ST and I are planning a Thanksgiving for two.

If you told me anytime upto perhaps September this year that I’d actually *want* a holiday with just the two of us, I’d say you were nuts.  I love big disfunctional jumbles of people spilling into hallways and spilling wine on the carpet.  I don’t care if it’s people who’ve known me for fourteen years or four hours - my parents often took in visiting U of Chicago professors and our table was always rounded out by strangers.

Even though I haven’t had a Thanksgiving with my family in over thirteen years, that tradition has carried through with several ad-hoc “orphan” potlock Thanksgivings.  The last few years R and S have hosted and I had assumed that we would be partaking with them once again.

But…as the time got closer to decide…all I could think about was how exhuasted I’ve been, how difficult that week will be (two tests on Monday, possible grandparent visit Tuesday, and waking bright-n-early Friday to be bombarded with approximately 6,430,927 tour guests at the sanctuary).  ST and I do get time together almost every day, but not exactly quality time.  He’s usually exhausted and we might spend a few hours talking about necessary issues (what bills came, what should we do about the cat marking the recycling, etc.) and watching a bit of TV.  Trying to rouse a boardgame out of him is even tough.  Then he heads off to bed often before 8pm.

So, while his company stays open almost every holiday, he will be off work Thursday and we decided to capitalize on that.  We’ll spend the day together, alone.

I still haven’t decided if this is the best thing.  I worry I want to hide from the world a bit too much these days.  I’m swamped and confused and feel like I can’t let one other person in my peripheral vision or I’ll lose focus of everything.

But on the other hand, as soon as we made the decision, I realized how many options this opened up and became extremely excited.  First off, the turkey?  Will be stuffed.  I haven’t had a stuffed turkey in ages and the stuffing made in the pan just doesn’t compete.  You bacteria-phobes have no idea what you’re missing.

Secondly, the cranberry sauce?  Will be fresh.  And not sauce.  Cranberry relish with orange and fresh ginger.  Mmm.

The mashed potatoes will be skipped, because we have them all the time.  Instead, corn souffle.  Corn, cornbread mix, cheese, sour cream…incredibly easy to make but so decedant I rarely pull it out unless it’s the holidays.

Lastly, the pie.  It shall not be pie.  While I love a good crust, nay demand one!, in a fruit or berry pie, and could eat a graham cracker or chocolate crust plain and be happy, I have never felt the need for one with my pumpkin.  Bake it in a casserole dish, call it custard, and break out the spoons!

(There will also be salad, green beans, and rolls.  Just because.)

Of course now that I’ve created our dream meal, we definitely need to re-think the just-the-two-of-us mentality.  That, or buy bigger pants.