Thanksgiving with the Bergquists

The day was a riot! In every sense of the word!

My family, being my family, got up early (for some of us, this means before noon!) and converged on Mary's place. While the turkeys were cooking, we had time for numerous rounds of cribbage, and to swim in the pool.

This is what I miss about Thanksgiving in Florida. Being able to go to the beach or the pool while the turkey is roasting! It is in the blood! That and being dragged by Dad to see Miami Hurricanes (or some other college team) play football whilst mom whipped-up the feast.

Mary really outdid herself with the menu for the day. Knowing the food orgy that was to follow, we snacked for lunch on Crab Rangoons, the last of the selection of cheeses that I had had brought back with me from the UK, and other light tidbits. (Pickeled Herring! An absolute must!)

While my siblings and I wrangled the range, my nieces worked on the table setting. The table had an anniversary theme since it is both my parents 25th, and Mary and Corey's anniversary as well this week. The sounds and the smells were vintage Bergquist Thanksgiving!

The clanking of pots and pans (and almost constant dish washing) in the kitchen was joined by punctuated choruses of "Who wants to play cards?" and "When do we eat?" and "Can I help?" and "Stir that, it'll burn!"

My siblings and I all cooked and preped the food while the young-uns helped get the table set. (And/or stayed out of underfoot...)

The table was laid out with my grandmother's china (that my sister has added-on to since she inherited it) and my brother-in-law's silver. The food, which was a collaborative effort was plentiful.

The organization of the dishes was a collaborative effort as well, Helen and Allyn went out to the patio and polished the silver while Mary, Elizabeth, and Sara washed and dried the china. It was truly a production line effort.

Mary's Menu

Soup Course
Lobster Bisque

Salad Course
Bacon and Pecan Vinaigrette Salad

Main Dish and Sides
Roast Turkey
Stuffing (savory bread with sausage and mushrooms)
Mashed Red Potatoes topped with Mushrooms and Rosemary
Steamed Broccoli
Cranberry/Spice sauce mold
Candied Yams

And of course Dessert
Banana Cream Pie
Key Lime Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Peppermint Icebox Cake

...and it was lovely!

We all pitched-in on the clean-up and then later-on, over coffee, we had a lovely white-cake to celebrate Dad and Flo's Silver Anniversary.

It was absolutely lovely! But, to put this in a way that my friends back in the UK would understand, I'm knackered! Completely and utterly knackered! I wish I had a pint and a place to put-up my feet. Failing that, I think I am going to finish my coffee and go into bed.

I hope wherever you are, you've had an excellent day with friends and family.

Don Bergquist - 23 November 2006 - Apollo Beach, Florida