Thanksgiving 2018

My favorite holiday! I love the gathering of family together, the idea of gratitude for our many, many blessings, and the fact that Thanksgiving has not been overtaken by commercialism. Plus, it kicks off the holiday season!

This year we had Lisa, Leslie and Rick, Jenny, Steve and Cindie, and Eric in our home for the festivities.

There were cheeseballs and relishes for appetizers that were set out at 11:00.

Dinner was served at 12:30 - this year everyone could fit around the same table.

Fried turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, corn casserole, tossed salad, cranberry sauce, pierogis, Christmas jello, green bean casserole, brussel sprouts, and sausage stuffing were on the menu.

Cindie - caught in the act of taste testing as Eric carves his ham.

I love this picture of beautiful Lisa with her Aunt Cindie.

Lisa, Jenny, Leslie, and Rick.

Eric, Cindie, Steve, and Lisa.

Millie camped out by Craig, hoping for a nibble or two.

Heh, heh, heh! You spied me!

Desserts included apple, pumpkin, cherry, and coconut cream pies.

Leslie really wanted a sibling photo - Jenny, Leslie, me, and Steve - in age order.

Afterwards we watched some football while the dogs lay in food comas.

After playing games with Craig, Jenny, and me, Lisa joined the dogs on the floor.

I love this picture of Molly and Lisa! Molly is so happy living with her.

Finally, here are some photos of making Grandma Honeywell's cherry pie. The recipe has been in our family since at least the 1950s and possibly earlier, and I have been making it for holidays since the 1980s.

The canned tart cherries are drained, and some of the juice is stirred into sugar and tapioca. While that sits, I make the pie dough.

After stirring the juice mixture into the cherries, I then pour it all into the crust-lined pie pan.

The top crust is added, the sides fluted, and then Grandma Honeywell's signature mark is cut into the top with a sharp knife. (Its purpose is to vent the steam from the inside as the pie bakes.)

The finished product, and the first pie to be polished off!