friendsgiving 2016
This past Sunday, we hosted our first ever friendsgiving. While heading down to my friend Hallie's wedding a couple months ago, we stopped and ate a THE world famous, Bates House of Turkey. It was insane good and we haven't stopped thinking about. So I was like "let's order a bates turkey and have friendsgiving!!!" Well, it turns out Bates doesn't have amazon prime for shipping 😏and it would never get here in time. I racked my brain of places in down that might sell smoked turkey and thought of Buddy's BBQ. None of us had ever had a smoked turkey from there but you literally just pick your closest store and call to order. There's no cooking involved (major plus for all of us that have never cooked a turkey,) you just have to reheat it! so we took a chance and ordered !
The turkey was a HUGE hit. I accidentally reheated it a little too long and thought I must've definitely dried it out, but NOPE! It was perfect. Amazing flavor and so tender. If you are scrambling and need a quick turkey, I can't recommend it enough. Our only problem became, HOW THE HELL DO YOU CARVE A TURKEY!!!??? "Uncle" Charlie to the rescue. Always invite a chef to friendsgiving if you don't know how to carve a turkey 😉
For the sides, I told everyone to bring one per couple. I made caramel chocolate popcorn, cheese artisan bread, mac and cheese and the ole southern favorite, butter beans. I've watched my grandmother make them every thanksgiving for as long as I can remember and tried my best to do her recipe. I can always remember my grandfather and I fighting over them every year.
i fought through tears during our prayer before we ate. I remember this time last year wondering if it would be my last thanksgiving with my brother, but he's still here.... running 50k races and such (and a 50 MILE race in two weeks! Can't wait!) Thankful doesn't even begin to cover my feelings this year. Cancer really makes a small selfish world so much bigger. Cancer makes you quit worrying about making a damn turkey and just order it so you can enjoy time together. Cancer makes those times that your kids dare driving you insane, less annoying because how blessed you are to be here for those times. Cancer reveals true friends and prayer warriors that you didn't even know you had. Cancer has taught me so much that I didn't know I needed.
It was such a fun night and I hope we can make it a tradition! Thanks to everyone that came (and to everyone that didn't because they didn't want to spread germs from their house, we love you guys big time for that!) I've added my recipe for my mac and cheese and some links for all the PLASTIC wear we used (because ain't nobody got time for doing dishes for 20 people)
also, huge shoutout to my friend carly that sent me the cotton we used on the tables! apparently sticks of cotton are worth more than gold these days.
MAC AND CHEESE
ingredients:
1/2 can of cream of chicken
1 cup of chicken stock
1.5 cups of unsweetened flax milk
1 lb noodles of your choice
8 oz package of velveeta
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of asiago cheese
tablespoon of onion powder
tablespoon himalayan pink salt
bring a large size pot 3/4 full of water. once water is boiling, add noodles and cook until they're tender.
strain water out of noodles and stick them back in the pot. then strain the 1/2 can of cream of chicken into the noodles (just to get the chicken out.) add 1 cup chicken stock, 1.5 cups of unsweetened flax milk, 8 oz of velvet, 1 cup of shredded cheese, 1/2 cup of asiago cheese, table spoon of onion powder, and tablespoon of himalayan pink salt.
cook on low/medium until all the cheese is melted
enjoy!
