soup, (fresh) rolls, TG sides

Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving, we cleared out dribs and drabs in the fridge, designating some items for compost and some for the soup. Into the soup went some stock that I made and froze earlier this summer, NM chili powder, leftover vegetarian stock, some Chinese noodles, onions, carrots, leftover roasted parsnips, dried Chinese mushrooms, and I'm sure there were a few other goodies. The soup came out really well and had started to thicken a little by the time we ate it.

I was also in the mood for fresh rolls. I put in some Belgian endive, thinly sliced yellow pepper, thinly sliced carrots, cucumber, avocado, and Chinese noodles (the real reason I cooked up the noodles). The rolls were messy and good.

Last night, we attended a rather formal and traditional sit-down Thanksgiving dinner. There were 12 of us, self-named "the usual suspects." Mr. P and I are late arrivals into the crowd, but there's always a surprise guest, someone who would otherwise be alone on the holiday. There was turkey, stuffing, and gravy. Mr. P and I brought three vegan dishes -- green beans with almonds and garlic, veggie stuffing with mushrooms and chestnuts, and mashed sweet potatoes. I would usually be sneaking butter into all of those dishes, but at least one of the USs is mildly lactose intolerant, so we used oil and almond milk as appropriate. Still, very tasty.

Other dishes last night were mashed white potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, lots of wine. For dessert, there was more mine, three kinds of pie, and of course, chocolate. There was great conversation -- politics, travels, depression, health, illness, geekiness -- the usual.

This afternoon, we're reprising our stuffing and sweet potatoes dishes at the house of other dear friends who typically invite a handful of families with college-age kids and Mr. P and me. We tried to bring two college freshmen so we wouldn't feel quite so left out, but they had other plans, so we will be bringing ourselves and some food.

Speaking of which, the sun is out, and it's time to get going.