Flashback Friday ~ My Favorite Holiday: Thanksgiving

Having just spent the day at the grocery store getting ready for next week I am a bit tired and a bit overwhelmed as the pending holiday approaches. I think the older I get the need to simplify become more and more attractive. My tolerance for family drama and an all the wonderful things that go into those holiday family gatherings can be a bit much for me in my hormonal stage of life. However I am trying to breath through it and remember what it says in the the instruction manual Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

I think I may have that tattooed on the palm of my hand so it will be readily available to me a a moment notice.

Thanksgiving is really one of my all time favorite holidays, not because I have a lot of warm and fuzzy memories but because most of the good memories I do have revolve around spending time with my grandmother in her kitchen. When I am in my kitchen and getting a meal, even a big production like Thanksgiving, underway it just fills me up. I find nothing better in life that showing my love to those who I love by placing the best meal I can on the table for them. When Thanksgiving rolls around I like to pull out the stops and really try and raise the bar a bit.

Do you call it dressing or stuffing?

At our house we call it dressing. I have experimented from time to time with varying recipes but after many variations I have determined that simple is best for me. No oysters, no sausage, no dried cranberries, just some seasoned breadcrumbs, onion, celery and sage and poultry seasoning and that spells a traditional thanksgiving dressing for me.

What days did you usually have off from school?

I am not sure when this happen but I only remember having three day off from school for thanksgiving, My daughter has the entire week off and has already mentioned that she has plans to be at one with the sofa in front of the fire on thanksgiving morning.

Did you watch the Macy's Parade or something else on TV?

It would NOT be thanksgiving without watching the Macy's Day Parade or doing a bit of channel surfing until you find A Miracle on 34th Street.

And of course, we have to hear what your family ate!

I remember Grandma always had a ham in the oven and one of my favorite thing she used to make for thanksgiving was creamed green peas.

Were there any traditional foods that were part of your family's meal?

I don’t know about tradition, what I can tell you is what a typical Thanksgiving meal is at my house. In fact the menu for this year will be:

A Spiral Sliced Ham for the husband

A small Turkey Breast for me, gotta have that turkey sandwich the next day or it just isn't thanksgiving for me!

Homedale Mac & Cheese

Broccoli Rice Casserole

Mashed Potatoes (maybe, I still haven't decided if I am going to make these or not???)

Homemade Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Dressing & Gravy

Chocolate Cheese Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Which of your growing-up traditions do you do with your family today?

I don't think there were very many traditions that have been established from when I was a little girl, however in my own family there a few things that we have carried over from year to year. There are certain things that have to be on the menu no matter what. Cranberry Sauce, Homemade Mac & Cheese, Dressing, Gravy.

And if you are married, how did it go merging your two traditions/expectations?

My husbands family is very large, 4 brothers and sisters with each sibling having one or more marriages under their belt, so at any given time there would be as many as 20 to 30 people congregated for various family gatherings. This made it problematic to gather at one table for the traditional thanksgiving dinner. Coming from a primarily yankeefied background most of my traditional thanksgiving dishes are dishes that my grandmother would have fixed. I did not grow up with cornbread dressing or giblet gravy. I remember the first time I saw a hard boiled egg sliced up in the gravy for thanksgiving I thought I had been transported to an alternate universe. We had pumpkin pie not pecan pie and we all sat at a table with a tablecloth not sitting wherever we could find a spot with our plate propped on our knee.

This year we will be spend the day at my husbands sister house for thanksgiving. However I will be placating my own need to spend time in my own kitchen and we will have a thanksgiving, my way! I will be having a second thanksgiving meal on Saturday that may include a few friend over to celebrate.

Well that’s it for me and this Flashback, for more reminiscing y'all head over to Mocha with Linda and link up.

As I close out this post I want to wish everyone the very best Thanksgiving.

I hope you have a peaceful, family filled, flavorful day of joy and happiness.

2 Corinthians 4:15
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God

Blessings

R