Turkey Day 2007

It has been two whole weeks since my last post! I've been so busy! But now that Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas cookies have been made, packages mailed, Christmas cards sent, Christmas tree decorated and presents wrapped - I can finally relax! Aahhhh... I feel much much better now. I was starting to get a little overwhelmed...and when that happens, meany-poop Tricia gradually emerges. But now that all my crazy errands are finished, I'm back to normal...for now anyways... I'm sure I'll be back into my frantic crazy mode in about 2 weeks when we start getting ready for our trip out to Virginia for the week of Christmas. Gulp... I love to travel. I just hate preparing for it. It used to be a lot easier back in the day. It's amazing how much more stress is involved when you have little kiddie-poos to pack for. Eek!
Okay - enough rambling for now. Onto Thanksgiving!
The day before Turkey Day, Jason's brother, Michael, drove a horrendous 8 hours to come spend Thanksgiving with us. He came right from work. It was very sweet of him - especially since he could have easily driven only 2 hours and went to our Aunt Shelley and Uncle Jim's house in Dallas. I was looking forward to having another mouth to feed this year! Last year our leftovers lasted a whole week!
Anyways - I got to work on baking the pies, making the cranberry sauce and drying the bread crumbs for the stuffing the day before. I must admit...I hate baking pies! My Mom makes it look so easy. Actually she makes the entire Thanksgiving feast look like a piece of cake, so you can imagine how furious I was last year when I prepared my first Thanksgiving meal! I was expecting it to be just a regular day in the kitchen complete with beautiful pie crusts, fluffy mashed potatoes and everything ready all at the same time. Pssh! Whatever! I think I called my poor Mommy 100 times - at least! I'm pathetic - I know. At least I'm woman enough to admit it! ;) I felt a little more confident about preparing our feast this year (with one whole Thanksgiving feast under my belt), but it was still stressful. You really need more than just one day a year to practice baking pies! I do at least! The same goes for cake decorating! Making the turkey is no walk in the park either, but I think it's a lot easier to roast a turkey than it is to make pretty pie crusts!

Cooking homemade cranberry sauce. It was a wee bit tart, but it was okay.


Ugh... I don't like making pie crusts...


So far so good...


Maybe making pie isn't so bad after all...


I take that back! Stupid skimpy crust! I hate making pie!


I tried to cover up my skimpy crusty with some decorative leaves, but it was of no avail...


During this time, poor Jason decided to get sick. We thought it would blow over, but it didn't. He remained naseous during the whole Thanksgiving weekend. I don't know who I felt more bad for - Jason for being sick or Michael for having to spend all his time with just me and our little annoying kiddies while Jason slept most of the time!
Michael made his grand entrance around 9pm the night before and Jason tried to come out of the bedroom for a little while to visit with his brother, but it didn't last very long.

Michael's jubilant arrival to the Capra house


The next day, I made sure to only provide a few measley appetizers and drinks while I finished cooking. The secret is to keep people somewhat hungry, so they only THINK the food is great (when really they're just starving and will eat just about anything put in front of them). Uh-oh - I just revealed my secret...eh hem (cough cough). Forget I said anything...

Michael thinking, "I drove 8 hours to spend time with this sick boy..."


Mmm...appetizers!


In between my cooking sessions, Michael and I played a mean game of Scrabble (which of course I lost) while Jason slept. Jason woke up a little while later and forced himself to go outside and put up a few Christmas lights. Did I mention that this is the first time EVER in all 10+ years of marriage that Jason has ever put up any outdoor lights?! It was a momentous occasion. I don't know why he decided to do it now - when he was feeling so bad. I appreciated it even more though (knowing that the poor guy did it while holding back the urge to throw up). How sweet... ;) Kristin even took time out of her busy schedule to show Michael how to play Cooking Mama on the Nintendo Wii. I don't even know how to play that dang thing! What the heck?! I can't let my 4 year old surpass me in technological knowledge/gadgetry! I can't! And I won't! Okay - so who's going to teach me how to play that dumb game, so I can challenge her to a cookoff? ;)

Meany-poop Michael beating me at Scrabble


Sick boy sleeping the day away...


Sick boy putting up Christmas lights


"Good job Uncle Michael!"


Some time later, the table was set, prayers were said, a bottle of wine was opened and we began eating our feast (Katie slept through it - she's so anti-social ;) ). Michael did the honors of carving the turkey. I wasn't about to have sick boy touching my roast beast! ;) Jason did his best to keep his composure for the time being, so he could partake of the feast with us. He even threw in a couple of jokes here and there and started talking about his plans for Capra Christmas 2007, watched a movie with us (while trying to eat the assortment of pies I put on his dessert plate) and then went back to bed on a naseous (and now unpleasantly full) tummy.

Snore... Your Thanksgiving feast is of no interest to me.


I think they're ready to eat...


Let's eat!


This year's carving king


Tricia thinking, "Oh I hope he doesn't breathe his sick germs on any of the food..."


Cheers!


Sophistication at its best... ;)


Ah...no more cooking... It's time to relax...


Hmph! Not only did I cook, but I have to clean up too! :(


Look who decided to wake up...


He doesn't look happy...


An assortment of fattening desserts...


Michael stayed with us for another 3 days before he headed back. Poor Jason was on call at the hospital the night after Thanksgiving, so Michael decided to make me and Kristin dinner (a dish he knew Jason would not appreciate because it included eggplant). I think Michael is an anomaly to the Capra family - because he is the only Capra who seems to eat anything. He even eats foods that I won't (and there really aren't many of those). Anyways - I have to be honest. It was very very strange to have a man cooking in my kitchen. It has never been done (and it probably won't ever happen again - unless Michael or some other male Capra comes to visit). It just wasn't natural - in my kitchen at least. ;)

It's just not natural...


Brilliant!


After the kitchen was destroyed (because that's what Capra men do when they're let loose in a kitchen...except for Uncle Jim), we sat down to a yummy dinner that didn't have a name. Michael said that it came to him..."in a dream...a vision if you will". :) He's so silly. Anyways - it was delicious! The horrendous mess in the kichen (that I cleaned up by the way) was well worth this tasty creation. Mmm hmm... You're probably wondering if I wish Jason enjoyed cooking like his Dad and other brothers. Well... I'm not sure. If it weren't for the mess in the kitchen - I'd shout a most definite "Yes!" But we all know that a messy kitchen is inevitable (when a male Capra is in the kitchen), so I think I'd be happy if he enjoyed cooking maybe just two or three meals a year. ;)
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!