December 4, 2015 - It now seems that I spent every weekend in November preparing for Thanksgiving and it was worth it.  The meals and snacks I planned for the family turned out just as I hoped.  On Thanksgiving morning my in-laws, my mom and my husband started the day with quiche and a huge cheese plate (bleu cheese, cheddar and brie) with grapes, cocoa-cayenne coated walnuts, pickled okra, cornichons, honey, sliced tomatoes, Dijon and apricot jelly spread, strawberry jelly, and crackers.  To drink I served iced tea, orange juice and Roasterie coffee from KC.  An hour later we all jumped into the kitchen for the final push to prepare lunch at 1:00.  The dressing was in the crock pot, the turkey was in the oven, the casseroles were in the fridge waiting to be put in the oven the last 40 minutes.  My in-laws made a giblet gravy and creamed potatoes, my husband made a gigantic salad, my mom tended the dressing and I grabbed everything they needed as they needed it.  Everything was ready at 1:00 and I loved the food. This was my first turkey and it turned out beautifully in spite of being slightly frozen when I prepped it early in the morning. I stuffed it with lemon and orange slices and kept basting it with butter.  It looked and tasted great! For the meal we had (besides the previously mentioned turkey, crock pot dressing, creamed potatoes, giblet gravy and super salad) squash casserole, sweet potato casserole two ways (with bleu cheese on half and marshmallows on the other half) asparagus casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and homemade crescent rolls made by my mother-in-law.  For dessert I made a Mississippi Mud Cake, apple brown Betty, coconut macaroons and my mom-in-law brought a double-decker pumpkin pecan pie with gluten free crust just for me!  It was a great day.  My mom who had not previously visited us in Dodge City loved our home and loved visiting Paul's band hall at the college.  Dodge City is a great city with the warmest people I've ever met.  I'm glad my in-laws and mom got to visit us in spite of the ice and snow!