A Thankful Thanksgiving

Don't forget there's a Sweaty Bands giveaway going on until December 5th!

It was a bit of a somber Thanksgiving for my family this year.  My sister was unable to come home this year because of her job (pastry cooks never rest!), so it was just my parents and I in Miami.  We also found out our very close friend (she was practically family!) had passed away the day before the holiday due to metastatic breast cancer.

Not exactly the homecoming I was looking forward to, but I was glad to be there with my parents.

Nonetheless, we rallied to cook up a Thanksgiving feast. Well, ok, my mom cooked and I assisted.  But still, we had it all.

We roasted a turkey breast...

Our turkey breast

Complete with a side of fresh cranberry chutney.

Making the chuney. Did you know cranberries made a popping noise while they cooked?

We couldn't decide on what kinds of potatos. So we made the most logical decision.

Mashed potatoes - my personal favorite

Sweet potatoes

And made both sweet AND regular mashed potatoes. Obviously made with real cream.

But we at least made sure to have some greens, too.

Salad-in-the-making

The final product?

Our masterpiece.

And oh? Who can forget about dessert?

Fresh whipped cream.

Pumpkin and chocolate pecan pies. Yes, two pies are completely necessary for three people.

The meal was one of the most decedent meals I've had in a long time, but it was worth every morsel. After all, if this week's events had taught me anything, it's that you have to live in the moment. Besides, I am an athlete  - I can burn it off!

And speaking of my athletic endeavors, thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments about my knee.  I did have my first PT consult and it doesn't look like anything too major.  I have another visit scheduled for tomorrow and keeping my fingers crossed that I will be finally cleared to run.  But, more on that, soon!

PS - don't forget about the giveaway!