The great pre-gobbler escape…

It’s almost Thanksgiving, that glorious time of year for turkey-induced lethargy, tryptophan hangovers and weary bathroom scales. It’s the inevitable season where family comes together to eat, argue and collectively wreak havoc on our digestive systems. Throw in not one but two of said gatherings, with three different families, and it’s the perfect recipe for a year-long diet and, quite possibly, therapy…

Don’t get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving! Oddly enough I’m one of those people who relishes the thought of wrestling with a giant gobbler and spending my entire day in the kitchen. My problem, however, is that I am often overambitious and end up biting off more than I and a room full of guests can chew. I often think that my cooking abilities, mixed with my dubious skills in fractions and estimation, would be better suited to a military dining hall. At any rate, we never go hungry.

This year hubs and I will be getting a double-dose of the festivities. On Sunday, my brother and his wife will be hosting their first-ever Thanksgiving dinner complete with her immediate family, my parents and hubby and I (12 people in total). It's a daunting task for any first-timer but I'm a firm believer that there is truly no better way to learn than being thrown headfirst into the challenge. I can't say I really envy them. I remember my first turkey dinner…it was nerve wracking! But as the old adage goes, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” On the plus side, the turkey is already dead, so my bet is on the newlyweds!

Following "il primo gobbler," I will be cooking a second family dinner on Monday for my parents and in-laws. Thankfully, I am only anticipating a crowd of 6-8 people. This will be the smallest Thanksgiving meal that I have cooked thus far and, quite frankly, I’m over the moon. This time I have opted to try something new (get ready for the irony); I’m sticking to an old recipe! I am not opening any new recipe books for this meal and I’m sticking to last year’s tried and true apple-glazed turkey with apple-pecan cornbread stuffing. The only new addition to this year’s table, on top of one of the nine pies I baked last month, is a harvest pumpkin pie. I’m keeping it simple this year and, for once, I’m not going to treat my family like guinea pigs. Sometimes it’s best not to mess with a good thing. Who knows, maybe this will become my trademark turkey - a recipe that my own kids (looking into the crystal ball here) will come to love and anticipate each year.

And now for the title of today’s post…

With all the impending turkey madness and hours slaving in the kitchen, hubby and I are treating ourselves to a pre-Thanksgiving escape to Kingston. We will be spending the next few nights blissfully being pampered at a lovely historic B&B, wining, dining, strolling about town and cruising the 1000 islands. Of course, being the Halloween freaks that we are, hubs and I will also be attending the opening night of “Fort Fright” at Old Fort Henry, as well as the Haunted Walk of Kingston. It’s going to be escapism at its very best and the perfect way to relax and get ourselves into the holiday spirit before the craziness begins.