I made pies…
Sukie also made some tasty pecan pie. |
I always think I should make a master Thanksgiving menu, and maybe this is it.
I made Bridget step away from her breakfast so I could take a picture of it. It's got to be hearty to get you through the Turkey Classic at the Abbey, which is full-contact flag football at its finest:
Here we have the father of four not only blocking the priest, but also trash-talking the whole time:
A monk sidelined for an injury:
A brother tackling Will:
Note Fr. Anthony's religious garb: a black t-shirt with a cross on it:
Later, while some cleaned-up boys watch the Patriots win, the girls get things ready:
Aren't you proud of Habou for being down to 3 meds! |
We usually have name-cards of some kind. These were made by Bridget a few years ago when we had guests who were unfamiliar with the hymn we sing. I appreciate this one because I can never remember song lyrics!
Now, this flashback is for Natasha and Nick.
Because, why yes, we iron the heck out of that thing!
By the way, this is not an endorsement of that wretched iron, which I hate. |
Carol Kennedy says
A lovely record of your day. So….very important question…how do you get from putting food in serving dishes, putting on pretty table, gathering people at table, singing song, saying prayer TO food that is still hot? There must be a secret.
_Leila says
Haha, I hear you. After 31 years of practice I can more or less do it EXCEPT for if you throw taking pictures in there 😉
Have the food staying piping hot in the warming drawer or on the stove IN the serving dishes, and if you are going to transfer anything to a delicate dish, have the dish warmed up (very important).
Make sure all the cold stuff (salt, pepper, butter, cranberry sauce, pear sauce) is out there long beforehand, the water is out there, and the candles are lit.
Gather the people BEFORE you bring out the food. Have one or two people help you bring out the food, but make the others stay in there waiting!
Constantly nag them to gather and stay put.
The song IS the prayer — the food is cooling down!
Make people take what is in front of them and then pass it along, while you serve the turkey (I also like to have a warmed platter for slices of turkey to pass but I often find there's no more room!), asking someone to put stuff on your plate as they do theirs.
That's the best I can do!
Rosie says
Everything looks just beautiful, delicious, and exactly as it should be for Thanksgiving. (I too made a master menu, checked things off as I made them, and then before I sat down for dinner, I read off the list and made everyone assure me it all made it to the table!)
Also, maybe it's just the late pregnancy talking, but you ladies all look so thin! And pretty.
Susan (DE) says
On the hearty breakfast: WHAT is the food in front of the cinnamon roll?, the eggs, and the bacon? The other item…it looks layered. It might have nuts? What IS it???
It all looks great.
Susan (who had a very quiet Thanksgiving this year)
_Leila says
Habou's coffeecake! Delicious.
Susan (DE) says
Okay, so can we have the RECIPE?? PLEASE??
🙂
Did you REALLY ALL iron that tablecloth!???!!
Susan
_Leila says
Well, yes….but it was a joke 🙂
Deirdre says
hahaha!
Just for clarification, we posed for all those ironing photos because our brother was (lovingly, of course) making fun of his wife for ironing her tablecloth directly on to her table. We were in solidarity with her… of course it makes sense to iron on directly, rather than try to do it little section by little section on a narrow board!
Nick says
ok ok I get it.
Anne says
isn't that bad for the table?
_Leila says
We put a folded-up tablecloth underneath but I want to get a wool felt pad for it.
priest's wife says
looks lovely! We had a yummy dinner, too (cornish game hens stuffed with rice pilaf)
Barbara says
How lovely to see you and all your beautiful people!
Jill Farris says
I loved the football game…especially the knee socks! And loved seeing you ironing on the table…the tablecloth is often a major frustration for me during preparations for a nice meal. I've finally decided to do the best I can with ironing an enormous cloth and then rest in the knowledge that most of the wrinkles very quickly are covered with dishes of food.
