Thanksgiving in St. Louis

We drove to St. Louis to have Thanksgiving with Sydney and Logan and Benson. It was a wonderful visit and full of getting full on really good food!

Pre-Trip

Baking Pajaro Dunes Sourdough bread and marked with a "C" for Carters.

Then we headed out in the car for the 12 hour drive up to St. Louis with a stay overnight midway.

Day 1

Lunch at Lambert's where they throw the rolls.

We're here!

Finally get to see Benson for real, not just digitally.

Cheers with popsicles.

Two snugglers.

Sharing the hog jowl from Lambert's. He likes it! He may have bitten on my finger too haha.

Mmmm hog jowl, interesting.

Happy boy.

Dinner at Sauce on the Side, one of our favorites.

Day 2

Logan and I go out to buy steak for grilling. However we make a few other stops and return home without the steak.

First we stopped at Wally's and got brisket sandwiches.

Then White Castle to try out their sliders. We couldn't believe how bland they were and found it interesting they are so popular. It was super fun to experience though.

Then on to Russell's Cafe and Bakery and pickup desserts for Thanksgiving.

After we arrive home with the desserts Sydney contemplates the important decision, "what to try first?"

Logan and I head out again and this time actually get the steak.

• Saratoga Ribeye ($66/lb)
• Lamb Loin Chops ($32/lb)
• Prime Strip Steak ($40/lb)
• Filet Steak ($48/lb)

We bought about $150 worth of steak, definitely a new record for me.

Benson and Grandma happy together.

Time to try some of our steaks on the Otto Wilde Grill!

Our first grill, Prime Strip Steak. Seared like a champ.

Benson is a huge fan!

Logan loved the lamb chops best so far.

Meat palooza. A delightful taste sensation.

Benson's and his expressions. He's playing with an electric drill and is hilarious. These photos were taking in about 30 seconds total.

He loves her.

Day 3

Time to grill some shrimp.

We baked a Turducken for the first time. Amazing!

Using the Otto for the traditional Thanksgiving pizza. All hand made, including the crust, by Sydney. Mmmmm!

Cutting the Turducken, we are so curious what it looks like.

Turkey, duck, and chicken just like they said. Beautiful really.

Dinner is served!

After meal relaxing book reading.

Day 4

Mitzi and I took Benson to the park while Sydney and Logan enjoyed some time out together.

In the afternoon Logan and I picked up some fresh rack of lamb at Whole Foods. Time for grilling. These turned out to be our absolute favorites of everything. So tender and flavorful. We definitely made Don proud. Benson loved them too!

Mitzi bound some quilts for Sydney while we visited. Their shared interest in quilting is wonderful. They are very talented.

Sydney's Polaroid pictures.

We cooked up the Saratoga Ribeye after the rack of lamb. It was a great ribeye but I may have charred it a bit too much. That Otto Grill is 1500 degrees Fahrenheit and cooks fast!

Logan's Meater thermometer helped us get the inside cooked to exactly the desired temperature.

After all that meat Benson also enjoy a salad with Grandma.

It was a lovely visit and a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mitzi and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Sydney and Logan and Benson. They are wonderful hosts. We love being grandparents and we had a great time.