The table highlight? I made my first turkey. A 17.5 pound fresh bird, which Jonathan and I brined early this morning. Using Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Turkey recipe, it turned out beautifully. So relieved, because I had dreams of the turkey from Christmas Vacation, smoke and all.
The only change I made to the recipe was substituting fresh thyme (which I couldn't find anywhere) with fresh rosemary from the last remaining pot on the deck. Seriously loving that the rosemary is powering through our winter.
The apple cranberry & sausage stuffing was fabulous, and made a ton. I left out the leeks and still had enough to fill a 13x9 dish + another 8x8 dish. I saved the 8x8 dish in the fridge before baking, so we can have fresh stuffing one of these upcoming nights.
Saved the turkey carcass to make turkey soup tomorrow.
I love holiday food. Seriously.
We've exchanged gifts with Tim, Sue and Brandon on this night for a number of years - and especially now since the Skis spend Christmas Day on the farm instead of up at their house. Sue found us the coolest soup cookbook + lemongrass soup bowls. That will get an entire post to itself. :)
This was the first Christmas dinner that Brandon passed me up in height. He's such an awesome young man...now with a girlfriend/friend that's a girl. It seems like yesterday that I was holding him just after he was baptized by my uncle...and now he's thinking about high schools!
But yet, he can't figure out why a toy phone has no "0". :)
Avila talking to Grandma in Iowa...
Perfecting the boy stare.
I love this tradition. And I love that Christmas week is almost here... :)
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