A rare treat!

As any pilot's wife will tell you, holidays spent with pilots are few and far between. I do have to say that, over the almost 12 years that Aaron and I have been married, we have spent most of the holidays together. The last few years, however, have quickly been lumped into the "missing pilot" file. His schedule has been one where he missed pretty much every holiday for the last couple of years. This year, he is home for Thanksgiving and will be home for Christmas! What can I say, I'm feeling rather spoiled at the moment.

So, since we aren't moving (like we have over past Thanksgiving holidays) and he is home, I'm going "all-out" for Thanksgiving dinner. We have invited some stranded pilots that live in the area (can't make it back home for T-giving) and I am making a feast! This is not without its challenges, however.... Do you know how many years it has been since I have made a full turkey? Um, let's see.... I think it has been at least a decade, give or take a year or two... In fact, the last time I remember roasting a full bird was the first Thanksgiving we spent in our house when we were first married. If I remember right, I thought it was too much work for just two people to eat, so I decided not to do it anymore... Every Thanksgiving since then has been spent either moving, apart, or at someone else's house. If I made anything at all, it was a Jenny-O Turkey Loaf and a box of Stove-Top.

Anyway, here is my plan for Thanksgiving:

Apple-Brined Turkey (that I picked up today at the store for about $10 - would have been $35, but they were running a special - my original dinner plan involved a Brined Turkey Breast, not a whole bird... I figure that I can use the leftovers during the week)

Sausage Stuffing/Dressing (Aaron calls it "stuffing," but since I won't actually be stuffing the bird with it, it is technically "dressing")

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy (it is not Thanksgiving in my house without it!)

Asparagus w/ Bacon-Gouda Sauce (I haven't decided if I'm going to grill them or steam them... I guess I'll make that decision on Thursday based on the availability of my broiler)

Grilled Brussels Sprouts (only because I'm getting these in my produce box this week... they are a last minute addition to my menu and the first time I will be using a recipe to grill them... I hope they are tasty)


Cranberry Sauce (the jellied kind - Aaron's favorite)

Fresh Rolls w/ Sweet Cream Butter

Pumple Pie ("Pumpkin/Apple Pie" - old family recipe with a few modifications to accommodate my egg allergy and using REAL PUMPKINS, which I ordered, thinking I wouldn't find a good egg-free pumpkin pie recipe so I was going to make a Pumpkin-Apple Crisp so I could still get my favorite combo for dessert)

That's it, so far... But I keep adding to the menu... Maybe, if I get ambitious enough, I may take pictures of the meal before it is devoured... And since it is such a "special" occasion for me, I might even dress up a little... But, then again, with such an ambitious menu, maybe not...