Vegetarian Thanksgiving?

I always have people ask me what I eat on Thanksgiving (since I don't eat turkey). I always ask them what they eat BESIDES turkey and the conversation usually takes a turn. We always have lots of our favorite traditional foods that we grew up with and yes, I do roast a turkey-if not the whole bird, then at least a good sized breast. Until this year, only Nathan, Franchesca and myself did not partake in the turkey. While we were recently on vacation, Solomon issued the proclamation (to his aunt) that indeed he had become a vegetarian. His willpower proved strong at dinner this week when chicken taco's were served, something that had become one of his fav's. After he devoured spanish rice and a little cheese on a tortilla, he held his plate up and said "see, I told you I was a vegetarian!".

Tonight, we sat down to feast on turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes, and my favorite: cornbread sage dressing (not to be confused with stuffing as that requires being stuffed in "the bird"). It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the "green bean dish" (no casseroles here) and of course my Mother's glorious dinner rolls. We've also added a new twist on the old cranberry relish and added a cranberry mousse for some color and tartness. Solomon literally had mashed potatoes for dinner- plate after plate after plate. We told him that the gravy was TURKEY gravy yet he just smiled and continued to spoon it in. As we reclined by the fire afterward, we kept hearing something tinkling in the dining room and discovered it was Solomon who said he was "trying to get the chicken off the turkey phing". A photo of the "turkey phing" follows. Apparently he changed his mind. I think calling it chicken helped justify his decision.