How Courtney Saved the 2014 B.F.O.

The Black Friday Omelet.  The 2nd most looked forward to meal of my year was in Jeopardy once again this year, but was once again saved and rose from the ashes of the leftover bins in the fridge like a salty, carb-laden phoenix.  This is the story of how this glorious omelet was saved once again.
For anyone not familiar with the story, you can check out last year's post for a little back story.
So if last year was a change in typical holiday traditions, this year was a revolution.  Dad passed away only just a month ago, and this is the first of my 34 years (that I can remember) that some sort of Thanksgiving dinner hasn't been prepared in my childhood home.  I guess last year's "Family Stone" reference was a bit more spot on than I had realized at the time.  My immediate family spent last weekend together at Pheasant Run in Chicago swimming in the pool, eating and drinking too much, and being way too loud for generally accepted hotel behavior.  This year my kids and I were headed to my Grandfather's house on Thanksgiving Day with Mom to have dinner with her Dad, step-Mom, and two half-sisters and their families.  In the planning stages all seemed like it would be OK for the B.F.O. as I could just bring home a goody bag of bits and pieces for the glorious omelet on Friday morning.  But, "best laid plans, right?"
For as delicious as our Thanksgiving Lunch was, the semi-potluck style in which it was prepared meant that quite a few of the traditional Thanksgiving standards were noticeably absent.  Of course we had turkey and mashed potatoes, but that's just about where the standards stopped.  See, one of my aunt's families has a lot of food allergies, so we had quite a few dishes made without dairy, gluten, or meat.  And in typical Keebaugh fashion, there were more dessert options than main course fare.  For as delicious as everything was, I was struggling to see my omelet come together.  I left lunch with the non-ideal combo of turkey, plain green beans, macaroni and cheese, and a bacon cheddar potato skin headed for the omelet.  With so many of the regular cast missing, would it still be any good this year?
Later that evening, my brother and his wife, Courtney, swung by the homestead to hang out and watch some football.  Knowing we were heading to Grandpa's and eating quite a few Vegan, non-gluten items, she had brought back from her parents the most glorious little care package that included the two most critical missing pieces for any B.F.O., delicious stuffing and the glorious green bean casserole.  (If you remember from last year, green bean casserole is the single most important item in the B.F.O.)  While the bacon cheddar potato skins were a surprisingly nice addition this year, I was missing the cheesy potato and corn casseroles that had been so delicious in the past, and I was also left wanting on some gravy to dribble over the top.  But, things always have a way of working out for the better.  I have always been a firm believer in this, and this year's B.F.O. is no exception.  Courtney's simple gesture falls nothing short of heroics in my book.  It wasn't the best B.F.O. in history, but the story of its coming together typifies the thoughtfulness of family during the holiday season.

In closing, and on a little less tongue in cheek note, this year I'm thankful for my family and the time that we all have to spend together, but more importantly for the time I had to spend with my Dad before he had to go.  I have said and thought numerous times in the last month that he did such a great job of raising my brothers and me that it feels like he's never too far away as he's so deeply embedded in each of us.