Hi friends!  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend filled with turkey and the accompaniments, especially cranberry sauce (with ridges, natch!), shoe buckles and all things Pilgrim.  We celebrated Thanksgiving in true lazy new parent style, with a Whole Foods catered meal.  (Mostly – I made artichoke dip, which I always make, citrus-roasted brussels sprouts, and a butternut squash and sweet potato puree with brown sugar and toasted pecans.  Everything else – turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, carrots and dessert – was provided by the WF.)  We told our relatives that we were staying put for the holiday and that anyone who wanted to join us was welcome, but don’t expect an elaborate home-cooked feast this year.  Hubby’s mom and sister took us up on the invitation and we enjoyed a low-key weekend, only venturing out for a family stroll around the neighborhood with the BOB on Friday.  It was quiet, and relaxed, and perfect.

Some pics…

Peanut snuggles with her aunt.  It’s a good thing they got along so well, because – best news of the weekend – Auntie E is going to nanny for us for a few months when I go back to work!  My mom had promised to give us a few months as well, so between the two of them we should be able to get through until Peanut can get into our chosen daycare (she’s on a LONG wait list) without having to hire a stranger.  We would have figured something out if we had to, but we’re so much happier to know that Peanut will be in the capable hands of first her aunt, and then her Nana, two people who we trust completely and who love Peanut almost as much as we do.  The perfect set of circumstances arose for Auntie E to spend a few months with us and we’re overjoyed to have found an arrangement that is good for all four of us (hubby, me, sis-in-law and Peanut).

We enjoyed a ginger cocktail to start our meal – I made it up and then looked forward to it for several days, and it was exactly as I imagined it would be!  Maybe I missed my calling?  Recipe coming in December, and this will definitely be on my Christmas and New Year’s menus.

Peanut hopes that you gobbled up plenty of time with your loved ones this weekend too!