thankful in the city of angels

so i have a lot to be thankful for this year:

traveled to the other side of the world, and found there in the rich red soil my heart; left the city of my dreams, a passionate lover that i had to leave in order to move toward my future, now a magical reality; a bond that is ever strengthening with my little sister -- even hallmark cards are starting to resonate with me ... that's how much our friendship means, and now baby is here. fully named and all. it's a good year to be thankful, which is exactly how i felt this thanksgiving.

but working in food every day, spending a good deal of time there doing dishes, ETC., i was a bit apathetic about our dinner plans. friends from nyc were coming, and i really was starting to wish that i'd suggested going out to eat. but on wednesday morning, i sat down with a couple of magazines and the good old world wide web and let the inspiration flow.

here's what came of it:

Orange & Sage Free-Range Turkey (inspired by Real Simple)
(a 5 lb breast this year -- can you imagine???)
Dried Cherry & Maple Sausage Stuffing (inspired by myself)
Green Beans with Crispy Sage & Pancetta (Bon Appetite, December)
Roasted Cider-Infused Organic Carrots (me)
Cranberry Relish (me, see recipe below)

no butter, no cheese, no comfort-broccoli casserole. i felt a little proud. nate said it was the best meal yet, and that made all that last minute work worthwhile -- and now i have to confess that the whole meal took under two hours to prepare. so i highly suggest taking the easy route. check out real simple's Thanksgiving 1-2-3, and other such web articles for last minute tips to make your holiday a piece of cake.

and speaking of cake, i'm thinking 2008 is going to be a great year to open the bakery. right now, i'm leaning towards sparrow's soul or sparrow's song, or possibly just sparrow, but am willing to hear suggestions.

peace!