Well, I must say, this was quite a success!  The food was AMAZING…and it was all ready on-cue!  We had 20 people…15 adults & 5 kiddos!  We probably could’ve fed 50…3 turkeys (roasted, grilled & fried), 2 hams (smoked & spiral), sides galore…and of course the desserts (I’m salivating all over again!).  My darling husband, who has always claimed he’d rather have Chinese take-out than the usual Thanksgiving fare, even said it was incredible!  We had enough left-overs to last for weeks…I actually still have some turkey & pulled pork (from the smoked ham) in the freezer…but we mowed through the favorites (sweet potatoes & rolls) in 2 days!  We even ended up baking a second pecan pie, because mom & I didn’t get ‘our fill’!  If you’re gonna be a bear…be a grizzly! 

In my cooking frenzy, I apparently forgot to take some pictures I had planned (or my kids deleted them LOL)…so I put together a small collage to give you a peek…I didn’t even get one of everyone eating…maybe someone else did *fingers crossed*.

Just so you know we are a fun bunch, that is Emma whipped cream that had been squirted into her mouth lol…and, in case you are wondering…yes, those are curtain rings posing as napkin rings/placecard holders!  I needed them for my master bedroom window ‘mistreatment’ (stay tuned for the details of that!) & saw something similar in Southern Living (Dec 2009).

My survival guide helped me stay focused & planned…making pulling this off much easier than I had anticipated!  Mom & I actually ‘saved’ things to cook on Thanksgiving day…I hope it helped some of you, too.  I had such fun cooking with the ladies of my family…we were like a well oiled machine.  The clean-up crew, aka Mom & Aunt Pauline, had everything knocked out practically before I had even finished eating!  I offer a big THANK YOU to everyone who celebrated with us…we love you all!

Today’s secret revealed:  planning makes perfect…for Thanksgiving, anyway!