thanksgiving 2013

it has only been a week since thanksgiving, but we are in full advent mode at casita hart. before beginning an influx of holiday/winter inspired posts, let me spend a moment on one of my favorite holidays of the year.

i think i love thanksgiving so much because it is the start to a sweet season of celebration that lasts through the new year. also, i love to eat good food. and to spend time with others. and to pick out a christmas tree the next day.

for our first new mexican thanksgiving, we hosted a friendsgiving feast for 18. it was so so great. lots of cooking, lots of eating, and lots of thankfulness for these new relationships. it is still crazy to think how much has changed in the past year. this holiday almost felt like the start to our rooted life in the southwest.

the brined roasted turkey was so pretty and even tastier. so much yumminess was brought and enjoyed. through the use of danielle walker's thankful i was able to make all of my dishes paleo or gluten-free, which was quite an undertaking, but not as difficult as i imagined. i highly recommend the recipes in that ebook. the smoky candied bacon sweet potatoes may be my favorite. i could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

thank you, friends, for sharing this meal with us.
and for humoring me with the chalk hand turkeys.