Happy Thanksgiving

On this Monday before the 4th Thursday of November (Thanksgiving) I would like to record some of our family's time honored traditions.  We'll start with the feast.  The meat of choice is turkey.  That's what my mom served and that's what I serve.  According to the tradition, (mine, not my mom's) I move the turkey from the deep freeze to the refrigerator on Monday.  I assume there is enough time to thaw before Thursday.  By Wednesday it is still frozen solid and I try the quick thaw method of putting it in a sink of cold water. I place a wet wash cloth on the part that is still exposed because the sink isn't quite deep enough.  Thursday morning I go to stuff the turkey before baking it.  I realize that the giblets and neck are still frozen in the turkey cavity.  I try and pry them out with a fork, unsuccessfully.  I then start chipping frozen turkey parts and running hot water over the icy innards until they break loose from the cavity's stubborn hold.  I throw the neck and giblet bag into the garbage with a twinge of guilt.  My mom used to boil them for stock to make her stuffing.  I'll remember that option, but then I twist off the lid of the boullon granules.  When I can find the disposable aluminum roaster I place the turkey and cover it with aluminum foil.  I bake for the recommended time and wonder why the thermometer didn't pop.  Everything is ready except the red middle of the butterball timer.  We assume it's broken and pull the turkey out.  Paul carves the turkey and continually asks, "Is this turkey done, does it look pink to you?"  We serve the outside white pieces and put the questionable turkey slices back into the oven where they bake to a state of unappetizing dryness. " How can this be a tradition?" you ask.  Wouldn't you just learn from last year's problems?  One would think, wouldn't one?  There have been a couple of changes to be sure.  One year I started using turkey baking bags.  That reduced the turkey baking time.  For the past couple of years I have taken the turkey out of the freezer on Sunday instead of Monday.  A couple of years in Alabama were awesome because our friends let us fry our turkey in their deep fryer...best turkey ever.  But most years the tradition is observed.  This year I am conscientiously trying to avoid the tradition. My turkey is thawing as we speak, and I think I'll put Daniel in charge of turkey.  He won't let the turkey fail.  It's the only Thanksgiving food he eats, the little carb hater.

I spend many minutes unloading the punch bowl cupboard so I can pull the punch bowl out of it's candle, Easter egg decorating kit, glass cups, and glue gun laden state.  It is then filled with cranberry juice and sprite.   Of course we serve green bean casserole with french fried onions because we're American.  We change up the jello salad, but pomegranate apple salad screams "Thanksgiving dinner."  I make gravy with boullon and corn starch. We of course have mashed potatoes and we serve them in the elegant mixer bowl (I take the beaters out.) My mom has a delicous stuffing she makes with french bread torn into pieces a couple of nights before and left drying on the counter.  I have not been successful with this recipe.  Mine was just soggy so until I check the ingredients, I  buy Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix, add onion, celery and bouillon and call it good. Probably the most solid feature of our feast is Paul's rolls.  Always delicious.  This year I'm going to try and make Paul's mom's lemon jello salad with cheese, pineapple and marshmallows.  I love food legacies.

The pies that have become standard fare are french apple, Marie Callendar's razzleberry, and Lynn Ames' cheesecake. I always like to try a new side dish and new pie recipe.  This is especially fun if I have a guest that likes adventuring with food.  There's a little pie baking tradition too.  The pie filling always bubbles onto the heating element in the oven.  My husband bah humbugs this tradition and places my pies on a cookie sheet.  I'll never forget the look of wonder on my brother-in-law's face when my sister and I were baking pies.  Pie filling was sizzling away  and smoke was pouring from the oven.  We just looked at him and said nonchalantly, "Oh don't worry, it will burn off and stop smoking eventually."  Sorry Paul J.

We observe the feast, but I love the people.  It is important to me to be surrounded by loved ones.  For much of my married life I lived within a short day's travel to my sister Susie's home.  Many of our Thanksgivings were spent together.  I still feel bad about the year we took our family to her house and brought with us a horrible virus.  My oldest son was coughing a bit and seemed  tired, but I couldn't stand the thought of not being with my sister for Thanksgiving.  I rationalized that he would be better by the time we got there.  Well, he was worse and many of her family contracted his symptoms.  Sorry Susie.  But the other Thanksgivings were great.  The kids were loud and we were crowded, but there's something about being with a sister.  She taught me a craft, usually an ornament, and we went shopping with only the youngest babies in tow, if we took any kids at all.  Thanks husbands.

Amy, Nathan, Daniel and Brandon

Aaron and Amanda 1989

We've tried a couple different thankful activities.  One year we wrote what we were thankful for on the tablecloth.  Another year we wrote great qualities on placecards.  I've heard of making a list of one hundred things people are thankful for.  I'd like some suggestions if anyone has any.  We can always be more thankful around here.  "Can't be hateful.  Gotta be grateful."

After the dinner we make graham cracker gingerbread houses.  The kids fill them with as much candy as possible and then we play the "let's see how many pieces this breaks into on the way home" game.  Our Thanksgiving night movie is "Miracle on 34th street" with Mara Wilson, just in case there is anyone in the house who does not believe in Santa Clause.

Gingerbread houses with Carrie and kids

Susie and I don't get together for Thanksgiving anymore.  We both have adult children and grandkids now.    I also live in the south.  I live close to a different sister, yay for sisters. Sometimes we get lucky and have nephews for dinner. We had a couple of years of Thanksgiving with Brandon and Mallory.  I loved those holidays.  I wish I had known they would be moving to the west coast, I would have loved them even more.  Thankfully, Daniel and Erica and Nathan and Ariane live in the Thanksgiving road trip zone.  Caleb called me this morning to tell me he couldn't sleep very well last night because he's excited to see me.  Me too!  Nathan called on Sunday to say that he and Ariane are in.  It's going to be a great feast.   As long as I have someone I love at my table, it's Thanksgiving to me.

2010 in DC

2011