Thanksgiving Menu

Do you host Thanksgiving?  I do, mostly because we have the largest house.  Uh, and the largest family.  And a trivection oven that is the boss of the turkey and can cook that 19 pound bad boy in two hours instead of about four.  And I have the turkey plates!  

In our family, whomever is in possession of the turkey plates (with which I have an unnatural obsession. . . like would take out of my burning house if I had to) hosts Thanksgiving.  I will never give those plates up willingly, so it looks like I'll be cooking a turkey for many years to come.

So what's on your Thanksgiving day menu?

I'm trying to keep my menu as Paleo friendly as I can, but still including the things that my family likes to have at Thanksgiving, as not everyone has embraced my paleo style of eating (and that's OK!).  We will have some appetizers, including a Dutch gouda cheese board (courtesy of a wonderfully generous client of our office who sent me the yummy treat we're saving for Thanksgiving), an appetizer my mom will bring, an appetizer my mother-in-law will bring, and I think I'll make some bacon wrapped dates.

I will make a turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, warm spinach salad, cornbread dressing, paleo stuffing, and we'll also have mashed potatoes, rolls, and maybe pineapple casserole.  (NOT paleo, for those wondering!)  

For dessert, I have a coconut rum cake (also from our generous client), and my mom and mother-in-law are both bringing a dessert.  I am planning to make a pumpkin gingerbread cake with maple vanilla frosting too.  And sending the leftovers home with everyone.

Some other Thanksgiving things I'm looking forward to?  Four days in a row off from work.  Our Thanksgiving journal, which I've apparently never blogged about.  Using our nice dishes.  Eating in our dining room.  Putting up our Christmas decorations the next day.  The arrival of Theodore Thanksgiving.  What's your Thanksgiving plan?