Thursday, 24-Nov-2022 through Tuesday, 29-Nov-2022


Ohh man! Thanksgiving! I love cooking! I love visiting people! I love Thanksgiving!


2022 had been a pretty strange year to date. Lots of trips, lots of changes, lots of uncertainty… but thankfully I had a pretty good plan for Thanksgiving – Drive down to California, and get to meet my friends newest family member, Baby James! A few unexpected hurdles arose, of course, as they always go… but we adapted and updated plans, and forged ahead with adventures.

I’m getting caught up with blog posts pretty late in the game this year, but frankly Thanksgiving didn’t have much to write about. We hung out, caught up, cooked an amazing meal, and mostly revolved around James’ schedule. Nothing unexpected, and honestly quite enjoyable – it was a nice diversion from the chaos of work and the solo nature of my normal day to day life.

We made a full meal, went on some great walks, and spent quality time both chatting and playing baby games.

It was glorious! And I’ll admit, the beautiful views of Shasta on the way down and back didn’t hurt… nor did the impromptu stop at In’n’out!

As a quick summary, since I didn’t think to add it in above… “Hey Ben, what did you guys actually cook for Thanksgiving?”

Well, other Ben, we cooked:
– A turkey! Obviously! Brined in a citrus bath for 24 hours ahead of time
– Out of the bird stuffing! Sausage, cranberries, celery, bread cubes… pure happiness.
– Mashed sweet potatoes!
– Seared Brussel sprouts!
– Cranberry sauce!
– Toasted French bread!

And for dessert?
– Apple Pie!
– Blueberry strudel, picked up over Octoberfest!