Preparing Ahead for Thanksgiving

This year it will only be 4 of us for Thanksgiving - my sister, her daughter, my boyfriend, and myself. We are meeting at my sister's cottage and having "Old Movie Day". We have also decided to forego the typical turkey/dressing/side dishes type of food and instead are having lasagna, homemade Italian bread, a "garbage" salad, and a key lime pie.

I made the lasagna two weekends ago - so it's in the freezer, ready to pull out and toss in the oven. My sister is making the salad. I'll make the bread the morning of Thanksgiving so I can take the dough to my sisters and we can all enjoy that seductive scent of homemade bread baking off in the oven. The key lime pie I'll make the night before. The whole point of this meal is that no one should be cooking themself to a frazzle trying to get everything ready for the Thanksgiving meal. And clean-up should be super easy, too.

My niece is going to a "gourmet" popcorn shop and picking up several flavors of popcorn to have for watching movies.

My boyfriend is in charge of getting the drinks.

I've downloaded to my iPod some classics. So we're pretty much good to go - should be a wonderfully relaxing day.

I'll still roast a turkey sometime over the Thanksgiving break, though. I love to have a turkey around the house to pick at for sandwiches.

This is one of my favorite holidays of the year. And I wish for each of you and happy and safe Thanksgiving.