The Day Before the Best Day of the Year

 Two days before Thanksgiving is cleaning day and the day before Thanksgiving is cooking day.

My philosophy is that every single thing that can be made ahead should be made ahead and require only final baking or dishing up on Thanksgiving day. That means on my list for today are mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and roll dough. (The rolls will be baked tomorrow morning.)

I decided to live-blog the kitchen activities because I am JUST THAT FASCINATING.

This year I'm trying a new recipe for sweet potatoes. It calls for baking the sweet potatoes, mashing them with all kinds of deliciousness including heavy cream and nutmeg and topping them with carmelized apples (above).

Wow, look how yummy! 

But whoops, look closer.

 

The recipe should have called for a protective layer of aluminum foil.

I guess the day before Thanksgiving is cleaning day, too. Please excuse me while I chisel out the floor of the oven.