Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving is a day for giving thanks. We begin by being thankful for our large family spread far and wide, particularly little niece Sadie Lampropoulos in Utah and her lovely drawing of the Pilgrims.

This is the New York Times' whimsical rendition of the traditional family feast.

L/R: Charlie, Poppet, Laurie, Bob, Catherine, Frances, Caspar, Anne, Rebecca, Russell, Pedr, and Allan.

And this is reality for the Seymour/Boswell/Potter/Luard clan. Cooking over the open fire has become the preferred method. But eating outside isn't always pleasant in late November. This year we enjoyed a high of 51 degrees. Last year we had a foot of snow the night before ... amen.

Clara, Plum, Sophie, and Madelyn

And the four girls ate on the steps.

For various reasons, many family members couldn't make it this year, but that didn't alter the menu or outrageous amounts of food. No one could imagine cooking for only 17. So we roasted our usual two turkeys. 

One on the grill ...

... and the other by the open fire.  Sadly, the dog count was down this year as well ... from 5 to 1.

With roasting underway, the supporting cast arrived.

Rebecca brought her famous Brussels Sprouts.

Charlie and his famous apple pies.

Laurie's luscious beets and Blue Hubbard squash.

Frances did her famous grilled bread ...

... which was drizzled with olive oil and sea salt and immediately devoured.

That was just the prelude. Grilled Atlantic salmon ...

 Frances' version of "stuffing" resembling paella minus the seafood.

 A toast to the day with sparkling red wine Chook.

Allan took the roasting and tending fire task very seriously.

 The uneven heat required occasional rotation of the pan, adeptly twirled by Charlie.

 Hot coals and smoke made the job harder than it looks.

Frances used the long distance stirring technique.

Pedr checked the temperature of the turkey on the grill. Done!

Bob really got into carving. We're not sure which medication had kicked in.

 Anne and Charlie waited patiently.

As did the five offspring.

 Pecan pie, pumpkin pie, paella, mashed potatoes, gravy. All aboard!

Kids got first dibs.

The good ole iPhone panorama feature captured the scene. To quote a photographer friend from Santa Fe: This is a very iconic American shot: large comfortable room, a groaning table, lots of people, lots of chairs, lots of windows, informality, and even the obligatory dog hoping something will fall onto the floor.

It was a true group effort. Thanks everyone. 

Happy Holidays everyone. Wish you were here.