Oh, heck yeah: it's the holidays again

The past two years I've waited until November to begin obsessing over the holidays. Well, this year I went all Kohl's style and started fixating on Thanksgiving and this year's room to-do by September.

It's not that I've become better at planning. If you didn't already know, I fractured both my legs this summer overtraining and have had a little more obsession capacity than usual.

Worry not: I will compete in the Turkey Trot ProCup on Thanksgiving. It wouldn't be ThanksG without it! My pops and Neil will prove to be much more formidable competition this year. Not to mention I started training from scratch (!) just two weeks ago.

But the important thing: Thanksgiving dinner.

How, oh, how will I torture everyone this year?

Well, third year should be the charm. I think after last year's disaster, I've learned enough to make this year a game changer. In fact, I've already decided this year's menu:

Champagne and butter cookies.

I'm only half kidding.

Actually, I've decided this year I'm "hiring out" to serve up the basics — savory turkey breast with traditional mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, orange-cranberry relish and gravy will come from my local Whole Foods.

It seems so wrong, doesn't it?

Truth is: I'm admitting defeat. Turns out, I don't make the basics as basic as they need to be to suit the whole audience. I waste.... spend so much time prepping these ill-received basics that I run out of time for what I consider the tasty treats. Then I run over on serving time. Things get cold. Tempers get hot. I'm a problem-solver. So, Whole Foods it is.

The plus side is now I have all that time back! What's on extended menu?

Well, champagne and butter cookies.

I'm only half kidding.

We're starting with drinks: champagne mojitos and sangria. While I fully intend to have dinner ready when everyone arrives, I fully anticipate not everyone will arrive at the same time. So, drinks are in order.

So are a couple bready appetizers, which will carry over to the dinner table. And, of course, butter cookies.

Then we're off. Here's the full menu:

drinks
Champagne mojitos
Rose sangria with cranberries and apples

appetizers-turned-table-fare
Porcini tartlets
Prosciutto-fig w/ gorgonzola flatbread

the bird
Traditional savory turkey breast with stuffing and gravy

grains
Lemony Israeli couscous with olives and pine nuts
Pumpkin risotto

plants
Corn pudding
Apple cider sweet potatoes
"Cheesy" potatoes from my mom
Big-ass green salad
Broccoli with ancho butter
Traditional mashed potatoes
Traditional green beans
Traditional cranberry-orange relish

happy endings
Chocolate raspberry swiss roll
Traditional pumpkin pie
Capirotada — gingersnap and candied jalapeno bread pudding with poblano whipped crema (a la momocho) and salsa verde

Jalapeno breading pudding and swiss roll aside, I've made each dish before and know the process and approximate times. Many of these dishes, including the swiss roll, can be prepped the day before, which will help with the day-of race. And I don't mean the foot race!

The difficult part this year, however, is control.

Yes, I know last year I learned very much about losing control — let us never speak again of the turkey hijacking again (although it did teach me that no one cares what flavor of turkey they're eating, so I'm not wasting my time anymore). But this year I'm aiming to not waddle away from the dinner ten pounds heavier than when I sat down.

Hence the champagne and butter cookies menu.

I'm still only half kidding.

Last week I began the long-term process of adjusting my eating habits, changing the way I conceive of being full, improving my exercise routines and trying to lose 15 pounds I don't need. I'd like to lose one pound a week for the next 15 weeks and learn how not to be a pig when I eat in the process (so I can keep it off).

Thanksgiving will be somewhere between weeks nine and ten. I won't be a happy camper if I have to start from scratch!

Considering the "lighter" load this year, I'd like to be more relaxed this year... with my champagne and cookies in hand.

All this said, I stopped by Lowe's today in search of paint. The room of the year: family room.

Right now it's a mishmash of colors, fabrics and one helluva fireplace mantel. It's actually going to be the marquee room at this year's festivities &mash; we're moving the dining room table into the family room for the meal so there's more room, a fireplace and no need to dork up our pretty living room.

We're thinking gray. But gray, as you well know, isn't just a boring color anymore. It's a nuanced mystery of warm, cool and neutral tones that makes you question which way is up. And we've only just begun.