An Ode to Thanksgivings Past and Present
28 Nov 2015
We had the loveliest Thanksgiving this year with sweet friends. It was so wonderfully low-key: two couples, two babies, and an awful lot of laughter. I brought two pies and whipped cream, and Eric made us American Trilogies. I gave mine a hearty douse of Martinelli’s because I am a lightweight, and it turned out to be delicious. Huzzah!
Jason made the turkey, and Carmen made stuffing, brussels sprouts, and the most addictive sweet potato casserole I have ever tasted (no marshmallows, just tons of nuts and sugar!)
It was so much fun to watch our sweet boys play together (entirely peaceably!) We ate in shifts and shared with Micah. He was a huge fan of everything, but most especially the stuffing.
Carmen and Jason have been friends with Eric since freshman year in college, long before my entry onto the scene, and I am so happy they live so close to us. They are five-star human beings, those two (three!) We took this picture with the timer on my iPhone, and, well, you can see four of six people’s faces, which is slightly more than half, except that the two missing faces are cuter than the other four of us combined.
I love this picture.
This is what our adorable baby looked like this year.
And this was last year (2014), at 3 months, wearing his uncle’s dressy outfit. Let’s go further down Thanksgiving memory lane!
The year before that (2013), I was 5 weeks pregnant, and as soon as we arrived at Hillary’s house, Maggie and Rosie ran out to the car and said, “We invited your baby to Thanksgiving!!” It was the sweetest thing ever.
The year before that (2012), Eric and I had a little Thanksgiving at home, just the two of us. Eric made quail. And I made this crazy pie!
The year before that (2011), we were newlyweds. Eric made Cornish game hens with lavender (so good!), and I appear to have made a cranberry apple crisp.
The year before that (2010), we were engaged and spent Thanksgiving with my whole family at Sea Ranch, in a house that backed up to a rotating sheep pen. It was awesome.
The year before that (2009), we were also at Sea Ranch with my family. Awesome again. Or rather, awesome for the first time.
The year before that (2008), we both stayed in Berkeley and hosted Thanksgiving together for our friends at my apartment. I made this crazy pumpkin stew in a pumpkin thing that required three days of work and is still a running joke. My exhaustion is evidenced by my shirt being on inside out!
It was our first Thanksgiving together, and we were still celebrating every month anniversary of dating. Sweet kids. Seven Thanksgivings later…I’d like to say we love each other just as much…but the truth is that we love each other even more.

Dec 01, 2015 @ 07:14:01
haha.. a three day pumpkin stew in a pumpkin! oh and the crazy pie looks crazy awesome 🙂
Look at Micah.. he is so big.. beautiful.
Looks like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Dec 01, 2015 @ 17:03:33
I loved seeing the chronology of your Thanksgivings and especially recalling our years at Sea Ranch. Those to me were the very best ever!
Dec 02, 2015 @ 07:00:26
Aw, how precious. I can’t believe my Micah was ever so little. So much to celebrate!
Dec 04, 2015 @ 09:41:59
Micah looks so cute in that picture! And it looks like you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. 🙂
I am very curious now; what exactly is an American Trilogy? It sounds intriguing, possibly very Philip Rothian (not sure if that is a good or a bad thing; American Pastoral was a beautiful book, but a little too masculine at times for my taste)…
Dec 16, 2015 @ 12:55:42
It’s essentially an Old Fashioned with rye and applejack.
American Trilogy:
1 oz. Rye (we like Rittenhouse)
1 oz. Applejack (Laird’s 10 year is nice)
Brown sugar cube
dash of orange bitters
Combine in glass, add ice, & stir.
From Milk & Honey NYC via the excellent Bartender’s Choice app.
Dec 22, 2015 @ 12:30:06
Thank you, Eric! That’s so funny, too. I’ve been to Milk & Honey several times, but half the fun of going there is that you tell them a flavor you like and they will make up a drink for you. 🙂 I think you’d enjoy it.
Jan 21, 2016 @ 10:22:13
Ack, how am I just now seeing this comment? WordPress, you are failing me! Who ever thought I would complain about not being notified *enough* by an app?! I have never heard of Milk & Honey, but it sounds tremendously fun! Also, dearest BFF, I have to thank you for my introduction into the world of cocktails and my great love for gin. Do you remember when we went to that Irish bar for my 25th birthday (I think you drove Zach’s stick shift there?!) and you suggested a gin and tonic for me? You have never steered me astray, my lovely:)
Dec 14, 2015 @ 09:24:15
love the trip down memory lane and for some reason my blog reader has decided to skip your feed (bloglovin…) I will check once more. Or maybe I did something neglectful.
Getting ready for a fun Christmas ?? I bet you are!!