Today is an audience participation post. So, I expect participation!!
So, I spent an hour or so of my evening at Trader Joe’s, only the best grocery store on the planet. Sadly, it’s about a planet away from this Podunk Holler of a town, but it’s worth the trip.
Anywhoodle, I picked up some basic grocery items for preparation for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday, and of course, picked up some much needed Trader Joe’s only things like, Candy Cane JoJo’s and their delicious Multi Grain Crackers that don’t taste like cardboard most Multi-grain crackers.
It got me to thinking, what are some of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes? What are the required items? The ones that waffle from year to year – or does anything waffle – is it the same every year? Who do you spend your Thanksgiving with? Do you eat a Thanksgiving meal at lunchtime or dinnertime?
Here’s what I’m contributing to our meal this week:
- Martha Stewart’s Green Bean Casserole – b/c truly, the cream of mushroom soup stuff?? Wouldn’t feed it to my dog after eating this purely from scratch version
- Harvest Glazed Carrots – because easy and delicious make me a happy girl.
- Granny Kat’s Pumpkin Roll – because my Aunt Jane is the best cook I know and she LOVED this the first time I made it. So, it is part of what I bring every year.
- Peach Pie – no link b/c I haven’t settled on a recipe yet, but I’m leaning towards winging it using Ruhlman’s Ratio book. We’ll see if Nathan’s in a “winging it” mood. Yes, he’ll be my sous chef as my own bio-kids are turdballs and won’t lift a finger in the kitchen.
Required for us are the traditional standards, turkey, gravy, mashed taters, stuffing, rolls. The other sides change from year to year except for my cousin Amy’s sweet potato desserty-not-a-dessert dish. I can’t describe it, but it’s to DIE for and I’m not a sweet potato fan. We used to have a required fruit salad (topped with mini-multi-colored marshmallows) and Aunt Jane’s sugar pie, but sadly she’s just not able to bake and cook like she used to. We’ve adapted to figuring out her trick to gravy as well, but her magic is missing, and NO ONE even tries the sugar pies. They’re hers, thank you very much.
As long as she’s still there to coach us, we’ll make it work. Because to me, those are the standards that are more difficult to give up. The yearly faces, the old jokes, the munching of a relish tray while the kitchen buzzes with last minute activity, Daddy’s grace, Uncle Paul’s beautiful blue eyes. Those are the real traditions. The food is just the means to the end.
So, what are your traditions? How will you be spending your Thursday?
I’m getting dragged YET AGAIN to my wife’s cousins’ house. Not sure how much more terrific food and terrific company I can take after 20+ years.
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Becky Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
It’s a chore, Alex, I know. Take one for the team, buddy.
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Years ago, Thanksgiving was at my house with only my mom and sister in attendance, but since they both passed … well, so did that tradition. Now we go to my in law’s and I usually take my famous (with them, anyway) country green beans. Slow cooked all day with a nice slab of salt pork added for flavoring.
We grew tired of the same old same old and had the brilliant idea for a family trip every year. So, three years ago it was NYC, then Jamaica, and last year we all went to San Francisco. Now this year no one has the money to travel so we moved it back to the in law’s. Except we’re bailing out and the three of us are going to spend the holiday with our Marine and his wife. We’re leaving tomorrow morning and I’ve already been asked to help with the cooking, so it looks like maybe traditions are changing.
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We don’t live near family, so we host Thanksgiving for those who have no where to go or no family coming to town. The company changes every year–from the crowd over from Ireland on business, to neighbors down the road. Every year is different, and that’s kind of fun!
We have the traditional turkey, gravy, stuffing and pumpkin pie, though the sides change every year depending on who’s coming and what they feel like bringing.
The one addition that we made about seven or eight years ago that quickly became a keeper–pecan maple pie.
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This will be the first year that I’m personally not doing anything. I’m not cooking. I’m not eating. I don’t have to do the misc. family & friends shuffle/taxi-turkey dance. Nada. I’ll be in my pj’s and will probably have a bowl of cereal.
It feels weird. I’m not really a “holiday” kinda girl, but if ever there was a holiday that I loved it would be Thanksgiving. And for a totally selfish reason – I LOVE FOOD. I love the drama of mixing families & friends & never knowing what is gonna happen. I love having 83 people all shoved in a tiny kitchen claiming to know how to do something better than the other – only to end up with someone hiding out in the garage or basement with a bottle (or 3) of wine and refusing to come back in. I love it. I was raised in a house where the policy was…nobody spends Thanksgiving alone. Period. So besides the normal immediate & extended family members in attendance we always had what I affectionately refer to as “the strays”. People who didn’t have family in town. Kids who’s families were effed up beyond belief. Homeless people. Ex’s. Lions, Tigers and Bears (Oh My!)
But this year…nothing. The only family I have here is my parents. My dad is heading back to MI to see my brother & his new baby & other family members. And my mom & I just can’t see the point in cooking for 2 (plus I don’t think we’d even know how). So…we’re just gonna hang out. Maybe we’ll make pancakes or something. We’ve been invited to co-workers homes for the holiday but we both agreed we aren’t in the mood to go and play “guest”. We’ve always been the Hostess’s(es? Hostess-i? WHATEVER) and it’s hard to take a back seat (for me at least) – I’m a control freak.
BUT – my most favorite thing to make on Turkey Day is my APW Cheesy Potatoe’s…… every batch is a little different than the one before, but always delish!
So yeah…no bueno.
However, on Friday I’m getting a facial so that’s kinda cool LOL.
hello super long response. sorry.
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We are having my MIL and her hubby out for dinner. My FIL always has a huge dinner but we opted to stay home this year. Hubby’s BFF’s cousin is smoking the turkey for us. I’m making my famous Sour Creamed Green Beans – http://docs.google.com/View?id=df5rwdbm_9hpt886, mashed taters, sutffing. MIL is bringing the pies and rolls. I plan to eat, clean up the mess and watch my fav Dallas Cowboys!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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