Just wanted to share that my son's serious girlfriend (she's got a sparkling personality but the relationship is “serious”) came for Thanksgiving. She is from Hong Kong and is an only child (as so many are there) and she kept exclaiming, “Oh Phillip I am sooo jealous of your large family! I always wanted a brother or sister”. She was so grateful to be with us and so in awe of what her boyfriend has “enjoyed” growing up with 7 siblings that she added a sweeter note to our usual sarcastic and silly family banter. We all looked at each other with renewed appreciation!
Have a blessed weekend!
Jill F.
_Leila says
Beautiful!
I am not the force behind the OCD wrinkle-removing. I would be fine with covering with dishes, but hey.
Anne says
I tried something new yesterday…
Instead of ironing my table cloth that had been folded somewhat haphazardly in the drawer, I laid it on the table and sprayed it lightly with warm water. It's not perfect, but it's MUCH better, and pretty decent. Deffinitely way easier.
convertingheart says
Yay! Thank you for posting the monk football photos! I was only a tiny bit disappointed that there were no flowing habits. ;o)
Your pictures almost made me cry, to tell the truth. They reminded me of my mom's rose china and heirloom serving dishes, linen table cloth, wonderful food – Thanksgivings past. Just beautiful, Leila.
And, I have to admit that I have some serious mug envy. Bridget's breakfast mug is so pretty – I love it!
margo says
oh lovely. Just lovely.
Tell me more about pear sauce – like apple sauce?
I'm impressed that your turkey is presiding over the table uncarved. And I like how you did your 4 candlesticks. I'm going to remember that.
now, how do you iron a tablecloth without scorching the table? Or was that just entirely a joke? I'm with Jill and just plan on nobody noticing 🙂
_Leila says
I have 3 pear trees (inherited) and thus, pear sauce. Just like apple sauce, yes! Very tasty, I must say, and a good way to use up often misshapen and small pears. Just cook and put through the Foley food mill.
The candlesticks are a Marshall's find — I think they were $7 a piece, and I like that they don't block anyone's view across the table.
I need to find a piece of wool felt for a pad, but for now, we just put another, folded up, cotton tablecloth underneath to iron safely — just move it along as we go. It was sort of a joke in that usually just one of us does that (and never me!! as I have ALREADY ironed that darned thing and the creases really don't bother me).
womanofthehouse says
Looks like a wonderful time! Your table is lovely and so is your family!
You are going to have to stop posting pictures of your dining chairs or I am going to have to keep repenting of covetousness. I've always wanted chairs like that!
MaryZ says
Looks like a wonderful time!
Thank you for posting pictures with the priests and monks. My brother is a priest, currently stationed in Rome as part of the Papal household, and I am always thankful (and pray for) those that take him in at holidays and make him feel at home.
Natasha says
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness…. LOVE it. I am the wife whose husband was making fun of her for ironing the tablecloth on the table… thank you, thank you, thank you! You girls are the best. I especially love Leila's expression!!!!!!!! Also, this made me very homesick for the holidays with all of you. Lastly, Habou you look amazing!
Joy says
Lovely table! It never occurred to me to iron the tablecloth right on the table. What a great idea! My tablecloth did not get ironed this year as the turkey finished much more quickly than it was supposed to finish so I was flying around trying to get everything else made in time. Since I was feeding five men and boys, I figured that they would never notice the creases if they had food to eat (and I was right). 🙂 I always make a master list, too, and cross things off as I finish them. It helps me keep on track.
Leslie says
Lovely post! Would you mind sharing (or linking) your cinnamon roll recipe? We have tried a few and they are so sweet, I feel like I am eating cotton candy!
_Leila says
I really don't have a recipe for the cinnamon rolls but I will work on it. And I'm sure Habou will agree to let me post her recipe, but I need to wait for a good photo, and right now we are all coffee-caked/pied/rolled out!
carrien says
I'm catching up here. We always sing that same hymn on Thanksgiving also. 🙂
natalie says
how to make a beautiful pie crust from scratch?! the edges look divine…mine always crumble…