Getting ready for Thanksgiving

Like many women throughout this country, I will be starting my Thanksgiving cooking today. There is not a lot to do but I will bake a white loaf of bread for the dressing recipe (baked rustic style and not in a loaf pan to get more good crust) and I will make a cake for my son's birthday. I'll make the pumpkin pies tomorrow and whatever prep work I can do ahead of time.

This year I'm (shhhh...) using instant mashed potatoes for the absolute first time in my life on Thanksgiving! Since it is just the three of us this year and there is no help in the cooking, I needed to do something to ease the Thanksgiving morning rush. To be honest, the guys use the potatoes as a vehicle for gravy, anyway... I'm hoping with everything else on the table, they won't notice.

Later this week, I will be making cookies for a young friend to take back to college with him. The cookies I sent to him at Indiana University were a big hit with his roomates. The following weekend, my husband's brother and sister will be stopping by for an annual Christmas "dinner out" (my brother-in-law's gift to his siblings). I will be making candy and cookies for their gifts, as well as three dozen cookies for a church event. Unfortunately, my son will not be able to go out to dinner with us this year. He will be out of town at a fencing competition to qualify for the Junior Olympics.

I wrote out two "to do" lists this morning, one for Thanksgiving and the other a general household "gotta do" list. I'd better get started! I only have one place I have to drive my son in the next few days (an annual doctor's checkup which requires my signature). Otherwise, I can get a few projects done during this time I can be at home.