What day is Thanksgiving?

Mike, Emily and I actually went to the movies on Thanksgiving Day and shopped.  Our meals consisted of chiplote eggs benedict that Emily made, movie theater all you can eat popcorn and homemade peanut butter blossom cookies.  I have no complaints but it was hardly traditional.

The only person who had a traditional meal was Laura and she actually was in Thailand sightseeing on Thanksgiving Day . She actually hosted a Thanksgiving meal at her home a week earlier for friends of hers that had not grown up with an American Thanksgiving because they were not from here.  They roasted a chicken instead of turkey but Laura made Grandma's crockpot mashed potatoes (with lots of coaching from Kim and Suzanne) and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for dessert.  Laura even set the table and included the Peterson pineapple turkey which apparently generated a lot of comment.

Not to be outdone, Emily and I decided to have a fake Thanksgiving at the pond on the Tuesday before actual Thanksgiving Day.  However, our menu was Spiced Salmon with beets, fennel, herbs and spiced almonds, kale salad with warm cranberry vinaigrette, mashed sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie.  I provided the tomato jam appetizer and artisan home baked bread.  Emily made the salmon and salad from a Bobby Flay cookbook Suzanne gave her for Christmas one year and Heath made the mashed potatoes.  Suzanne made us a pumpkin pie based on a Martha Stewart recipe . Definitely a gourmet meal although Mike ended up being hungry as he would eat none of this.  Fortunately I had made him and Lois a meatloaf (from an Ina Garten recipe) for their main course so at least their stomachs were not growling.

Suzanne and Heath headed to Dallas the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day and were able to have a traditional meal with the Kite family.  So although it was not a traditional holiday with all the Peterson's around the table at the same time I'd say we all had plenty of family and friend time as well as lots of good food.