Gobble, Gobble!

Mmmmmm...I love Thanksgiving dinner! I could eat it year-round! I get so excited when I'm planning it. We have it at our house every year (we have for the past 10 years or so). Some years we have a ton of people, and other years just a few, but we always have plenty of food, and everyone is always welcome! My menus have been everything from traditional to gluten-free and vegan. I try to make sure everyone is stuffed (except for the turkey...I don't like to stuff the turkey) and happy. Last year, I was shopping for some vegan ingredients for a friend who was joining us when there was a small accident involving my kids and a shopping cart, 2 days before Thanksgiving. The good thing is my baby is still alive. The bad thing is I ended up with a broken finger, and I'm still not back to "normal" a year (and a surgery on 3 fingers) later. My mom ended up making Thanksgiving dinner last year! Fingers crossed that we don't have any more accidents!

So, here is this year's menu:

Appetizers
	Relish/Vegetable Tray	Cucumbers, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, red bell peppers, black olives, Greek olives, baby dill pickles, sweet pickles
	Cheese ball & crackers	Use bacon bits instead of nuts, Ritz and wheat thins
Drinks
	Apple Cider (hot)
	Hot chocolate
	Sparkling cider
	Egg Nog
Main
	Turkey	Attempting to brine a fresh turkey for the first time. This brine recipe has the highest ratings all over the internet.
	Gravy	A recipe without using any strange turkey innards. Using the drippings from the turkey, separating the fat off.
	Stuffing	Believe it or not, I actually like Stove Top stuffing, but it really isn't that hard to make your own just like it, and it is a lot less expensive too.
	Mashed Potatoes	Garlic potatoes…we love garlic in our house!
	Turtle Rolls	I can't make things with yeast for the life of me…that is what my mom is for!
	cranberry sauce	I'm also one of those people who like canned cranberry sauce (not whole…yuck), but I want to make some fresh too.
Sides
	Sweet Potatoes	A necessity at every Thanksgiving, but a little more sophisticated than the canned with the marshmallows on top. No nuts (we will be having someone with a nut allergy)
	Green bean casserole	This recipe does not have a "cream of" soup in it, which I like. I will be adjusting the recipe per the popular reviews.
	3 Bean Salad	A family recipe…a can of green beans, a can of wax beans, and a can of kidney beans (all drained). Add some bacon bits and Italian salad dressing. Let it sit over night for best flavors.
	Scalloped potatoes	I've made this for a few years, and it is really good. I also like that it is gluten-free (although Cecily won't be here this year)
	Brussels Sprouts	This recipe almost makes them tolerable. My husband loves Brussels sprouts, so he requests them every year.
Desserts
	Pumpkin Pie	Traditional, and my husband's favorite.
	Cranberry Cheesecake	I have been making this every year for over 15 years. I found the recipe in a magazine my grandma had, and it sounded really good! It isn't Thanksgiving without it!

Of course, now that this is planned, I have to plan my menu for the week before Thanksgiving...that is so anticlimactic...