We did the meal "America's Test Kitchen"-style... they've applied the scientific method to determine how to optimize the classic dishes, so we thought that we'd do it by the book this first year. Our menu: a modest 12-pound turkey that we'd brined the night before and roasted in butter, a rich gravy made with the giblets and drippings, home-made stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole with pecan streussel, green beans with shallots and vermouth, and a '98 Howard Park Chardonnay brought to us from Australia as a gift at our wedding from our good friend Spencer Maughn.
Here's Ryan doing a little planning on the kitchen floor.
Eunice preps the sweet potato casserole and stuffing.
Meanwhile, Melody enjoys hors d'oeuvres outside on our patio.
Time to set the table... Melody and Valerie picked a selection of fall leaves from our yard for the centerpiece. Pinky's silver provided some wonderful flatwear, but everything was served on the mishmash of dishes we've collected since college. We just call our style "ecclectic."
Melody helped us decorate our pumpkins with smiley faces.
When asked which pumpkin represented Eunice, Melody pointed to the small one. Guess that's to be expected given Eunice is the only relative in Melody's life without a proper title. For some reason, it's "Uncle Ryan," but just plain "Eunice."
Grandpa Nic pitched in by carving the turkey. Mmmm!!!
After a fantastic meal, we all went for a late afternoon walk in our neighborhood. Here, Melody and Valerie try to get Abby's attention through the window before coming inside.
Grandpa Nic organized a rousing game of Yahtzee, complete with hand-made score cards and a Williams CUPPs cup as a shaker. Terry had the hottest hands-- 2 Yahtzees!
Of course, no Thanksgiving is complete without some traditional (?) Thanksgiving carols, organized by the Tangs. We sang "Over the river and through the woods, to the Nichols house we go" and other classics. Click below to check out the video!
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