Thursday, November 19, 2009

1 Week Until Thanksgiving

Woody and I will spend Thanksgiving here in the city. I have stayed in town every year since I moved from Michigan. As far as you stay clear of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade it is a pretty spectacular day to be here. The streets are as calm as they are on Sunday mornings. It is, in one word, nice.

One year we shared the day with Heather in my minuscule apartment. Woody moved out here the next Thanksgiving and my Dad helped him. Since our new place was full of boxes we opted for a restaurant feast. The next year it was just the two of us, enjoying a relaxed day of food and football. Last year we had Cameron and his wife over along with a friend of theirs. We shared an evening of stories, good music, and wine. This year, again, it will just be the two of us and again. A day of cooking, football, and hopefully a nice walk around the neighborhood (no Turkey Trot for me this year).

You might think it's easy when it is just two people, but no, not really. It's can actually be a bit difficult since we both enjoy the Thanksgiving feast but I have to adjust the recipes so they work for two people and we don't have enough food to feed an army!

I've become good at herb roasted turkey breasts, although I'm still not certain how many pounds to get to make sure we have enough for day-after-turkey-sandwiches but not so much that we still have leftovers on Monday! I hate throwing out turkey! We like to keep it healthy too, so last year I made stuffing from scratch using whole wheat bread, vegetable stock, veggies, and and fat free egg substitute. It turned out well and will be on the menu this year. Mashed potatoes are a must - Woody likes the tradition, no sweet potatoes in this house. Cranberry sauce from a can.

I always like changing the recipes a little to make them a bit healthier (well, except for the cranberry sauce - not much I can do there!). Thanksgiving can be a table full of food, but that doesn't mean it has to be unhealthy. I believe there is a way to change most recipes to make them a little better for you and still taste great. This year the challenge is to use less manufactured 'food' items and use more whole and natural foods. That's why I'm going to stay away from my altered version of this fantastic Turtle Pumpkin Pie and make something different this year.

This is where I am in my planning: I still need to come up with a veggie side dish (I've done green beans two years in a row and would like to try something new), and an easy-to-make, relatively healthy dessert that is also delicious.

So, bring 'em on! Suggestions welcome! What are your favorite veggie side dishes? Have any yummy and healthy desserts? What's on your menu?
I plan to pick up most of what I need at the Farmer's Market this weekend and next Wednesday (the office closes early!) so I can get fresh, local foods on our table. Hopefully they don't run out before I get there!