#38: Prepare a four course meal for friends and/or family (Thanksgiving in March 2012)

I don't know about you, but nothing says "March" to me better than a good, old fashioned turkey dinner!  Am I right or am I right???  Okay, that may not be entirely accurate, but given the fact that Shannon and I had a turkey that had been sitting in my freezer since November, a Saturday in March seemed like just a time as any to make a delicious meal.  

We extended an invitation my mom, dad, brother, and sister-in-law to join us in our yummy feast.  We also invited Brett and Jake, but they were unfortunately unable to attend.  For our part, Shannon and I assembled the following delicious items:

• Turkey (We roasted it for approximately 5 hours in an electric roaster provided by my mom - seasoned salt, pepper, and butter inside and outside, and under the skin.  We also added thyme and rosemary to the mix.)
• Gravy (I used a basic gravy using the leftover juices/fat from the turkey, butter, and cornstarch.)
• Caramelized Onion and Cornbread Stuffing - Tyler Florence/Food Network
• Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberry - The Pioneer Woman
• Parmesan Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Alton Brown/Food Network
• Cranberry Sauce (We opened a can using a can opener and dumped it in a bowl.  Serious skills, I'm telling ya!)
• Caramel Apple Crumb Pie - Frieda Loves Bread

Tom and Kate and my parents provided the following additions:

• Edamame Salad
• Sweet Potatoes
• Broccoli Salad
• Key Lime Pie
• Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Oh, what a feast it was!  Honestly, everything was absolutely delicious.  My main concern was that the turkey was going to be either overcooked or undercooked - luckily it was just right!  I think cooking it in the roaster did not allow the skin to get extra crispy and brown, but otherwise, it tasted really yummy. 

YUM!

I definitely felt the pressure of trying to time everything out perfectly so that we could eat once everyone arrived.  I think I would have struggled a bit with this task if my mom hadn't allowed me to use the electric roaster.  With the exception of waiting a bit too long to mash the potatoes (we recruited my dad for that task), all of the components were timed really well.  I was quite proud of myself and Shannon!  :)

Some of everything - of course!

Now, even if you aren't the biggest dessert fan, I urge all of you to make the caramel apple crumb pie like we did.  This pie - was - to - DIE - for!!!!  Mmmmm....the combination of crumb topping and homemade caramel sauce was unbelievable.  As I type this, I am thinking about this pie and wishing I had a big slice in front of me!  Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed!  In the spirit of full disclosure, I did NOT make my own crust.  Shannon and I had planned to give it a go, but after looking at the recipe we ended up hopping in the car and making an extra trip to the grocery store for a premade crust.  More power to you if you decide to make your own!

Caramel Apple Crumb Pie

This meal was a great success - and it was wonderful to share it with my amazing family.  We ended our evening testing out our skills (or lack thereof) at Rockband on the Wii - talk about hilarious!  Now that I feel confident in doing so, I plan to prepare lots of meals like this in the future - as long as I have great people to share them with!