It’s All Over But the Hurting

It is over. All the work, and the cleaning, and the cooking, and chaos that is Thanksgiving, it is over. All that is left is to heal (and some really yummy leftovers).

I am tired and sore, but I feel good. It was such a nice day and everyone was a huge help. It was like a crazy ant farm in my kitchen in the moments leading up to dinner, and then again during the clean up. I just love all the chaos of bumping elbows and the buzz of ten different conversations going on at one time. I feed off the energy. My Uncle said grace for dinner and I could just hear him over Joe Buck’s commentary on the TV about Tony Romo’s finger. Family, food and football – that is Thanksgiving! Despite the Fibromyalgia, I am one lucky girl and I am thankful that I have such a loving and supportive family.

Here is some of what Thanksgiving reminds me to be grateful for.

• Standing side by side at the stove with my 88 year old Granny making awesome homemade noodles and gravy.
• Listening to my Dad and Husband complaining about how bad the football games are.
• Watching my Aunt and Uncle cuddling together in a chair while their newlywed daughter sits close by holding hands with her husband. Passing down the love!
• Listening to my oh-so-smart cousin talk about the things he is passionate about – music, books & writing.
• Sharing a glass of wine and some cheer with my mother-in-law and her husband.
• Accepting compliments and gratitude from my step-mom.
• Passing down the honor of stuffing the celery to my beautiful niece and noticing that this is the first year she didn’t show me she can stick black olives onto all of her fingertips.
• Laughing with my sister. And oh there was plenty to laugh about.

Like the eggs, the beautiful and yummy deviled eggs that she brings every year. This year they didn’t travel so well and when they arrived they looked like this.

But my sis, she has skills, and somehow she was able to transform them back into this.

A miracle I tell you!  And don’t they look lovely on the crystal egg plate that used to belong to our Granny?

My sis always finds a way to make me laugh.

She has done some crazy stuff over the years, like mailing me her pee stick when she found out she was pregnant with my niece, and now that very niece has become her cohort in crime.

So as the day was winding down I was TIRED and just slightly off my game. I had bought this yummy Pomegranate Italian Soda, and the plan was to mix it with a little of the vodka in my freezer and chill out after all the work, but I just wasn’t in the mood for alcohol. But for some reason my 13-year-old niece kept trying to talk me into it. “Auntie, I think you should make a drink now,” she said to me about thirty times, and then she would just stand there with a smirk on her face until I yelled “WHAT!” This went on for about three hours, and never once did I catch on that she was trying to get me to look in the freezer.

Finally my sis asked for a Pomegranate Italian Soda and vodka, so I opened the freezer, took out the vodka, and poured her a drink. When I turned around to take it to her, my niece was standing there with her hands on her hips looking like she wanted to kill me. “WHAT!” I said for the hundredth time. “Oh Auntie, just look in the freezer!”

OH THE HORROR! Some how, in my tired stupor, when I opened the freezer I had missed it – the headless Dexter doll! It took a second for my brain to register what was going on, and then it all made sense – the bag my niece took with her into the kitchen after dinner, the gentle nudges to get me to make a drink, and the ice cream! Hadn’t she told me about 20 times that she was ready for ice cream? It was all coming together and it made me happy – happy that my sister’s silliness was rubbing off on her daughter and happy that they took the time to set up this little prank.

So I screamed! A loud, playful scream and everyone came running to see what was going on. Fortunately my entire family loves Dexter so we all got a great laugh out of it. Just before they left my niece told me she noticed that I seemed to have more energy after their little prank and she was right. I did. Thanks for that you two! It was a great end to a great day.  I love Thanksgiving!

P.S.

For breakfast Friday morning I was barely coherent and in a thick fibrofog, so Rob made us Stuffing Omelets. OMG they were delicious!  A little recipe he learned from Sam the Cooking Guy.  Seriously, you should try them.  Excellent with a side of potato pancakes and some ham.

From Sam:

You’re laughing right? Well I’m serious about how good this is – so don’t laugh until you’ve tried it. This is maybe a twice-a-year recipe. It’s for the morning after Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner – and it requires that you still have some stuffing left – and frankly is the best reason to make extra.

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 slice Kraft American cheese (you can use any kind you like, but this kinda makes it)
• 1/3 cup (approx) leftover stuffing, room temp

Steps

1. Beat the eggs well in a bowl
2. Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat, and add eggs.
3. If making a true omelette, allow the eggs to set – add stuffing to one half, cover with cheese and flip one side over making a half moon & cook to desired doneness (desired doneness for me is not too dry)
4. Or, cook as scrambled eggs – adding the stuffing when you would normally add other ingredients and then cook until desired doneness – which is still not too dry
5. Put on a plate and enjoy
6. Wait for next year