Planning, And Posterity

I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Okay, to be completely honest, I think every holiday is my favorite when it's approaching. But deep down inside, Thanksgiving is my favoritest-favorite. It's a day about friends and chosen family, and food, and celebrating the good things in your life - what's not to love about that?

And I love that I get to host for my family and a handful of my friends, and I love that every year I have a core of a few people and a rotating circle of others that choose to share that day with me, and eat my cooking, because I freely admit that my favorite way to show people I care about them is to feed them.

Planning the Thanskgiving menu is a hobby and a production, and almost as much fun as the holiday itself. I love digging through cookbooks and magazines, and choosing what dishes I want, and plotting out what gets made when. But I noticed this year that it can be a pain in the rear keeping track of what I made from one year to the next, both to avoid repetition and to hunt down favorite recipes in the future. So, for my own sanity (and just for the joy of sharing, and as a sanity check), here's this year's menu....

Appetizer:
Cheddar-Beer Cheese Ball; Antipasto Cheese Ball (Cook's Country, January 2011)
Something non-cheesy, to be brought by a generous guest

Dinner:
Roast turkey (Cooks Illustrated Nov. 2004), homemade gravy (Cooks Illustrated Nov. 2001)
Stuffing with sausage and dried cranberries (Penzey's Holiday 2005)
Buttermilk mashed potatoes (Cooks Illustrated Nov. 2005)
Roasted green beans with red onions and walnuts (Cooks Illustrated Nov. 2005)
Broccoli with mustard-red pepper vinaigrette (Cooks Country sample issue)
Cranberry sauce, made by another generous guest

Dessert:
Maple Apple Upside Down Cake (Food & Wine Nov. 2010)
Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert (in email)
Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie (Cooks Illustrated November 1995)

So... any thoughts? Anything missing? What's on your planned menu?