What I'll be making this Thanksgiving...

My parents cooking away in their matching aprons last year.

Umm not much! haha I don't mean that I won't be volunteering to help- its just that I won't be allowed to stray from the things we always make and the way "we" make them.

The bf and I are headed to visit my family in New Orleans today and my mommy dearest will be cooking. She has her menu down pat- in fact, it rarely changes year to year. I don't blame her. If you finally had the perfect Thanksgiving figured out after 20-something years, would you change it? That being said, I will be a kitchen helper to make the following dishes:

• BIG turkey that no one can ever finish the leftovers of
• cranberry sauce
• gravy
• mashed potatoes
• sweet potato casserole with marshmallows
• fresh green beans
• Gulliver's Creamed Corn
• strawberry banana jello with cool whip mixed in
• Mimi's Italin sausage stuffing
• pumpkin pie
• caramel pecan pie (AMAZING)

Lil bro, Dad and me at my mom's gorgeous table last year. See the jello on the right next to Dad?

This year, my loving little brother has decided he must attend the Saints v. Cowboys game on Thanksgiving, so we're celebrating on Friday. I'm a little upset, but since we get to have a ham dinner on Thursday and Turkey linner (lunch/dinner) on Friday, I guess that's OK. Not sure how I'm going to get my Black Friday shopping done though...hmmm...

I called my mom and asked if she needed any recipes and she said I could be in charge of potatoes to go with the ham. Woo-hoo! I volunteered to make some homemade yeast rolls, but she said my father had already purchased 4 packs of Sister Schubert's (NOT Sara-Lee- I stand corrected) yeast rolls. She is doubtful that any rolls could beat Sister Schubert's. This is partially true.

So I offered to make a few breakfasty things for the whole gang. This will include my parents, my Mimi (Dad's mom) visiting from the west coast, little bro, the bf and moi. Just for fun, here's a few photos of everyone:

(The fam + the bf in Mexico this summer.)

(More Mexico. I miss being tan.)

(Dad and Mimi in Texas in April)

(And let's not forget baby Jackson- posing as the Easter bunny earlier this year!)

I sent over the ingredient list for the following. Inevitably, my father will make about 10 more runs to the grocery store for 1-2 items each. Such a good sport!

• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls- recipe coming soon!
• The BEST Au Gratin Potatoes - recipe coming soon
  

There are also several things that Mimi must be commissioned to make whenever she visits. This includes:

• wedding cookies- the shortbread balls with ground pecans rolled in powdered sugar
  
• homemade chicken noodle soup- with dumpling noodles
  

I can't wait to smell all those familiar smells and watch the boys sit on their rumps watching football while the girls slave away in the kitchen. What are your Thanksgiving staples/favorite moments? hehe :)

I do have a lot to be thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving!

-Marissa