Thanksgiving 2011

I know this post is super late but wanted to document this important holiday...

We had a really nice time. We hosted about 15 people on the Saturday after American Thanksgiving, including three families mainly related to my husband's work. I got off relatively easy this year since I was offered so much help. I only ended up making the turkey, gravy, green beans with toasted almonds and dried cranberries, cream cheese corn, whole wheat butterhorns (pictured below), pumpkin pie (made with our local squash) and whipped cream. I decided to opt out of making stuffing this year and I didn't miss it.

Thanks to my dear friend Lonna, who made these for our very first Thanksgiving in Thailand, whole wheat butterhorns are now a Thanksgiving staple. They are so delicious. I make tons so I can throw the extras in the freezer and we can eat them for weeks after. I just ate the last one tonight.

If there was ever a time when I felt compelled to pray over my oven and my turkey it was this Thanksgiving. I seriously thought I was going to have my first Turkey Day disaster.  My oven is small so the only way my turkey roasting pan would fit was by putting it in length-wise. When I tested it without the turkey it seemed to fit just enough to where I could close the door. But when the turkey was all ready to go and I went to put it in, the door only nearly closed and must have been open by a few millimeters. It was just enough to let hot air escape.  Well, gauging by the fact that with a gas oven it is really hard to keep the heat up when you open the door, I was worried. Visions of my guests vomiting violently from food poisoning the day after they ate turkey at my house cooked in a leaky oven plagued me. So this is what I did.

I closed the oven and let it get as hot as it would get - about 450 degrees F. This took way too long and I was beginning to stress about my turkey getting done on time. Once it was as hot as possible, I quickly opened the door, threw the turkey in (with the thickest part toward the back of the oven), placed the oven thermometer on top of the turkey near the door, closed the door as far as it would go,  stuck foil in all the cracks surrounding the door, then anxiously ordered everyone in my house to stay away from the oven and don't you dare open it!





















Then I sat on a stool staring at the oven thermometer drop and keep dropping down to 325 degrees. Thank God it stabilized at 325. But it was still low enough to make me stress, since the turkey is supposed to cook at 350 degrees. But I hoped that if it was 325 in the front of the oven then the back of the oven should be hotter than that. That was the time I was compelled to pray over my turkey. Oh Lord, I know this is so silly and so not important in the big scheme of things and I feel so silly even asking this but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let my oven stay hot enough and let my turkey cook well and not make anyone sick, oh and it would be really great if it was cooked on time for dinner!


Everything worked out in the end. My turkey was perfectly cooked and it was on time! (It actually took less time than I thought, which meant my oven got hot enough and stayed hot.) It was my Turkey Day miracle.

Sadly, I didn't get any decent photos of the actual gathering after the food was done but thanks to my friend Hannah, I have a few to share.

Slicing up the bird

 

Apparently it's not a good idea to shake hot gravy and flour in a closed container, as you can tell by the mess on my top.

In addition to what I made, friends brought glazed carrots, a salad, wine, beer and sparkling cider, apple pie, ice cream, and the most amazing potato dish I ever had called potato passion. Oh man it was delish. It was just the right amount of food.

I had fun making place cards for our guests, although you can't really see them in this photo.

Thanksgiving Week, 15 Years Ago

This week marks 15 years since I was diagnosed with cancer and had major abdominal surgery to find out where else the cancer was growing. I remember how unfortunate it was to have to have surgery the week of Thanksgiving, having to miss my favorite family holiday. But it was a different day then.

I was a different person, and my relationship with my parents was just beginning to improve after I had been estranged from them for over a year. In fact, it was my experience with cancer that I attribute the beginning of the reconciliation with my parents. As it turned out (and to my initial horror), I needed them and I couldn't do everything by myself. The entire painful seven days in hospital, not once was I alone. My mom and dad took turns so someone would be with me at all hours. As I recovered and during the months of daily radiation treatments when I couldn't work or go to school and therefore couldn't pay the rent on my apartment, they took me in and cared for me. I had already been living on my own for over two years and was used to taking care of myself, so for me (and my extremely independent spirit) this was really hard.

In time I asked their forgiveness and they did not hesitate to forgive and receive me. Our relationship has only improved since then and I am deeply grateful for their love. They loved me the way Jesus loves us - unconditionally and undeservedly. Like the story of the prodigal son. The father in that story didn't care what his son had done. He desperately wanted his son back and received him with open arms when he finally did return.

Looking back, I realize that having cancer was the beginning of the restoration and reconciliation that has taken place in my life since then. It is a good practice to look back every now and then and recall all that has happened and give thanks for the Lord's grace, mercy, love and goodness. Truth be told, without Jesus, it is scary to think where my life would be today.

I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.
Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning....
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.
(Excerpts from the 30th Psalm of David)