUAL average "due date" (41 weeks and 1 day), he will be born ON Thanksgiving. :-/
Actually, not :-/ <--this face! That would be fairly convenient for everyone except my midwife. Everyone would be here already and there would be plenty of food for the long haul of labor, why complain?
We decided a while ago that our only shot at a Thanksgiving celebration was having one here at the house. I am NOT going anywhere with a tiny baby, and I am NOT traveling while 41 weeks and 1 day pregnant, so we either had Thanksgiving here or we missed out. The guests will be my immediate family (Mom, Dad, and my three sisters--Lauren, Marilyn, and Kate), James' parents (Mom and step-Dad), James' brother and sister in law, and my two Grandmothers. So, it's not THAT many people. Including James and myself, it is fifteen people.
The plan right now is that my Mom will come stay with us for a week in the days before, during, and after Thanksgiving, and will help prepare the house and food that we need (and clean up afterward) so that the work that James and I actually have to do is minimal. James' Step-Dad and my Grandma are amazing cooks and I think they'll probably handle most of the food (turkey, stuffing, desserts, etc). I usually make a Tofurkey, which I would like to do this year, as well, if at all possible. My Mom can make the mashed potatoes . . . we'll be golden. I'm really looking forward to surrounding little James with love and gratitude in his first week of life--I think it will be really special.
However, I'm also realistic enough to realize that as much as we can get done ahead of time, the better off we will be. Therefore, I started today. Hahah. I made really wonderful strong soup stock (get the recipe here!) yesterday and James and I canned it tonight. This is round one of the Thanksgiving Prep because I can use this soup stock to make gravy, stuffing, and for extra flavoring in mashed potatoes, tofurkey, etc. It is a treasure trove of flavor and nutrients!
So that is one thing done. My Mom is coming to stay with us for a couple nights next week--making the (veggie) gravy is on our to-do list! We will can the gravy and then that will be ready ahead of time as well. :-)
So I'm hoping when it comes time to make the Tofurkey (which, unfortunately, I can't do ahead of time), I will be all ready to go with it! That is the ONLY thing that I am really hoping I will be able to make for the dinner. I'm also hoping I can show one of my sisters how to do it so that one of them COULD do it in the future (if I'm ever incapacitated with a tiny baby again on Thanksgiving).
So that's that!
P.S. There are feet in my ribs. Oooowwww.
4 comments:
My first thought when I read the title of your post was that it is way too early to think about Thanksgiving - but then again, I realized am already almost 1/2 done with Christmas shopping for my children, so who I am to talk, lol!
Way to be organized!
Not sure what I will bring to Thanksgiving this year, but we do a huge (60+ people) extended family celebration...and I do not do much of the cooking! I will likely make mashed potatoes, and maybe a couple pies for dessert, and that is it! Having a November baby means our family is out of the set up/clean up as well...
The one thing I do need to do is see what my children think they want to do for the annual talent show we put on as a family...
Great idea, Adrienne! Question for you: why do you can the stock instead of freeze it? What are the benefits of canning? I'm very interested in canning...
Okay nevermind, I read that post you linked to and you explained why you like to can. I get it now :) And what a great idea for the stock! We're definitely going to try it.
Ella--We made so much that it would have taken up WAY too much of the freezer to freeze.
Plus, the awesome thing about canning is that it already in liquid form, ready to use. It is definitely more of a pain to defrost stuff, and with thicker things like sauce and soups, it can be messy, too.
I also love canning because I think it preserves the nutrients better. But that might be a lie since you are superheating it to can it, LOL--but it certainly smells really alive and vital when you open those cans up!
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