Thanksgiving 2012 was a totally new experience for Sean and I. We’ve never really spent the holiday separated from friends and fam before. I was a litte sad at first, but then I realized we could pretty much make/do what we wanted ALL DAY LONG. That realization turned things around and we had a pretty amazing 2-person feast with leftovers for days. We didn’t have to worry about anyone elses tastes or preferences, or even worry about having a timely meal.

We began the day with sour-cherry champagne cocktails (sour cherry juice boiled down with a vanilla bean and some sugar, reduced by half to make a syrup, plus champagne) and ended it with too many pieces of pie. 

Instead of breakfast I made a cheese and fruit plate–there’s some port cheddar and some super aged (deeelish) gouda. I set the table with our wedding tablecloth–a gift from Sean’s BFF and best man. BFF/Best Man brought us that cloth all the way from Ecuador, PLUS he brought me some palm sugar that he harvested with his own hands. Major. My mom sent me early-Christmas in the form of golden flatware. I am obsessed.

Since we were celebrating couple-style, I wanted to do something festive in regards to being thankful, so we wrote each other cards–that’s what you see on top of our plates. Sean always writes me the sweetest notes, I always write him goofy-crazy ones.

I nuded up part of our turkey by picking it’s skin…it was just so crispy-good! It couldn’t be helped. Those are pumpkin-herb rolls and they made the best leftovers sandwiches. I love pumpkin  but I hate pumpkin pie…that last photo is the top of a black-bottomed banana cream pie: shortbread crust, ganache, bananas, brown-butter pudding, and so much whipped cream…SO GOOD.

This year was different, but great. I got to lounge around with my best pal AND eat AND drink, it was totally merry.