A meal to be thankful for

  I have never been one to overindulge and then deprive myself as  punishment.  I do indulge, but when I do, I do it mindfully.  I try to be present, and to fully experience every element of whatever it is I am treating myself to.
This is exactly what I did on Thanksgiving. I spent it with a small group of very close friends and my husband J.  It was wonderful! 
  We started early, around 1, with a gorgeous terrine of pork belly, calf's liver and ground pork that J had prepared as a surprise for the group. We enjoyed it with mustard and Cornichons. It was the first terrine he had ever made, and we all think it will be far from his last.
We also had some foie gras mousse that our friend Kevin had brought in from a trip to Bouchon in Napa Valley.
From there we moved on to sweet, juicy stone crabs that our friend Sarah had gotten in from Florida.  Seating around the table, cracking the claws and sending the juices all over was so much more fun than any of us had anticipated.
We then took a break and had some wine and cocktails while catching up.
Then we sat down again for the biggest part of our meal.
   I prepared a beautiful local heritage turkey, braised in Beaujolais Nouveau, with pearl onions and prunes (recipe courtesy of David Lebovitz), as well as French Grandma's artichoke gratin, which I added wild mushrooms and leeks to.
Chris took care of the rest of the side dishes with some delicious stuffing, a cauliflower pie, a rainbow of seasonal vegetables roasted in duck fat, and some gravy.
We took our time, cheered several times, and indulged in this wonderful feast.
After that we took another break, in which some took naps, others chatted joyfully, and yet others went out for a walk and some fresh air. 
When everyone was ready we sat down at the table once again, for a crisp salad of chicories, persimmon and pomegranates with an avocado and watermelon radish vinaigrette.
We finished our savory courses with a medley of perfectly tempered cheeses and  bread.
And onto dessert with Sweet Potato Pie, Pecan Pie, and Chocolate Caramel Tart.
  Now you might be wondering why I am telling you about this meal on a blog that is supposed to be devoted to healthy foods. I know that this meal does not sound very healthy, although it was definitely tasty. However, every dish was prepared from fresh, local ingredients (minus the crabs), with respect,  love and intention, and  the meal as a whole was enjoyed in that same fashion.
 With every bite I took I was grateful for the opportunity of eating these wonderful foods, for the lovely people who had prepared them, and who had now come together to enjoy them.  I was grateful for being blessed with food not only as nourishment, but also as pleasure.  I was grateful for knowing what I know about food, and for understanding that sometimes, healthy for the soul is as important as healthy for the body.
 And today, two days later, I will enjoy some of the leftovers from that meal for dinner, and I will not think that I should be eating vegetables with a little less fat than these drenched in duck grease.  Instead, I will cherish the last tangible remnants of that day, which was filled with so much laughter, joy and  love, that I have no doubt we were all nourished immensely from that food.