Thanksgiving Plans

NaBloPoMo, Day 2

There are less than 3 weeks to Thanksgiving. I've got to clean house (urgent!!) and finalize menus for our holiday meal. Car Guy and I are hosting Car Guy's family, which is always a real trip.

Car Guy's older sister, Bossy Sis, comes by that "nom de blog" for a reason. She's a real control freak, often taking over family functions that aren't hers to run. Last year she took over 2, being so fussy that she couldn't even tell me, "Bring a hot vegetable." She specified which one to bring. I was raised such that people bringing food to a family function is an extra. If you are going to be so controlling, then do it your own darn self.

So I got a brilliant idea how to thwart Bossy Sis this year. First off, I'm not asking anyone to bring anything. I'll handle it all. If she feels the need to bring meatballs (I must admit, she makes a delicious meatball), then I'm going to put them in the fridge for Car Guy's lunch. Secondly, I'm not telling her what we're having. For some unknown reason, Bossy Sis always has to know what's being served. It's gotten so bad, that I usually tell her, "Food." This year, I will have some fun and make up things using all the fancy words I hear on cooking shows: Pan seared emu steaks with cranberry balsamic reduction, served over winter squash puree. She will: a) not know what half those words mean; b) recognize just enough to be grossed out by the name; and c) not be willing to admit that she has no idea what I'm saying.

The third and final part to my plan is to have a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal. I'll have things that include the elements of Thanksgiving, like turkey and cranberries, but they won't be in traditional form. I plan to serve all finger foods: mini quiches, warm brie and bread, veggies and dip, turkey and cranberry panini with gravy to dip them in, cocktail sausages and meatballs, etc. Not only will this throw Bossy Sis for a loop, it will help rectify another problem Car Guy's family has - they just sit, eat and leave at holiday gatherings. No visiting. No walking around. By serving the items in several waves, and in several locations around my house, they will have to get up and mingle. Dessert will be more traditional, but only because I'm a pumpkin pie freak. LOVE the stuff! And as usual at my house, dessert will be over the top: pumpkin pie, pumple pie (a layer of apple pie filling, topped with a layer of pumpkin), and cranberry apple cookie cobbler.

The pièce de résistance? I'm not only hiding the remote for the TV, I'm unplugging the entertainment center. Bossy Sis and her husband always turn it on at family functions, and always tune in sports. Not this year! There will be party games out, and open bottles of wine. And a good time will be had by all.

Or else.