No disrespect to [tag]Martha[/tag] and those who aspire to her [tag]homemaking[/tag] pinnacles

I just have to be honest about this – my act doesn’t include perfect house cleanliness nor [tag]coordinated[/tag] napkin rings.

Our table is more likely to be set with [tag]Ball[/tag] [tag]canning jar[/tag]s and mis-matched [tag]plastic[/tag] [tag]plate[/tag]s (antique ones marked on the back from some hospital [tag]cafeteria[/tag] lord knows where!) than the china that Martha got handed down to her from her great-grandma. I just do not have that sort of family. I have nothing handed down. And, more importantly to us, we tend to spend the money we DO have on the food versus the plates it goes on.

I make do with what I have.

So with that sort of off my chest (it will climb back on soon, no doubt), I thought I would share what I am doing to try to attain some semblance of a turkey day dinner for us and the visitors on that day.

Its here where I stray into [tag]Dilbert[/tag] territory and swerve away from the pink lacey recipe card get-ups that one might find in a Martha-fied [tag]kitchen[/tag]. No, instead, I have been [tag]Mind Mapping[/tag] our thanksgiving meal with the hopes that some [tag]project[/tag] [tag]management[/tag] might help the day go off well. I am demo’ing [tag]NovaMind[/tag]so this is what you will see.

My preliminary mind map is pasted below.

Why so many veggies? Because our [tag]garden[/tag] is in it’s last vestiges of existence and I want to use what is out there on [tag]Thanksgiving[/tag]. If not then, when! I will likely reduce the amount of [tag]vegetable[/tag]s depending on what the quality of each turns out to be on that day. [tag]Food miles[/tag] here – about 50 paces.

The Big Big Thing: (drum roll please) – There will be no grand [tag]turkey[/tag] [tag]carcass[/tag] on our table

Why, you ask?

Its a [tag]human rights[/tag] [tag]issue[/tag]. If I eat turkey two days in a row, and I am not exaggerating here, I get horrific [tag]hallucination[/tag]s and violently ill (upper and lower GI) for hours. So, to spare me and my family this ignoble Thanksgiving [tag]tradition[/tag], I am going to make a turkey dish that will have NO [tag]leftovers[/tag] and which I hope will be a nice change of pace.

What is this dish I speak of?

I am going to make a turkey [tag]breast[/tag] [tag]mousseline[/tag] [tag]en croute[/tag].

You may wonder what ungodly and fresh hell this is, I do not blame you.

Its essentially a turkey [tag]wellington[/tag] of sorts. (Also think [tag]filet de boeuf en croûte[/tag]) A turkey [tag]mousse[/tag] (egg white, [tag]rosemary[/tag], and cream) studded with turkey meat chunks and [tag]cranberries[/tag] will be wrapped with [tag]puffed pastry[/tag]. A savory layer of [tag]crimini[/tag] [tag]mushroom[/tag] [tag]puree[/tag] will coat the inner side of the puff pastry.

Once done, you slice it as thick as you wish. My goal is to make this in a way that doesn’t yield a grainy or overly firm or overly [tag]gelatinous[/tag] mousse interior. Will let you know how that goes!

For further inspiration, I am engulfing the [tag]opulent[/tag] and [tag]delicious[/tag] “[tag]Williams-Sonoma [/tag] [tag]Holiday Entertaining[/tag]” that I received recently to review. I will be doing a thorough review of this [tag]cookbook[/tag] later but for now, its all eye candy. I can not recommend it enough!

So the list, an organic and variable thing, is growing and evolving up to the last moment.

What grand plans do you have?

Do share, I adore hearing about what other people will do for their turkey day meal.

I guess its sorta [tag]voyeuristic[/tag] but only in the best sort of way.

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