Mystery Dinner Guests.

Since our Thanksgiving crowd this year was looking a little meager (just the three of us plus Steve’s parents), we decided we needed to invite a few other folks to dinner.  So we hopped to it and invited some Dinner Guests.  Mystery Dinner Guests.  Special Mystery Dinner Guests.

Due to certain scheduling considerations, the feast with the aforementioned Guests didn’t take place until Friday at 1 pm which gave our family all day Thursday and Friday morning to devote to prep time.  Major, major prep time.  Because did I mention that these Dinner Guests were special?

Our preparation unfortunately included the unavoidable showdown with Sir Turkey. Since I am not a big fan of unbaked fowl, I was thankful for the presence of my mother-in-law who strode right into the kitchen and showed that ol’ bird who was boss.  If you haven’t noticed, an unbaked turkey is sort of pale and squishy and has mysterious cavities and protuberances.  As a result, I don’t really love getting within five miles of one, let alone touching one.  (For a funny Smith story about Steve and I cooking a turkey with a “goiter,” you can go back and read this post.)

So Vernie did the hard work while I cheered her on and steered clear of Mr. Tom.

Other prep work involved cubing French bread and corn bread for the dressing . . .

. . . and dirtying every pan in the house. Thrice.

Potatoes were purchased and flung on to a crowded cabinet to be dealt with at the appropriate moment.  (And may I just mention that Sarah peeled a total of sixteen potatoes all by herself!)

My wonderful and wondrous husband moved all the stuff out of the kitchen so that he could sweep and mop the floor.

The whole Smith Cooking Crew joined forces to cut, chop, stir, and blend. . . .

. . . and also deal with the green beans.

After many hours of running hither (and also yon), I declared that it was time for a 20-minute siesta and collapsed gratefully on the couch.

I was not alone.

Snowy just made himself right at home, resting his tiny behiney on my conveniently placed head.

I am always glad to be of assistance.

After Snowy’s and my mini respite, it was time to get up and launch into the Transformation of the Thanksgiving Table.

The Smith Men got out the “good china” which is not actually china at all but twenty-four place settings of plain white dishes we got many years ago for $65 on clearance. (Have I ever mentioned how much I love a bargain?)

The goal was to make the table as lovely as possible for our Guests.

 

 

 

 

Supervising all our work had worn Snowy slap out so he laid himself down in the front hall for a post-morning, early afternoon, noon-ish type snooze. Midway through the snooze, the doorbell rang, signaling to all that the Mystery Dinner Guests had arrived!

Snowy woke right up, gazed thoughtfully at the front door and inquired, “What kind of guests could possibly rate high enough to merit such a huge Smith Extravaganza? I just can’t wait to see who comes through that door!”

To be continued. . .