after Thanksgiving dinner...

Ah, Thanksgiving. It's so great and delicious and quirky, isn't it? Every family has such unique rituals and demands, there are certain things that each of us just must have on the Thanksgiving plate. For some it's disgusting creamed onions, for others it's overrated turnips, and for many it's some other unexpected veggie like a rogue salad (which looked delicious, cousin). I was in charge of the normal veggies this Thanksgiving, which was a no-brainer. Peas and green beans. My wee family has evolved to include the quintessential peas 'n carrots combo that can only be found in the finest grocer's freezer, and the green beans speak for themselves. Except... I had a horrifying last minute thought around 10:00 on Thanksgiving morning, so as I tore into the Safeway parking lot for a couple of last minute items, I called my cousin to shriek: "You weren't expecting green bean casserole, were you?!"  Thankfully (on many levels), no one expected anything other than the pure goodness of steamed fresh beanies, and they were delicious even without the gahlic that would have made Uncle Paul holler in bostonian.

Our meal was sublime, and soon after we turned this

 

photo credit: my boy, on his phone. the kid was born to blog

into this

photo and pig credit: me

We had the chance to explore the traditions and rituals that various family members engaged in after the Thanksgiving meal was done

The floor nap

a yum dessert of pie and/or a bowl of whipped cream

And the obligatory walk around the block

Walk is a relative term

Especially among relatives

But they're nothing if not fair

not pictured: the 5 seconds just before this shot was taken, when my boy dumped them all right into the street. Look at Owen rubbing his poor bum. And look at my boy laughing.

It was a really nice Thanksgiving, and the after dinner frivolity carried on right into the next day, when we gathered once more to enjoy Turkey soup and a very special ritual that I'd been anticipating since the first time I ever heard the word a few year ago.... CRANBERITAS!

The only things Sheila measured for this recipe were the tequila and the triple sec, yet I did not ask or notice what those measurements were. Some and then some more?

Then she squeezed up some limes

And dumped in some leftover cranberry sauce

and a splash of OJ

To create this most lovely and refreshing, perfectly tart and divine leftover Thanksgiving treat!

Cheers!