This week Mario and I gave our captain a well needed break and handed over the helm to Angela. Knowing that the ship was in good hands we assumed the role of sous chefs, gave the deck a good swabbing and began to prep the kitchen for the bounty of food.
The night before Thanksgiving Erica and Angela put on their orange Crocs and commenced to baking. The exact count, 2 pumpkins, 1 cherry, and 1 pecan pie... and all were homemade. I was very impressed with the fortitude at which they displayed their pastry skills. Mariesa even commented that she could not believe that these were the same pumpkins that were just in the pumpkin patch weeks ago and could not wait to taste a slice.
The next morning Angela got up early and made the stuffing using the onions and celery that Mario and I had diced for her the night before. She placed the turkey in the oven, timed it perfectly to be ready an hour before the Dallas Cowboy football game (she knows how to make these sous chefs feel loved) and a few hours later the rest of the menu was completed with the traditional fixings of mashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and Nana's cream cheese. The sounds throughout the house were filled with conversation and laughter. With tummies filled we gathered around the big screen and watched our Boy's win the game with seconds left on the clock!
We are thankful for all the blessings in life and the precious time shared with family. We thank all of our current and past heroes fighting overseas who have sacrificed so much allowing us to enjoy this holiday.
Ciao,
Mario & Mario
The Three Tocayos
P.S. Although we have not blogged the past two weeks we did prepare two delicious meals. The Zuppa Veloce di Fagioli - A Fast White Bean Soup (Mario Cooks! app) and Dry-rubbed Rib-eye steaks (The Babbo Cookbook page 227) with Patate al Forno - Potatoes roasted with garlic cloves (Molto Italiano page 440).
