thanksgiving # 3 - a new kind of family.

Before

Thanksgiving # 3 will be a new kind of celebration for John and I as it proves that family doesn't need to be about blood. Our friend / brother via other mother, Brock,  introduced us to a wonderful woman named Katelyn a few weeks back and she suggested in passing that if we're around for Thanksgiving, we should all get together and make a meal while her family flies in from another province.

John and I are always happy to open to our home to new friends, and so of course we're going to pioneer a way to fit 8 people (my brothers included) into our teeny Toronto apartment on Saturday (sans dining table, it's that small) and have a great meal while we're at it.

I'd love to make a tradition of enjoying thanksgiving with friends. Now that our crew has all got their own places, it makes sense!

After

This was a great Thanksgiving - a real "first". I like being a hostess! I think I'll like it a little more when I have a full sized kitchen and, you know, a dining table - but until then, we made some great food, had some great conversation, and ate it all from our great furniture (John and I found the floor worked best while Brock, Katelyn & Katelyn's dad chose the couch & Katelyn's mom found the comfy chair quite comfy).  

This was my second time around in baking my apple dino pie, and turns out, 2nd time's a charm! My new secret: oven at 450 for 10 minutes, 250 for 15 minutes, and 350 until you know it's done. Total fluke, but I'll call it a secret. That the blog-reading public now knows.

Katelyn's parents' live out of province, so they brought a handy pre-made chicken; John and I had tofurkey leftovers (just as good the second time around). I made yorkshire puddings (they worked! well, I burnt one.. but took it for the team & ate that one), my trusty roast carrot recipe (delicious), steamed broccoli (easy classic) and heated up extra stuffing I made from the day before, mixing it in with Stouffer's Stuffing (go Katelyn for making that!).

We learned the hard way that even though you only drink soy milk, it might be good to have normal milk in your fridge - we liquified the mashed potatoes with water, as to avoid my vanilla soy milk spoiling it all. They were delicious even still! Props to Katelyn's mom for that one.

Overall it was a great time & I would love to make a tradition with friends-giving. Despite the previous day's one-woman-show success (I won't be humble, I'm working my way to Martha Stewartship), I think that potlucks are the best way to go, and now I know that I have a friend who will literally eat a whole can of cranberry sauce.