AKA...thoughts on Thanksgiving
Well, here I am, less than a week from the big food holiday of the year. I think Thanksgiving is one day which separates the cooks from the...well...reheater-uppers, I guess you could call them. Those who buy gravy and grocery store brown and serve rolls. I am not at all thumbing my nose at those who buy jarred cranberry sauce that stays in the shape of the can when it slides out (
that's all my mother ever served), or Cool Whip for their Mrs. Smith's pumpkin pie. Ya know, if someone was cooking, or even reheating, for me, I'd be a real happy camper.
As it is, I am contemplating a week of cleaning, and prepping, and finally cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 20 people. It doesn't help matters that I am in a chocolate coma this evening from the most incredible pie one of my husband's coworkers made for our anniversary yesterday (
yes, 27 years). Isn't that sweet? She made us a homemade pie in a real glass dish, with a real crust, and real, unbelievable chocolate cream filling, and real whipped cream. I am working very hard on not eating the entire pie one sneaky bite at a time. Yum.
Back to Thanksgiving. I have the problem that my people want to eat the same thing every single year. They are so dull. If I try to even sneak some orange zest into the sweet potato casserole, they protest. Same cranberry sauce, same vegetables, same everything. I have decided that I can probably vary the bread, since that is not a crucial part of Thanksgiving dinner for my people (
yours might be different). I am going to work on a recipe for bacon cornbread tomorrow or Monday. I also want to play around with a sweet potato dinner roll. There is lots of baking ahead.
My menu is fairly well set (
since my people are so set), and the relatives are apparently all bringing beverages. Yup. I plan to roast one turkey on Wednesday, and then another on Thursday. I'll make gravy on Wednesday and store the turkey in the gravy in the fridge. I'll heat it up on warm in the crock pot. I am hoping it does not taste leftover, but I suddenlyhave a lot of men coming for dinner and I don't think the 25 pound turkey I planned will be enough.
Almighty and ever living God, we praise you and give thanks for Our Daily Bread. You always provide for us, Lord, never leaving us for a moment. We thank you for this food, and for safely bringing our family and our friends to this meal. We thank you for our work, our play, and our health. We ask for your blessing, especially on those who most need your mercy. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Thanksgiving Menu
Apertifs:
Pomegranate Ginger Beer Martinis
smoked almonds, olives, white bean dip and crudites
My mother's traditional stuffing
Giblet gravy
Southern style Green Beans (
much like these)
Buttered corn (
very fancy -- Green Giant Buttered Niblets)
Sweet Potato Rolls
Bacon Cornbread
Dessert:
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan PIe
Apple Pie
Coffee or hot tea (
or cold milk)
I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalms 69:30
