My lovely daughter-in-law, Laura, a paramedic, had to work on Thanksgiving
( a 5PM to 5AM shift which was her bid this go round ), so she and Alex
invited Jeremy and I up to their West Sacramento home yesterday to
celebrate, instead. It was actually a lovely drive up, without very much
traffic, beautiful sky shots with nice cloud formations and, even some
beautiful fall foliage, that whizzed by so quickly, I couldn't get pictures.
Christine and Roger came ( Laura's folks ), her brother, Robert, and his
wife, Kristin, and their two delightful little boys, Conner and Holden, and,
in addition to my two granddogs, the Calhouns brought Tigger, the new
shelter dog that joined their family when their beloved Gus died earlier
this year.
The food was absolutely delicious. Alex and Laura bought a new grill and
the turkey was brined overnight and cooked on the grill - a first time
event for Alex. It was just hilarious watching him at the task, with
Jeremy helping. The bird turned out to be the yummiest I've ever
eaten and it just fell off the bone. Carving it was so much easier than
last year with the electric knife! There was, also, a whole array of other
treats - a FRESH green bean casserole, an unusual - and heavenly
concoction made from cornmeal and sweet potatoes, two different
stuffings, eggplant caviar, a lovely fruit compote with cranberries, dried
apricots and other good things, lovely California wines, plus appetizers
to keep us happy before dinner.
And, of course, dessert - pumpkin and two apple pies - one with a cream
cheese frosting ( my choice, of course - like I needed more calories ) and
one without frosting.
It was a wonderful family day and, thankfully, Jeremy drove home so I
could doze, intermittently, awakening suddenly, thinking we were about to
face catastrophe on a California freeway. It must have been my full
stomach!
( a 5PM to 5AM shift which was her bid this go round ), so she and Alex
invited Jeremy and I up to their West Sacramento home yesterday to
celebrate, instead. It was actually a lovely drive up, without very much
traffic, beautiful sky shots with nice cloud formations and, even some
beautiful fall foliage, that whizzed by so quickly, I couldn't get pictures.
Christine and Roger came ( Laura's folks ), her brother, Robert, and his
wife, Kristin, and their two delightful little boys, Conner and Holden, and,
in addition to my two granddogs, the Calhouns brought Tigger, the new
shelter dog that joined their family when their beloved Gus died earlier
this year.
The food was absolutely delicious. Alex and Laura bought a new grill and
the turkey was brined overnight and cooked on the grill - a first time
event for Alex. It was just hilarious watching him at the task, with
Jeremy helping. The bird turned out to be the yummiest I've ever
eaten and it just fell off the bone. Carving it was so much easier than
last year with the electric knife! There was, also, a whole array of other
treats - a FRESH green bean casserole, an unusual - and heavenly
concoction made from cornmeal and sweet potatoes, two different
stuffings, eggplant caviar, a lovely fruit compote with cranberries, dried
apricots and other good things, lovely California wines, plus appetizers
to keep us happy before dinner.
And, of course, dessert - pumpkin and two apple pies - one with a cream
cheese frosting ( my choice, of course - like I needed more calories ) and
one without frosting.
It was a wonderful family day and, thankfully, Jeremy drove home so I
could doze, intermittently, awakening suddenly, thinking we were about to
face catastrophe on a California freeway. It must have been my full
stomach!
The skies over Fairfield, CA
Flat farmland near Dixon, CA
Jeremy ( 27 ) and Alex ( 29 ) Vukasinovic
Taffy, my first granddog
Bucky, granddog number two
Beautiful Laura, my daughter-in-law
Grandma and her pooches
Macro of table flowers
Bucky's favorite position
Such a sweet face!
Having fun in the kitchen
Working on a pony tail!
Ohhhh, that's nice, Uncle Jeremy
Forget that computer and use both hands...
Thanksgiving flowers
Smells scrumptious!
A piece on the plate, a piece in the mouth
How about dropping a bite of that turkey?
I'm waiting over here, too.
Alex with his mother-in-law, Christine
Laura and Alex
Nini and Holden
Laura and Holden
I am participating in Unknown Mami's Sundays in My City -
check it out and tell us what's going on where you live.
Oh, what fun, Carmen!
ReplyDeleteWas there somebody patiently waiting for some turkey parts to drop on the floor? Our dachshund always "sleeps" under the table during meals, you know, hope is alive. ;-)
Merisi -
ReplyDeletePoor Bucky and Taffy may not come under the table. They have to move no further than the edge of the carpet so they do that - with their toenails right to the edge. Rarely do they get anything but their regular dry dog food and an occasional treat...sometimes, doggie bones from the butcher at Safeway where Alex works or soup broth over their dry food!
