I know, it’s a week later but better late than never, right? Hope everyone had a bountiful and blessed Thanksgiving!
Boy, seems like I’ve not blogged in ages. Life these days is revolving around farm, food and folks. It’s great for the homestead to be a hubub for food and fellowship. However, this leaves very little time for blogging.
Thanksgiving Day (was it just last week?), we hosted a farm-to-table feast for 40 people. This feast was certainly a feat of faith and endurance. I spent many a sleepless night going over what to serve. What made me break out in a cold sweat was HOW to serve all the food (hot) to so many people!
Normally, Thanksgiving dinner for us is a trip to a friends “potluck” style. This year, with the back patio prepped for evening events, we figured “why not host our own dinner?” However, I don’t even cook a whole Thanksgiving dinner for us, let alone 40!
Never one to back down from a challenge, I did, however, question myself if I were really insane to attempt this feast for forty. It’s been two decades since we ate or even cooked a turkey so we had to ask our new homesteading neighbor to help with the cooking a turkey and asked our other friends if we could borrow hot plates, etc.
Figuring what to serve was easy. The challenge was to cook it all and have it ready to serve when the first guests arrived. Three days in the kitchen, with tired and aching feet, and a mountain of dishes later, we pulled it off, much to our surprise (it was “all hands on deck” for this event). Even our friends couldn’t figure how we attempted such feast, er, I mean feat!
Made From Scratch
On the menu was
Soy turkey / Turkey
Gravy
Pumpkin Soup
Garden Green Salad
Carrot Cranberry Salad
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Wild Rice Pilaf
Roasted Vegetables
Winter Squash Casserole
Cornbread
Cranberry Relish
Persimmon Chutney
Dessert
Bread Pudding
Apple Custard Pie
Apple Crumb Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Jordanne did a great job at making desserts, her pies are absolutely lovely. She also tackled decorating the tables and outside seating area with second- hand items (thanks to those who donated). Sis is always looking for “cast offs,” and she has a knack of transforming them into something useful and pretty.
Setting the table with second hand plates, etc
Homemade pies
Chairs, table clothes, plates, etc all second hand!
A friend donated some curtains so we could “jazz” up the plastic covering
Table set and waiting for the guests
Food spread
Folks enjoy food and fellowship
Before Thanksgiving, I had folks asking if we are going to do a Holiday Dinner in December. I looked at them in a daze and replied, “Only if I survive Thanksgiving!” Well, as it turns out, I am still alive. Guess I am going to have to eat my words.
How was your Thanksgiving? What are you thankful for?
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Comments(6)
Lindsey @ NW Backyard Veggies says:
November 29, 2012 at 1:47 pmThose tables look awesome and so welcoming and warm – what a great way to reuse things that were “cast-offs”. It looks super vintage and homey – also kind of urban farm elegant. I like it!
I can’t believe you cooked for 40 people – I am amazed! I just found this blog and will be back – it’s so interesting to see what you guys are doing and how you’re doing it. Thanks for writing!
elaine nieves says:
November 29, 2012 at 4:49 pmEverything looks so lovely. The pies look scrumptious! It is truly amazing that you cooked for 40 people and are not even used to cooking turkey. You certainly have a lot of chutzpah! That’s meant as a compliment. Your menu sounds delicious. Sounds as if the feast was a great success! Looks like you and your family had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Thanks for continuing to blog inspite of your extremely hectic schedule.
martin says:
November 29, 2012 at 4:53 pmTook the dogs for a short walk up the road, in the dark. Could smell the peat burning from people’s chimney’s. I was glad for that. 🙂
Sarah S says:
November 29, 2012 at 7:45 pmCongratulations on a feast well served!
I was grateful to sit down to our Thanksgiving as a family, the first time my two children were both with us in 6 years. We’ve had a challenging fall with medical issues, so the hours spent at table were extra special for me.
Gigi says:
November 29, 2012 at 10:27 pmThere is much to be thankful for. I Praise God for His blessings!
We did not have 40 people! Not everyone was able to make it. We had sixteen at dinner. Six were not able to make it.
Everything was made from scratch. Nothing fancy, but good eats!
Your dinner sounds very nice!
Zemra says:
December 29, 2012 at 10:12 amBrittany H. Ryan Anything can be put on a pizza in America I don’t know if a football would taste very good thguoh I hope you and everyone had a good thanksgiving.(P.S) I do hope you see this. I left you a twitter reply, telling you about a movie I finished just last night called Hachi: A Dog’s Tale,’ and if you & the boys, (& everyone else of course,) want something that would really touch your hearts, you need to see it. I never cry at movies. This was only the 2ND movie I have ever cried at in my entire life. See if you can find it somewhere. I really do think that you would like it!!!