Between the Holidays (Thanksgiving and Black Friday Recap)
Last year I remember San telling us that the week between Christmas and New Year’s is called “Between the Years.” With Thanksgiving things still out and the Christmas tree up, I’ve decided to call this weekend “Between the Holidays.” Usually I’m a stickler for separating Thanksgiving and Christmas, but this time I’m kind of enjoying the overlap. Let’s rewind to Thanksgiving Day. When we went to bed Wednesday night, my son was sick and I was in despair over the pumpkin pie. After firming up overnight in the fridge, the pie looked FINE??? Keep in mind it was liquid the night before. Then my son got up and said that while he was a little tired and congested, he had plenty of energy to start the day. Two crises averted! I spent most of the day cooking- I made rolls, cauliflower stuffing, marinated tofu, and the salad. My son made stuffing (a traditional bread stuffing with Beyond vegan sausage) and mashed potatoes. It was such a fun day, but when I was putting dinner on the table a wave of sadness came over me, and I thought, “It’s over!” I know- this makes NO SENSE. The whole point of making a Thanksgiving dinner is to eat it, right? But I knew that once we sat down to eat, the meal goes so quickly, and then it would be over. My mind is strange sometimes. Here’s the dinner! Everything was so good! The Gardein roast was the least flavorful thing on the table, but at least we all agreed it was not rubber-y (you can see the bar is set pretty low for these roasts- next year I think we’ll make our own.) My two favorite things were the salad- and the cauliflower. I got the recipe from Suzanne, and YUM. I’ll make this anytime, not just Thanksgiving. Oh, and the rolls were insanely good. Of course. You can’t go wrong with rolls. After dinner we went for a walk, and spotted the first Christmas lights of the season! Then it was home for pie… the moment of truth. The family’s pumpkin pie was FINE. Actually, they said it was great. Now, my sister made this exact same recipe and she said hers came out really dry, but also tasted great. So if you want a recipe for a pumpkin pie that’s apparently indestructible, here it is. My pie was delicious, and the best part is, it’s ALL MINE. No one else will eat it (I make it sugar free and with a coconut oil crust) so that means over the course of four days, I eat an entire pie. Heh heh. After the pie, we watched “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” while I put the lights and tinsel on the tree. And then the day really was over. Friday my husband was up before me and turned the tree lights on. When I came out of the bedroom I saw this sight: I had to go to work, and all day long I was dreaming of my traditional Black Friday post-work piece of pie. But this year it was extra special, because the Dolphins were playing! I got home and settled happily on the couch with my pie and the football game. Dinner was leftovers (obviously) and then we decorated the tree: The house is still halfway between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but by the end of the weekend it will be all Christmas! My son is heading back to school. He’ll be back in three weeks, but I’m still sad. You’d think saying goodbye would get easier, but it never does. This year I’m wondering how many Thanksgivings like this we have left. My son is almost 21, and who knows what will happen in the next decade. He could be married with his own family, or have a job where he doesn’t have time off to come home. No matter how you look at it, things change. Sigh. Is Black Friday a thing for you? Did you have the day off? Do any shopping? Are there lights up in your neighborhood yet? – I’m not even attempting outdoor decorations this weekend. Hopefully next weekend!