our thanksgiving tradition

our thanksgiving is usually spent going to someone else's house and eating an amazing meal.  we love sharing this time with family and trying everyone's traditional dishes.  i also love that we don't have to deal with the mess and stress before and after dinner.

but part of me still wants to cook the traditional meal.  i've only baked two turkeys in my life.  i also find interesting recipes that i would like to try; stuffing, rolls, or dessert.

a few years ago i decided that we should do our own thanksgiving here at our house.  just the five of us.  something simple and easy but with the basic components.  i've tried different things from open faced turkey sandwiches, to cubed turkey and gravy on a mound of mashed potatoes like i used to eat in elementary school.

last year i tried the jenni-o turkey breast that comes ready to bake with a thermometer and everything.  it was a hit.  after thanksgiving they were on sale so i bought a few more to have at christmas.

this year i saw a cooking show that features a turkey roulade.  basically a turkey breast pounded thin with stuffing rolled into the center.  oh and then wrapped in bacon.  it was amazing.  i made corn bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and green beans and used canned cranberries and gravy.  no dessert, and that was fine with us.

usually i try to make this dinner two weeks before thanksgiving.  it helps to satisfy the craving for those foods that we normally only eat once or twice a year.  by the time thanksgiving comes around we feel like we've had it so we don't need to go overboard.  it doesn't always work but it's a good thought, right?

eventually we will host thanksgiving at our house.  i can't wait.  and then i will long for the days when it was just the five of us.  for now we are making it work and enjoying every bite.