Pleasant pictures! Taffy's adorable.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a lovely Thanksgiving with family!
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that a ggod time was had by all. You are surrounded by wonderful people. So nice.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this honour of a glimpse of Happiness. Please have you all a good week ahead.
ReplyDeleteWow- looks like you had a great time. Everyone looks so happy. Glad your family likes to spend time with you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great gathering!
ReplyDeleteHi Carmen, So happy you had a terrific Thanksgiving with your family. All your pics are gorgeous and happy and a great memory for you while you're traveling.
ReplyDeleteThanks, xo jj
glad to see you had a great thanksgiving Carmen, thanks for sharing to us your piece of thanksgiving happiness.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a great time. Just the mention of pumpkin pie makes my mouth water. I didn't get any this year, so I feel very deprived.
ReplyDelete@Vidya Sury -
ReplyDeleteI remember my horror when they brought Taffy home, from a shelter. She was a year old and I didn't want them to get a pit bull. As an RN, I'd seen some terrible cases of children, bitten by these dogs. Alex and Laura had talked to a vet who said the dogs are maligned, that they are really good animals who are trained to be viscious. Taffy is so wonderful...it was clear she had been abused. She was so timid and shy and it took a long time for her to not be afraid of people. She is still a shy girl - but a real lady and I adore her. They got Bucky a couple of months later, just to give her company and to bring her out of her shell a bit. He's great, too...but shy, he is not.
@Ratty -
I do love pumpkin pie myself...and all things pumpkin. Half Moon Bay near here is a mecca for them. They hold a huge pumpkin festival and, over 35 years ago, when I first moved here, I got a great pumpkin cookbook - with all sorts of terrific recipes ( one of my favorites is for pumpkin fudge ). I've tried almost every one - many are for main dishes - the South American stew served in a pumpkin is wonderful, too. You'll have to come to dinner one of these days.
@betchai -
It was a lovely day,my friend. One of those special ones that warm your heart. I haven't a clue where I'll be living when the next Thanksgiving rolls around. I hope I can find a nice in-law apt that can accomodate me and all my remaining possessions. Pray for that, please.
@Joanna Jenkins -
You're right - the pictures will be nice to share with my Indian friends, too. Only a few of them have met my family. My boys have cruised several times with me on Royal Caribbean and a couple of the crew members have actually been to my house.
@secretagentwoman -
It was kind of nice celebrating on a Saturday. If I hadn't been busy packing, I could have had two Thanksgiving dinners....but I didn't need double the calories, that's for sure.
@Unknown Mami -
It was a special day for me and it was fun with a new baby there. Your little one celebrated her first Thanksgiving, too.
@ρομπερτ -
It was nice that you were able to share my Thanksgiving, Robert. By the way, Jeremy, my youngest visited a friend in Switzerland for a month several years ago ( the son of a forensic colleague of mine who stayed a month with us two years in a row before he started college ). The boys made a
motor trip to Amsterdam ( five of them ), stopping off in Cologne for a couple of days where Jeremy says he had the BEST beer of his life. He has, yet, been able to find it here. He, also, was most impressed with the catherdral in Cologne.
Sharkbytes (TM) -
It really was a nice get together - and I really like Laura and her family. Christine, Laura's mom, is also an RN, with a geriatric specialty. They've welcomed me so warmly and always include me, and my other two boys, in their in their gatherings.
qandlequeen -
I definitely felt thankful after that wonderful day of family, friendship and good foood.
whata cute pups! glad all is well and you had a great thanksgiving! food and family how can you miss...smiles.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful family you have!!
ReplyDeleteI feel as if I enjoyed your treats...the scrumptious turkys with you, looking your precious photos. Your home is real full of happiness.
Dear Carmen,
ReplyDeleteLovely to see you with your happy family including those delightful granddogs!
Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment on my post about my Etsy treasuries.
I am so busy right now, and I think I've caught a cold on top of everything else! I have no time for blogging, but I just had to say 'hello' and thanks to you.
Best wishes & hugs from
Anna
Just stopping by to wish you bon voyage, Carmen, since it's so close to your departure. Have fun, stay health, and be safe.
ReplyDeleteThey say *every picture tells a story* and it was clear that you all had a lovely time.
ReplyDeleteLovely, docile doggie!
Maggie X
Nuts in May