Thanksgiving is coming

For the first time EVER, we are going to be a small crew this Thanksgiving, perhaps just the four of us. I've got 4 or 5 catering orders to take care of, but other than that will be cooking just for us (maybe with a +3 added to the mix). I think it's going to be really lovely actually and allows for a menu that's just about our tastes and loves. So what will we be having? I'm going to roast a huge, beautiful turkey that was well-treated and saw the sky during its life. Amen for that! And we're going to have both Louisiana rice dressing and cornbread dressing, the latter made with ground turkey rather than beef. Nanny's cranberry sauce is a staple at our holiday tables and I've already canned a huge vat in anticipation of both TG and Christmas. None of that awful, canned, gelatinous log stuff over here! I've never been a huge mashed potato fan, but Tom just loves them to death so I'm going to make them veer a bit more towards my direction (although he will love these) and make mashed potatoes with caramelized onions and goat cheese. Then, we simply MUST get away from all that starchiness, and so will be loving a gorgeous arugula and pear salad with pomegranate vinaigrette as well as the Brussels sprouts slaw with candied pecans and mustard vinaigrette. For dessert, we'll have a blackberry pie as well as a pecan-oatmeal pie. I think this sounds pretty freaking fantastic. Off to make out my grocery list!

On another note, tonight I'm thinking about making the pumpkin agnolotti I waxed rhapsodically about a month or so ago. Ooh, with crème fraîche and pepitas??? Molto buono.