Thanksgiving 2020

Thanksgiving this year was different for so many of us because of the coronavirus pandemic.

We were able to have our son and his wife here to share in the holiday, they have been here since Wednesday afternoon when I picked them up at Wegmans in Florham Park where an Uber that they got into arrived at the store about an hour and quarter after they left New York City.

The day started early about 6:15 am, I made the Mac and Cheese recipe from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cook Book. It uses a mixture of Gruyere and Cheddar Cheese which a little bit of flour and butter makes a creamy filling.

Shortly after 9:00 am Paul, Gretchen and I went to the Flanders Track and ran a Turkey Trot (5K version). The weather prediction was rain but when we went out it was cloudy but had stopped raining… half way through our last ¼ mile loop it started to rain and then pour, so we finished in the rain. Just wonderful to be out there together – of course they were ahead of me and at about the last ½ hours I turned around and met them so we could finish together.

We completed 5K, posting this picture and tagging a certain Bachelorette alumna generated a $5.00 donation to Girls on the Run.

We got home and showered and had second course of breakfast – I had oatmeal earlier – of scrambled eggs and muffins.

Then it was off to the preparations, made the stuffing next, stuffed the turkey and got into the oven about 12:15 pm. Many hours later the turkey was done – about 4:30 pm…. it was a 13.8 pound turkey.

Next was the potatoes and yams, peeled cooked and mashed.

The other side dishes of cranberry sauce (made day before), and Brussel sprouts (great new recipe, sautéed in butter and then baked – topped with parmesan).

The menu included Turkey, Stuffing, Cranberry, Mashed Potatoes and Yams, Brussel Sprouts and Salad.

We then got the appetizers ready – Cheese and Crackers, Veggies and Dip, Sausage, Parmesan Mushrooms and stuffed Jalapenos.