Thanksgiving - breaking free edition

I had a hard time getting excited about Thanksgiving this year. Last year, Thanksgiving was kind of a big deal. It was our first married Thanksgiving, and  it was going to be a perfect, punch-drunk love affair to be seered into our memories in all its fuzzy, warm glory - so help me. We anxiously tried to find the best recipes ever. We pillaged the grocery store like kids run a muck in a Willy Wonka paradise. We carefully brined the bird and spent all Thanksgiving day making sure we had every single traditional dish lovingly set out on our itsy bitsy coffee/dining/everything else table. We barely had room for our plates. A week later we were still trying to slog our way through the massive amounts of leftovers. I know that everyone has leftovers for Thanksgiving, but two people trying to make their way through a meal that could easily have fed 6 people for a few days is a special experience. We spent the rest of the weekend blissfully enjoying our last free weekend until finals, hitting the town and fighting our way through museums, cuddling up to watch Christmas movies and otherwise basking in the holiday spirit.

This year I was just a big pile of meh. First of all, neither of us really even like most Thanksgiving foods. Turkey is usually kind of dry and flavorless, and I've yet to find a good way to use the leftovers. Turkey enchiladas just don't quite cut it. I do love a good sausage stuffing, but not a 9x13 pan full of it. Zach loves cranberries only slightly less than he loves me, but he makes a new helping of cranberries every other day during the holiday season, so there is no danger of him being deprived. Pumpkin pie and rolls are good. Allright, I suppose I'm on decent terms with many staples, just not for 2 weeks. And I don't really want to cook any of it.


Fortunately, I remembered something very important. There are only two of us. We have no children that will be scarred by memories of a non-traditional Thanksgiving. We can do whatever we want. WHATEVER. We could have nothing but pie. Or no pie at all. Definetley no turkey. I don't really care what the puritans did. As a matter of fact, I don't even like the mostly because I would definetley of been killed as a witch - which frankly would have come as a bit of a relief. I see no reason to eat turkey on the account of people who would have hung me.



Anyway's I was emboldened by my new found freedom to do whatever we want. Apparently what we wanted was lamb. And given my love of puns, Silence of the Leg O' Lamb became the recipe of choice. With a side of rolls, salad, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Because we wantes those too, dangit. A quick trip to the grocery store, and we had the most beautiful lamb ever.



I spent about 5 minutes making the marinade, 5 more rolling the thing up. Maybe another 5 minutes checking the roast, and tossing in the frozen rolls. 5 more mixing up the canned pumpkin and other ingredients and pouring it into the premade pie shell. Zach did the potatoes, and the salad kind of got forgoten about, because I don't have to eat vegetables if I don't want too. 20 minutes prep time tops. 

Admittedly, not the prettiest of meals. Not even a tablecloth, let alone a centerpiece, napkin rings (or napkins for that matter). But that lamb? Amazing. Stupendous. Juicy and tender and perfect. My mouth has never been happier. No stress, great food - I'll call that a great Thanksgiving. I love family and hope we can spend Thanksgiving with them sometime, and there is something comforting about traditions - even if Turkey does kind of suck. But this year a quiet, delicious, destressful Thanksgiving was just what I needed. And I'm grateful for that - and so much more. 

Happy Holidays you guys - I hope you can find what you really need and what makes you happy, no matter what that may be.