Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I spent Tuesday night through Sunday morning at home, and it was so nice to take a few days off before exams this week. As much as I enjoy being at school, I was eagerly counting down the days until I could see my family — including grandparents and cousins — play with my dog, and cook in a real kitchen. Here’s a recap of the holiday weekend.
My sister and I drove home Tuesday night after classes. After grabbing my not-so-cuddly pup for some snuggles and having dinner with my family, I went to bed early for the first time in what felt like ages, crashed hard, and slept for 10 hours.
Sister + cousin
Wednesday morning I woke up, took a kickboxing class at the gym, ran a few errands, and did some early shopping before the Black Friday craziness began. Pretty soon the rest of my family started arriving — some flew in from Arkansas and others drove up from Georgia.
My plate x2
We kicked off the week of food and celebrations with a birthday dinner for my grandpa. My mom made a salad and steamed broccoli; I contributed lasagna and roasted veggies. We also baked apple crisp, which is my grandpa’s favorite. I definitely overestimated how much I could eat — after taking a long break from desserts during Whole30 and eating smaller meals while at school, I was ridiculously full.
On Thanksgiving morning I slept in a little longer, then went for a relaxed 7-mile run on quiet roads. I almost signed up last-minute for a turkey trot — I’ve enjoyed a local half marathon on Thanksgiving in past years — but I chose rest instead, which felt wise with finals around the corner.
Back home, my cousin and I watched the pilot episode of Lost. I know I’m late to the party, but it was excellent — I can see how it becomes addictive. Any other Lost fans?
My mom and I simplified our Thanksgiving menu this year to avoid too many dishes. We made turkey and gravy, a lighter mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, fresh green beans, mashed potatoes, and a salad with dried cranberries, almonds, and avocado. I managed to avoid a full food coma this time because I had to be ready for our annual Thanksgiving afternoon tradition: family kickball.
We walked to the neighborhood park and played several innings of kickball — my family vs. my cousins — while the dogs ran around. Almost everyone in my family is competitive, but we’re all good sports, and kickball remains my favorite Thanksgiving tradition. I loved it in elementary school, thought it was lame in middle school (teen years, am I right?), and then started loving it again a few years ago.
After kickball we went to see the fourth Hunger Games movie. I enjoyed it and appreciated the happier ending. Later we enjoyed my aunt’s chicken enchilada soup and her chocolate chip cookie pie — perfect cozy, family-style comfort food.
On Black Friday morning I skipped the store crowds and joined my sister, cousin, and mom at our gym’s “Great Turkey Burn-Off.” The gym hosts big classes that day, and we did a 30-minute kickboxing class followed by 30 minutes of strength training. It felt great to focus on strength work as part of my plan to lift more regularly.
That afternoon we lounged around eating leftover mac and cheese and did some online shopping. I roasted a double batch of winter vegetables for the family — they were surprisingly popular, even with rutabaga and parsnips in the mix — and a big pan of roasted broccoli, which has become one of my favorite side dishes. I wash and dry several heads, chop them, drizzle with melted ghee (about 1 tablespoon per sheet), season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and roast at 425°F for about 18 minutes. Crispy and delicious.
I also enjoyed some Talenti Hazelnut Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Raisin Cookie gelato — treats my ice-cream-loving grandpa picked up. Veggies plus gelato felt like a fair balance. That evening our whole group went to dinner and then played Password while enjoying warm pumpkin bread for dessert.
By Saturday most of the family had left, which meant it was time to face the stack of papers and study materials I’d been ignoring. I’m glad I took the break to spend time with everyone — sometimes you need that pause, even during busy seasons.
So tell me… how was your Thanksgiving? What was your favorite dish this year?
Always mine is the mac and cheese, even though not many families serve it for Thanksgiving.
Hunger Games fans: Do you prefer the books or the movies? Team Peeta or Team Gale?
For me, the movies are among the rare adaptations that hold up close to the books. Also — did you do any Black Friday shopping? Find any good deals?
Sister, grandpa, cousin
