friendsgiving

I decided that I still wanted to celebrate the holiday (old habits and all that...), so P and I invited some friends over to celebrate "Friendsgiving" instead! I certainly can't claim credit for the name, but I fully take credit for the many hours spent in the kitchen preparing the delicious food! It was a rather ambitious menu, I confess, but I think everything turned out alright! Here's what we had to eat...

roast chicken (recipe here)

gravy (recipe here)

garlic mashed potatoes (recipe here)

maple roasted sweet potatoes and parsnips (recipe here)

macaroni + cheese (recipe here)*

roasted green beans (my own recipe)

cranberry sauce (recipe here)

eggnog (recipe here)

pecan pie (recipe here)

apple crumble pie (my own recipe, here)
vanilla ice cream

*for the macaroni + cheese, I used applewood smoked cheese, cheddar and parmesan

I'm a vegetarian, and P doesn't really eat turkey all that much, so we decided to go for chicken instead. A bit non-traditional, sure, but better for my sanity I think. I found all of these recipes through various blogs I follow, a few google searches, and some old favorites too! My main goal with cooking all of this food? Pace myself! I made the pies, cranberry sauce, eggnog and gravy on Friday so that I could focus on the bird and veggies on the actual day. I had to plan out a schedule based on cooking times and cooking temperatures, because I'm very strange and something in my brain said that that would be a helpful way to do it.
Celebrating Friendsgiving definitely made me a little homesick, but it was so nice to just be surrounded by friends, eating good food and just having a nice time together. It really is the perfect holiday, because it's just about enjoying each other's company, and giving thanks for the things you have. I'm thankful for a wonderful husband, a loving family, a comfortable home, and new friends!