Thanksgiving Preparations

So, apparently I am the only one in America who didn't realize that Thanksgiving is next week! NEXT.WEEK!! I am so not prepared. I have a gazillion things to accomplish between now and then. Today, I frantically got together a note for my students about our class Thanksgiving party. We are having McDonald's for lunch that day. Doesn't that just scream festive?! That was the easy part of my planning. Now comes the real work. Collecting money, organizing supplies, getting parents to volunteer to bring stuff in, planning an art project or two, baking a dessert, and appearing to be stress-free while inwardly panicking about all of the details! Oh, and I have to look like I am enjoying the party as well! Don't get me wrong, I love a good class party! I love to see my students enjoying themselves and doing fun stuff together. I really love it. It is the details that I hate.

Now, if this were all I had to do to prepare for Thanksgiving, I think I could handle it without a meltdown. However, my husband and I are not celebrating the holiday here, so I volunteered to make a cheesecake for my in-laws to enjoy in our absence. An absolutely aMaZiNg pumpkin cheesecake! They will love it, I will get to use my new springform pan, and all will be happy. Except I don't know when I am going to make this delicious dessert! We are leaving on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I want the cake to be delish, so I can't make it too soon.

That brings me to my last, and yet the biggest headache of the holiday so far. We are going to Indianapolis to celebrate Thanksgiving. Not that big of a deal. Except that I am cooking. In Indianapolis. In someone else's kitchen. This is where the stress and real planning comes in. My mom will be there, my BFF, her mom, my husband and me. This is our tradition. I love it! I can't wait to be there, but like I mentioned before, I didn't realize that Thanksgiving was next week. I finally have my menu planned, I think, and now for the grocery list, and the 12 million phone calls, texts, and emails that no doubt will follow. I need to know who is bringing what, what pans are available, and all of the other details that go with that.

Details, details, details. I hate details. I hate having to think through my recipes and factor in oven space, oven temperature, how long the individual things cook, and how this affect my turkey. The crown jewel of the feast! The bird that could make or break the day based upon its moisture to dryness ratio. UGH!!

Oh, and I failed to mention that I am trying some new recipes this year. I thought it would be fun (yeah, fun is not the word I would use now) to have a fusion of traditional meals that I have grown up with, and some things that are staples in the south. Things we have never tried before. Things I have never made before. Here is a sneak peek of our menu:
     
     Turkey with Marinade
     Sweet potato casserole
     Asparagus casserole
     Green mashed potatoes (a Peruvian dish, because I am not crazy enough)
     Stuffing
     Sweet milk rolls
     Cranberry Sauce
     Veggies and other appetizers (my mom is handling these)
     Deviled eggs
     Pumpkin cheesecake.

I really am looking forward to our Thanksgiving holiday, but I don't like when the holiday feels like it is moving at the speed of light. I want to relax and just enjoy the holidays. Unfortunately, it is busy season, formerly known as holiday season. The time of year, where if you are not careful, you will miss it! And Thanksgiving is just the beginning.

Even with all the hubbub, I am so thankful that I have good friends and family to celebrate with this year. It will be good to spend time with friends, family, and my home church.

And my husband just came in and said, "By the way, we are having a pitch-in dinner at work next Tuesday..."