Thanksgiving 2007

So, I’m not sure how long you’ve been reading my blog but if you’ve been around for longer than a year, you may remember reading about my last Thanksgiving.

Quick recap: I was assigned rolls and, as an afterthought, and appetizer. I wasn’t smart or organized enough to show up early with the stupid appetizer, so they were fairly useless (the rolls were great). But I was completely shown-up by my LITTLE sister!! So much so, that I walked away deciding to make some Thanksgiving Resolutions that included:

(Taken directly from last year’s blog!) "I hereby resolve:

1. To learn a new dish or two – something OTHER than cookies.
2. Show up at Thanksgiving with a little more than I was asked to bring.
3. Figure out a treat NOW to show the young-‘uns how it’s done at the summer BBQ."

Well, come one, was I REALLY expected to remember, let alone ACT on said resolutions? How many of you have truly kept your resolutions? That’s what I thought.

Needless to say, I completely forgot about what happened last year. But in my defense, my life is slightly different this year: I’m a new mom of an infant who did NOT want to sleep the night before the big feast leaving both Mark and I quite bleary-eyed. I’m still unemployed and in preparation to move (which we were planning to do before I got fired) but a good chunk of our belongings (including some pots and pans) have been boxed up and moved to storage. I feel like we’re newlyweds all over again.

At any rate, I was assigned the very difficult task of Stove Top stuffing (perhaps Mom knows I’m not able to offer up much?) True to Erica fashion, I waited until Thanksgiving morning to dash to Albertson’s to pick up said boxes of stuffing. Luckily they store still had some AND they were on sale. Mom said I could make them up at her house (another cop-out on my part). We arrived and everyone was sitting around waiting for us. I kept thinking…. Technically I still have 8 minutes before designated time. 8 minutes is GOBS of time to whip up this fabulous stuffing!

I got the water and block of butter boiling and started opening the packages. Imagine my slight, or great, embarrassment when the pot boils over, water splashes all over the burner and smoke fills the kitchen so rapidly that soon we’re listening to the ear-piercing wails of my dad’s new fancy smoke detectors. My mom’s running around opening windows and the kitchen fills with even more commotion.

My little sister, on the other hand, arrived early and prepared some fabulous yams topped with some type of wonderfully crunchy crust. And, she also did a homemade, fresh, cranberry sauce. UGH!! Again, I was shown up again by my little sister. We sat down at the table and I looked at her and it all came back to me, “I blogged about you and your contribution last year, as I recall.”

I became the butt of many jokes – again – around the Hansen feast. Everyone especially getting a big kick at my lighting water on fire, except my Dad who was actually really glad I tested his new detectors.

I promise THIS time, I’ll remember my resolutions. I would really like to show up with something real to serve.

Thanksgiving 2008 is MINE!!