Ombre granny and some pie.

I always wanted a black edged granny blanket like the ones from the 1970's.  I originally decided that the squares would have an ombre effect, but it was hard to find the yarn colors I needed, so I just did the best with what I had.  I used mostly Caron simply soft, with a few other wool blends thrown in.  The first two rounds of the square were done in a darker shade, the next two in a lighter shade of the same color.   The last round was black Paton's classic wool.  I used the Attic 24 join as you go method to connect the squares.

 The mosaic border is from Lanas and Hilos.  Love it.  Another name for this blanket could be the stained glass window blanket.  Or how about the Licorice All Sorts blanket?... Ooooh yum!

Now I can concentrate more on planning the Thanksgiving dinner.  Here is my menu....

Turkey (a whopping 27 pounder).  Please, please fit in my oven.                                                             

Green bean casserole with crispy fried shallots, red peppers and mushrooms.
Brussels sprouts with marjoram and pine nuts.
Gulliver's corn.  You have to try this.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  I added this dish last year and it was a big hit.  You can find about a hundred recipes for it online and I swear it has a cult following.  Named after the (now closed) Gulliver's restaurant chain in the San Francisco bay area.  Don't forget to thaw the frozen corn kernels first.  Very important.
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet potatoes (yams) mashed with butter and apple butter
Gravy.  Here is where I cheat.  Every year I order 2 jars of Williams Sonoma Turkey gravy base.  You simply mix with milk and your pan drippings.  A bit pricey but worth every penny.  When everything is ready to go on the table and people start milling around in the kitchen,  I don't want to be messing with gravy lumps.
Stuffing.  I make this with the turkey giblets, celery, onions, and mushrooms.  I guess I learned this from watching my Mom, who watched her Mom and so on.  It's good and I haven't changed it in 20 years.  The only problem I have is trying to find bagged dried bread cubes with no high fructose corn syrup or other unnecessary additives.  Just dried bread please.  I guess I could dry my own, but I have to draw the line somewhere.
 Pumpkin Pie. mmmmm,  pie.  I usually make at least 3, and 1 apple pie (my husband doesn't like pumpkin pie. Whaaat?) This year my sister is bringing the pies from Costco.  They are BIG and pretty good.  Half the time people are so full from dinner that the pies hardly get eaten, so I'm eliminating the baking this year.
Rolls from the local bakery.  
Cranberry sauce from scratch
We usually serve either a signature cocktail, (we are still talking about the chocolate martinis from a few years ago) or make a sparkling punch in my antique cranberry glass punchbowl.
 
Everything is made with real butter and cream.  There is no such thing as "light" or "fat free".  I have tried to change up the menu in the past, but everyone starts hollering.
The only thing I regret is that we all can't be seated at the table.  There are just too many of us!  So we serve it buffet style and help ourselves. 
Every single year I say "Let's not do it this year.  I'm tired of the decorating, cleaning, cooking, etc.  Can't it be just the 5 of us?"  But then I get over myself.  It's only once a year.  And it's all about our big, loud, exhausting, wonderful, silly, extended family.  And pie.

 Happy Thanksgiving!

Linking to Tuesday at the Table