Enough food to last a year...

I have no photos, because both meals were eagerly pounced upon within 10 milliseconds of the dishes hitting the table, but we made two *very* successful Thanksgiving dinners this week, and I must brag.

Thursday
Menu

• Roasted Cornish hens with apple and onion stuffing
• Mushroom and barley pie, adapted (veganized) from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from Gourmet
• Homemade stuffing (or dressing, I guess, since it was cooked in its own dish), from Mom's recipe, made by Middle Brother
• Rosemary-roasted potatoes
• Mashed sweet potatoes
• Fresh rolls, made by Hubby
• Salad with raspberries, candied pecans, blue cheese, and vinaigrette, made by Friend Kris
• Fresh cranberry sauce ('cause the canned stuff's only redeeming quality is slide-off-the plate entertainment)
• Coleslaw
• Pumpkin and apple pies, made by Sister-in-Law

Attendees

• Me (I love that I get to go first)
• Hubby
• Mom
• Dad
• Middle Brother
• Sister-in-Law
• Li'l Brother
• Friend Kris

Friday
Menu

• Enough apps to cover an enormous counter, thanks to Mom-in-Law
• Hot mulled cider
• 14-lb brined and roasted turkey, recipe courtesy Alton Brown, my foodie crush
• Homemade stuffing (or dressing, I guess, since it was cooked in its own dish), from Mom's recipe with bread made by Hubby
• Mashed taters
• Mashed sweet taters
• Spinach-phyllo thingy, made by Mom from her own fantastic recipe
• Apple-cranberry crisp, from Mom's recipe
• Fresh rolls
• Green beans with toasted almonds
• Homemade cranberry sauce
• Buttered corn
• Coleslaw
• Pumpkin squares, made by Mom-in-Law
• Apple-pear-cranberry pie, made by Brother-in-Law

*Added bonus for Friday: All this cooked in a kitchen that was not my own

Attendees

• Me (again with the first!)
• Hubby
• Mom
• Dad
• Mom-in-Law
• Dad-in-Law
• Brother-in-Law
• Sister-in-Law Once Removed (is that really how it works?)
• Nephew-in-Law
• Grandpa-in-Law
• Grandpa-in-Law's GF
• Devil Cat

Hubby and I were like ticks ready to pop after all this, but oh, the wonderful smells! The joy of being in a kitchen all day again! The satisfaction of feeding people! How I adore holidays.