Thanksgiving came and went pdq. With the Christmas lights already on the house, it is at times difficult to believe it was even here. Our house borders on one which is almost ready to forget about any other holiday except for Christmas. This year had to be different though. This year, we played host to 6 parents, an aunt, a sister and nephew.
It's not that Courtney was nervous, because she wasn't. The idea of entertaining everyone really didn't seem to bother her. She actually loved the idea. The nerves hit me pretty hard Thursday morning, as I woke up about 5:30 to start prepping the smoker. We were going to attempt to smoke a turkey. So for those scoring at home it was our first time hosting, our first time preparing a turkey and the first time we ever smoked an entire bird.
The first beer was cracked open about 9 am. Why? Because after the first two hours, the skin around the breast broke apart. Clearly the temp must have been a little too high at first, so I needed a Coors Light to cool the nerves a bit. Fortunately the slow cooking ended up being just fine. The skin was as black as fresh pavement, but the first cut into the bird I knew we were in good shape.
Family began loading their plates up with turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing, rolls ... pretty much anything you could think of ... and everyone took their seats. Despite hosting, Courtney and I gave up the adult table to our parents. Watching our 3-year-old nephew attempt to sit and eat a Thanksgiving meal was entertaining enough to make us forget we were at the kids table. All in all, it was a tremendous time with family and a heck of a lot of fun. Would we do it again? Sure. I actually wouldn't mind the smoked turkey becoming a tradition. It is a little more work but well worth the reward.
My parents actually came into town on Wednesday and stayed throughout the holiday weekend. it was great to spend time with them certainly on Thanksgiving but also on Friday and Saturday. We spent Friday walking around Athens and setting up the house for Christmas. Saturday was game day vs. Georgia Tech. I was able to sneak my parents into a suite for a portion of the game, which they loved. It was quite cold, but fortunately the Dawgs walked out with a win and an eventual bowl bid.
With the lights up, the tree in the house and the first couple of fires burning in the fireplace, it is finally starting to feel like Christmas. There is no question this is my favorite holiday and time of year. I've been playing Christmas music any chance I get. We are nowhere near ready for the actual holiday. Still presents to buy and cards to write, but I am going to savor the next few weeks as much as I did that darn good turkey.
With the lights up, the tree in the house and the first couple of fires burning in the fireplace, it is finally starting to feel like Christmas. There is no question this is my favorite holiday and time of year. I've been playing Christmas music any chance I get. We are nowhere near ready for the actual holiday. Still presents to buy and cards to write, but I am going to savor the next few weeks as much as I did that darn good turkey.
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