Steve and I started hosting Thanksgiving the year we were married because I knew that if I didn't want to eat Chinese food for Thanksgiving that I would have to cook it myself. Growing up I had always forced my mom to buy a pre-made turkey and sides, which she would then supplement with some Chinese dishes. I had never met a raw bird before so the prospect of cooking my first turkey was very daunting. That first Thanksgiving in 2006 was probably the most stressful one since I was reinventing the wheel and was also overly ambitious and made too many things all by myself and all from scratch. It was also the year that we bought our largest turkey (an 18 pounder) which turned out to be a mistake because 2 of our guests were vegetarian.
My first turkey:
It was by far the best turkey I had ever tasted, if I do say so myself, as we had brined it, which is key to preserving moistness. After about a week of turkey for every meal, we had had our fill for the year.
Turkey #2:
Our second Thanksgiving we had a mix of family and friends, which made for some slightly awkward dinner conversation, but was once again tasty and suitably overindulgent. I believe this was also the year that Steve got two of our glass serving bowls stuck together while washing the dishes and had to break one with a hammer in order to free the other.
Turkey #3:
Our third Thanksgiving, aka The Announcement, was when we told family and friends we were expecting our first baby (future Ruby!) That year Steve's parents, my cousin Hao-hao, and our friends Mark, Sue, and their son Johann celebrated with us. I didn't have a lot of pregnancy symptoms so I really didn't cut any corners with that meal, but once we told everyone I was pregnant, I was no longer allowed to even lift a plate.
The year that Ruby was born was the only year that I didn't cook on Thanksgiving. We were leaving for Hawaii a couple days later so we couldn't have any leftovers, and that was also an extremely busy and stressful period of time in lab, so I just couldn't get it together to cook. We ordered a pre-made meal from Whole Foods, which was sort of sad and disappointing relative to the usual production, so we will not count that year.
Turkey #4:
The following year saw the return of the Zhang family Thanksgiving. We had moved into our current house but it was pre-remodel. That year my mom was there as well as Ruby's little buddy Zach and his mom Wanda (Zach's dad was home because their dog was sick). Much cuteness ensued.
I believe Ruby ate some of the vegetable sides that year but no turkey.
Turkey #5:
This was the Thanksgiving we spent at our temporary apartment while our house was being remodeled, winning it as the Thanksgiving meal cooked on the least amount of counter space. The guests that year were Steve's parents, our friend Eric, and teeny tiny Lucy in fetal form. It was still a bit too early in the pregnancy for us to have the announcement, so I was nauseous in secret. Fortunately the nausea didn't really affect my appetite, so I was still able to pack away a good meal and blame my emerging baby bump on that.
Turkey #6:
This brings us finally to Turkey #6, enjoyed just a week ago with Ruby's long-time playgroup buddy Alex and his family. This was the first year that Ruby actually consumed turkey! Ruby had a great time playing with Alex. It's so nice that they are now at the age where they can play on their own and entertain each other. I only felt a little sorry for Lucy who could only sit and watch the rest of us eat. It was one of the best Thanksgivings yet, especially because we have more than ever to be thankful for.
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