There is alot to be said about preparation for a feast.
I, for one, believe it is important to shop early and prep
early. With this notion in mind, I did all my baking the day
before Thanksfiving. I chopped every vegetable and baked
every side dish, as possible.

On Thanksgiving morning, I slept in. Yes, you heard that
correctly. I slept in. Another family member arose to place
Mr. Turkey in the oven, along with the dressing, which was
prepared the day before. How wonderful to awaken to the
smell of coffee and good things cooking in the oven.

My wonderful daughter, the youngest, that is a darling in
a every way, had already set the table for 14, made a
gorgeous flower arrangement, vacuumed the common areas of
the house, fed the dog, swept the walkway so guests would
not track in falling leaves, etc. Did I say, she was
wonderful? She is. I will tell you more about this
later.

My oldest daughter and her brood arrived about noon. My
youngest daughter's sweetheart arrived at the same time.
Appetizers and drinks were set out for everyone. The tv was
on with the one football game of the day. My gorgeous
granddaughter, who is a dead ringer for Drew Barrymore came
in with two ponytails and dressed adorably. How I adore that
child. All day it was "grandma this and grandma that".

The table was surrounded with those I love most dearly.
The food was outstanding. I enjoyed my day immensely. Even
the tea party, my granddaughter hosted on the coffee table
was outstanding.

I must admit we totally forgot the Thanksgiving blessing.
When someone mentioned it halfway through the meal, we had a
time of sharing that brought tears to my eyes. It was
wonderful.

I wish all of you good health, happy holidays and let me
be the first to say, "happy new year".

DeeM
Barefoot Contessa