Being Thankful Together

Connie, David, Amal...knitting talk

Brian enjoys pistacheos

Everything Serene cooks is beautiful and intricate

Mediterranean appetizers

Mom always sends flowers

When I moved to Port Angeles in 2005, the Seattle contingent of my family come over to my new home on the Peninsula for Thanksgiving dinner...We decided that day, that I would have the hosting of the Thanksgiving dinner in perpetuity. There have been menu and personelle changes over the last 9 years, but it is always a time of sharing food and stories. I feel very, very lucky to have such a wonderful family and friends...a very talented bunch of cooks, too.

David and Brian just celebrated their 8th anniversary. We first learned of Brian via his hand turkey, then he started us on themed Thanksgivings, with a photo of Hugh holding and Serene batting at the turkey Pinata David made for our Mexican Thanksgiving in 2012 featured on a PBS NextStep article on unusual family celebrations of the holiday.

Serene's meticulously-fabricated cherry tomato halves with precisely-cut fresh mozarella and herbs

I am lucky to have 4 handy brothers who help me with the work I'm not so good at

Hugh and Doug install my new locking mailbox while the sun was out

Brian and Ally take a break

Brian's choice of theme was school lunch Thanksgiving. The rest of us, the Foodies, outvoted him, and since Kim, a regular Hastings' Thanksgiving attendee, left the makings for  Baklava in my freezer when she moved to DC for work, the rest of us picked Mediterranean Thanksgiving...lots of room for interpretation. The only constants this year were the two turkeys, one smoked from Sunrise Meats and one Fresh Free Range from Country Aire, and my ginger cranberry sauce, although Serene found a good-sounding chipoltle/cilantro one, that I'd like to try.

The long  counter between kitchen and living room is perfect for laying out food

Connie brought a divided tray, so Brian could have his school lunch Thanksgiving

David, Brian

Amal, Doug

Hugh, Kim

Hugh and Connie are performing in Mary Poppins at Village Theater in Issequah, Amal had to get back to her Social Work job at Children's Hospital. For once Doug wasn't busy with aptitude testing, but Brian and David had to get home to turn on their holiday lights.

Knefe, cornmeal cake with rosemary syrup, baklava

I'm eating turkey salad for supper, and having fun posting pictures of my lovely family. Since we got our first snow down near sea level on Friday night, I'm happy that I got my studded snow tires put on before Thanksgiving. When I drove to Sequim yesterday to pick up my pieces from the fiber arts show, I was dismayed to see at least 10 cars seriously off the road on 101...insufficient respect for the dangers of speed on ice...I'm Thankful that none of the idiots ran into me.

Serene, Brian, Kim, Amal

Everyone taking pictures of the deserts

Thank you family and friends, Mom in Iowa who talked to each of us, the Chicago contingent, the South Carolina kids...see you again next year.

Thanksgiving weekend...Saturday morning...our one snowfall for the year, I hope