The Countdown begins...

It's coming, it's coming! Thanksgiving, that is. I have pored through magazines, last years menus, and online to determine The Great Feast. Andy's parents are coming out from Buffalo this year, and we'll have various members of my family here, and potentially some friends, so it will be quite the full house. I am trying to come up with two plans... one for if our friends come, and one for if they aren't coming (I should find out today for sure though). Last year I learned a thing or two about dinner- one being that I should cut back on the appetizers, and they should be served well in advance of dinner. If you want to check it out, here is last year's Thanksgiving menu.

And here is the preliminary thoughts for this years menu:

Appetizer:

Gorgonzola and Walnut spread with crackers, breadsticks, and pear slices

Dinner:

Cider Brined Turkey

Mom's Stuffing

Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes

Make-ahead gravy

Roasted Broccoli and Mushrooms

Brussels Sprouts and Baby Carrots with Lemon-Chive Butter

Fennel and Orange Salad

Pineapple-Cranberry Sauce

Croissants

Brown Butter Sweet Potatoes

Dessert:

Cranberry-Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pie with Walnut Streusel and Cinnamon cream

Cherry-Red Raspberry Pie

Mom's Apple Pie

There will be the usual assortment of beer/wine/cider. My Dad is also bringing a batch of mulled wine, and my sister Lizzie will once again be providing coffee drinks to accompany dessert. The only thing I am on the fence about is the sweet potatoes. I adore sweet potatoes, but I am thinking that they aren't really necessary to dinner. And with regular mashed potatoes, stuffing, and croissants, I think another starch may be a bit too much.

he beauty of this menu is that everything except the turkey and roasted veggies can really be done ahead of time and simply reheated, so that I can spend the afternoon visiting, instead of slaving away in the kitchen. In the next day or two, I will work out an actual timeline of when everything will need to be done, as well as doing my first shopping trip for the non-perishables. Hopefully this year's Thanksgiving will be seamless and wonderful.