Thankful

This year's Thanksgiving didn't involve the usual pilgrimage to Williamsburg, Va. Due to an unexpected emergency room visit for my Mom, my immediate family stayed local and threw together a Thanksgiving feast on the fly.

My Aunt Eleanor has been the main chef behind every family Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. She's perfected the meal and somehow is always able to prepare countless dishes to feed everyone all the while making it appear effortless.

Well, our rendition of the meal wasn't effortless or gourmet. And the kitchen scene unraveled into a circus the hour leading up to eating time. But, the fact that I wore sweatpants all day made everything better. And, the meal turned out to be more than "just OK."

Our appetizers, clockwise from top left: Salmon salad roll; hummus (store-bought!); Jarlsberg cheese and Horseradish cheddar; homemade caramelized onion dip.

And then for the real spread! The only things ready-made here were the chicken and the rolls.  From left, rotisserie chicken; mashed potatoes (I mixed in cream cheese, sour cream and skim milk); chicken gravy with shallots; sourdough bread stuffing; green bean casserole (a recipe from my Aunt that's from scratch); sweet potatoes with marshmallows; cranberries; 7-up salad (a family tradition); rolls.

Let's take a closer look....

And some more...

Big, hefty plate full of goodness.

And lastly some pie! The recipe was taken right off the side of the pumpkin can. Yes. And the crust is a bit lopsided, but it all tastes the same going down!

Food aside, it wasn't the same this year not being in Virginia surrounded by relatives and good cheer. And it definitely wasn't the same this year not having my Mom at the dinner table with us. But we paid many a visit to her in the hospital and learned that things are going to be A-OK! Now that's something for which I am extremely thankful.

I am also mindful of and thankful for all the blessings in life that are often taken for granted: the means to provide the food, a job, supportive friends, a wonderful extended family, and of course a great immediate family! Big thanks to my brothers for the help in putting together this meal at the last minute, and for my parents for being superbly spectacular.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!