A Very Goofy Thanksgiving

This year, the family's unanimous love was bestowed upon these dishes alone:

Blue Cheese Autumn Salad (by Sarah)
Clover Leaf Rolls (by Julia)
Mushroom Gravy (by George)
Buttery Cornbread Stuffing (by Julia)
Pumpkin Pie (by Julia)

I had to make the Lima Bean Gravy twice because I added too much salt at the last minute: 1 1/2 Tbsp. instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons! (That's not the first time that's happened to this Goofaramus.) Luckily, my neighbor lent me her pressure cooker, and that, combined with Mark Bittman's Quick-Soak method for the dried lima beans, reduced preparation time from 10 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. The Lima Bean Gravy paired genteely with the stuffing, but the Shiitake Mushroom Gravy stole the show. Lima bean gravy doesn't make the cut for next year. There goes the bean member of our Three Sisters!

Two people loved the cranberry molds, but two didn't. Its fate regarding next year is gravely in doubt. The canned stuff sure is easier…

The delicata squash remained undercooked, despite cooking twice as long as the recipe called for. The squashes don't get a second chance, but everyone agrees they were cute. As a possible savory squash substitution, the ever popular Kabocha Soup from the Stone Soup cookbook gets my vote. An nice flame-colored soup course after the salad course would lengthen and gentrify the meal. In a good way.

One person felt the turkey was missed.
One person felt the turkey-stuffed stuffing was missed.
One person felt the green beans were missed.
One person felt the vegan mashed potatoes were missed.

Mulled cider is just as good the day after, so today everyone wandered around in their slippers and pajamas, sipping steaming mugs and rubbing their distended bellies.