Small successes

I know the biggest disappointment for the Thanksgiving cook is for the dishes to not be warm when they are served. This is something I am conscious of, having a small kitchen and oven, and many warm dishes to serve. Not to mention not killing the guests with the turkey. It's a lot to think about.

What got accomplished:

• Stuffing is all ready to go, just needs to cook. I'm hoping it can kind of cook on the short shelf above the turkey.
• Mashed potatoes are all done. Just reheat tomorrow. I held back some of the cream, to use tomorrow to wake them back up. The recipe is specifically for Bleu Cheese Mashed Potatoes, but since there are kids coming, I'm going to hold the cheese back. It will be in a bowl with a spoon for guests to add as they please.
• Roasted veggies are ready to go, just need to cook, save for the main ingredient which SOMEONE never brought me today. I may or may not start biting my nails.
• Turkey still in salt water. In the fridge, so as not to kill people.

Unexpected:

• Despite pre-cleaning the kitchen, I have to clean it again. I already told you about the E. coli juice spill. The food keeps making a run for it and hitting the floor. So I mopped again. I expect I will wash the counters in the morning before starting again. The dishwasher is running (did I mention I have a fork shortage? And glassware, apparently).
• Already filled up one trash bag. And drank one bottle of wine. I hope they guests bring more!

In the morning:

• Drink coffee.
• Seek the sweet potatoes at all cost!
• Turn on ice maker
• Retrieve tripod from office and go photograph runners.
• Make tables.
• Drink wine.
• Bring chairs in from shed. Clean as needed.
• Don't forget to shower. Maybe some nice clothes and make-up?

In the afternoon:

• Shove turkey in oven around 1:30PM
• Start pumpkin rice pudding, 3PM (um, what the heck am I cooking this in?)
• Drink wine.
• Roll out pastry and cheese and spinach for appetizers, 4ish (fridge till ready)
• Figure out where to shove roasted veggies, 4PM (or cook in the morning and leave on the heat?)
• Shove stuffing in oven around 4:30PM (stir rice pudding)
• Figure out how to heat up mashed potatoes 5PM
• Heat soup in saucepan, 5PM
• Cook pinwheel appetizers, 5PM
• Light candles
• Drink wine
• Put cranberry sauce in pretty bowl, 5:15PM
• Take pinwheels out of oven
• Steam green beans, 5:15PM
• Fill water pitcher.
• Put salt, pepper, bowl of bleu cheese on table
• Don't forget to make gravy, even though I'm not that into it, 5:30ish
• Drink wine and be charming. 
• Don't forget to photograph the table of food and people eating, for the Prison Project! (Yes, someone chose Thanksgiving... once a year opp! I missed the Halloween opp for the other woman...)

Gift ideas for me:

• more casserole dishes, preferably pretty ones
• bowls that are infinitely deep so food won't try to escape
• forks