At my job we get a free turkey for Thanksgiving. When I was getting mine my manager said that if I don't have plans that I am welcome to join them. He and his wife had helped me move my furniture when I finally got out of the shelter and they knew that I didn't have family or very many friends nearby, so they wanted to make sure I don't have to spend the holidays alone which I greatly appreciate.
It has been a rough few weeks and so I hadn't really considered how I was going to spend the day. As I considered his offer I remembered all the other times I had been invited to other's homes on the holidays because they didn't want me to spend the holidays alone. I remembered the feelings and triggers and I am realizing that more and more I'm becoming sensitive to the people I surround myself with and I don't want darkness and triggers because it has the ability to drain me and hinders me from being my authentic self.
As I pondered these things and that this was my first season of actually feeling safe for the first time in my life, I decided that why not start my own Thanksgiving tradition because I have a turkey and not really freezer space to freeze it, so why not make it? I made myself a menu and the more I considered it the more excited I've become at the idea of starting my own traditions. I invited my friend to join me if she wants because I know she is spending the day alone as well but it's no big deal for me to spend the day alone if she is too tired to come over because this is my thing. Something I can do to nourish myself and all my parts who never were able to enjoy the holidays. And I'm so excited I wanna clap my hands!
Here is my menu I came up with for my first thanksgiving dinner. It will probably change a bit with time but this is a simple, doable start. Next year I may have more people join me which I would also find very delightful!
Apple Cheddar Scones
Turkey
Roasted Root Vegetables
Garlic Mushrooms Cauliflower Skillet
Baked Brie with Fig Jam & Pecans
Fall Fruit Salad
First I worked on the fruit salad. I used the dressing recipe but since I'm not that fond of the seeds in the blackberries in the original recipe I decided to add my choice of fruits which insisted of: apples, pears, bananas, blueberries and grapes. I've don't remember ever eating any fruit salad with cinnamon in it but it really is good. You can find the recipe here:
The next thing I tackled was the scones. I had never made any in the past so it was something new. (Actually, all of these are new recipes.)
It was a bit of a sticky mess and I didn't have a round biscuit cutter so I used an acorn cookie cutter. You can kind of see the shape...the last two I just formed in a round shape because it was the end of the dough... I didn't have a baster so I just spooned the beaten egg over the scones.
You can find the recipe here:
By then it was time to put the turkey in the oven. I had brought it home frozen and had left it thaw on the counter overnight then stuck it in the fridge for about 4-5 days until I wanted to cook it, getting it out about an hour before I wanted to cook it. I was happy to see the pop-up thermometer because this was the first time I was making one.
I used two different recipes. I found one about how to spatchcock a turkey which basically means removing the backbone and flattening the turkey so it cooks faster. I used this recipe for the directions on how to do that:
Then I used the herb butter recipe in this turkey recipe to put on the outside of the turkey. Since the cavity was no longer a cavity since I removed the backbone I didn't add those ingredients. It turned out well and the skin was oh-so-tasty!
While the turkey was in the oven I cut up the vegetables and prepared the brie for the other 3 dishes. I also tried a scone to see if they're actually good. It was a bit salty which could have been my fault but it didn't get any sugar except maple syrup but it was still good. It's a very unique flavor if you add butter and jelly to it, as in sweet and salty...
Here is the recipe for the root vegetable dish. I used turnips instead of parsnips because there weren't any at the store where I wanted to get them.
For the skillet dish I used oyster mushrooms because that's what I had on hand. It turned out well. I also didn't have any fresh spices except sage that I had specifically gotten for some of these recipes so I just used some fried ones.
I think the brie was my favorite of all. I crisscrossed the top of it like the recipe instructed then added a big dollop of fig and honey spread. (It was part of a specialty fruit spread pack that I had treated myself to from Aldi's) I then a chopped a handful or two of pecans and dumped them on top. I thought at first that I went a little overboard but it went perfectly together and was so good!
I got a box of pita crackers to go along with the brie. If I would do it over I think I'd buy something similar to triscuits. They were a bit salty to me and more like chips than a cracker. Or maybe try to make my own. I had thought of making some but I decided that I think that I'm trying enough new recipes for one week that I will leave homemade crackers for another time.
I thought of digging out my company dinnerware but I didn't feel up to it so I just used my every day ware. It would have fit better with Thanksgiving because my Christmas decorations are mostly blue and white like my every day ware but we'll see...a while ago I had found 2 hummingbird napkin rings at the thrift store and they have just been sitting on my counter because I didn't know what to do with them and I rarely have company but I thought they add a pretty touch to the table.
I was quite exhausted spending about 5 hours cooking all these dishes. I also felt a lot of sadness because I knew that the rest of my family was getting together at my mom's house and I wouldn't be there to see everyone, especially my nieces and nephews of whom I'm missing out on their growing up years. But on the other hand I was very grateful for the peace and quiet of my own little space and not having to be stressed out and on edge for any quite of drama that my parents might start or self righteous admonitions from certain of my siblings because I'm fallen so far from grace in their eyes. For the first time in my life I felt safe and even though I missed my family or those who are supposed to be family but aren't in the sense of the word it was still a good day. The beginning of a new tradition. My only local friend joined me to help eat some of the food and I hope next year there will be more misfits and outcasts to join me in a safe space to enjoy food and fellowship without judgement or criticism, for it would be nice if we could all enjoy the holidays like that, but sadly, for a lot of people that is not the case. I hope that next year it can be different for a few more new faces to gather around my table...
What are your favorite Thanksgiving/turkey day recipes? I would love links to new recipes...and as always, thank you for reading...
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