Thanksgiving 2016 Recap

Hey guys! I hope those of you that celebrated it had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday yesterday! I’m thankful for all of you – and for fried turkey. ;)

Sidenote – a bunch of you on Instagram asked where my lace top was from – I can’t find the exact one online but here is a similar top by the same brand (Ryu) on Amazon! It was from a boutique in Pittsburgh – Matt’s mom gave it to me. :) I added the black sash – that’s not included!

We stuck around the DC area for the holiday this year and Matt, my brother, and I kicked things off with our old fave: the Alexandria 5 Mile Turkey Trot!

We love this race because it’s nice and flat and doesn’t start until 9 a.m. :) The 5 mile distance is perfect, too – not too long, not too short!

My legs are still regaining their speed post-Marine Corps Marathon, so I wasn’t expecting any blazing fast PRs, but I was looking forward to pushing it on pace a bit. I miss running fast! It was crowded so I had to do a lot of weaving, especially in the first mile, but it felt good to challenge myself a bit. :)

Matt and I started together but got separated in the first half mile since it was so crowded, but then around mile 4 he pulled up next to me – yay! We ran the rest of the race together. :)

Official finish time: 40:40 for an average pace of 8:08. Not a new PR (my 5 mile PR is 38:13 from the Jingle All the Way 8k back in 2013 – I don’t do many 5 milers apparently) but I was pumped about that time – my speed is coming back! Always takes awhile post-marathon. :) Our last mile was actually a 7:37 pace – nice! Haven’t seen those times on my watch in quite awhile.

I had a banana and a peanut butter Perfect Bar post-race and then we tucked into brunch at home a little while later with Matt’s parents, who came into town for the holiday!

We spent the rest of the morning/early afternoon prepping for the feast! I was in charge of the veggies and prepped some brussels sprouts and squash so it was ready to throw into the oven at my parent’s place just before eating. I also made my homemade cranberry sauce!

We met up with my family around 4 for the main event. Matt put together a nice cheese and appetizer spread for us to enjoy while mingling pre-dinner. :)

Soon it was time to feast! We had two turkeys: my mom roasted one (she brined it first, which is the key to a moist roasted turkey) and Matt was in charge of our fried turkey in our awesome oil-less fryer. That thing cooks turkey fast – it was ready in a little over 2 hours!

Matt injected the turkey with some cajun flavor (butter + chicken broth + hot sauce + smoked paprika + salt + grated garlic) and then rubbed the outside with some salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin before putting it into the fryer. So good!

For our first course, Matt’s dad made a delicious apple and celery root soup topped with crispy pancetta and chives with a chive-parsley infused grapeseed oil and fresh nutmeg (so fancy!). Plus a salmon mousse (smoked salmon food processed with cream cheese, half and half, lemon juice, pepper, and dill) piped into mini ice cream cones (neutral flavor – not sweet) and topped with salmon roe and chives. So creative and delicious!

Then it was time for the main course! Everything was amazing. :)

After relaxing for awhile after the meal we brought out dessert. I went for the pumpkin chiffon pie that Matt’s mom made – a recipe passed down from Matt’s grandmother!

Such a fun and delicious day. Matt’s parents are sticking around until tomorrow, so we’re gearing up to head into the city and wander around a bit. I’ll see you guys back here on Monday – have a great weekend!

p.s. If you have leftover turkey and cranberry sauce on hand today, try my old fave leftover turkey and wheat berry salad with cranberry vinaigrette. :)