happy thanksgiving to all and to all a gain of twelve pounds

its that time of year again!

the turkey is roasting, the potatoes are mashing, the cheese is balling and the stuffing is stuffing. thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday (with christmas at a close second) and this one is looking like a great one.

The Official Holiday Menu of the Great Coughlin Feast
Cooked by Ms. Amanda Margaret Coughlin

-roasted turkey
-stuffing
-cheddar mashed potatoes
-sweet potatoes
-green bean casserole
-cheeseball
-butter biscuits
-gravy
-pumpkin pie
-cinnamon rolls

all homemade and all pretty freaking delicious. ive been the head chef of all major holiday dinners since seventh grade at least and its true that practice makes perfect. oh except for the biscuits.. i burned the bottoms.. (i was going to take them out right as dinner started so they would be squishy and warm but i underestimated the amount of time that my dad would use for prayer (a good five-to-seven minutes) and by the time we said our last 'amen's, the biscuit bottoms were a shade of black.) but other than that and a whip cream in the hair incident (thanks mary kate) this holiday went off without a hitch.

people are suprised when i say that thanksgiving is my favorite instead of christmas. i love this holiday because after more than four hundred years of celebration, the original message of family, togetherness, and thanks has survived. while christmas is all about how many presents we can stuff under a dead tree and easter is about hiding jellybean filled eggs and taking pictures with giant white rabbits, this is really the only pure holiday left. theres tradition in this thursday feast: the parade, the pies. the turkey, the toasts. the fact that families all over the country get together to enjoy food, laughter and each other gives me hope that this world isnt all that bad. even though there are some really really shitty things that we have to bear, there is still a day that reminds us to take a step back and reevaluate how incredibly lucky we are.

and for that, i am thankful.

--amandamargaret