The Countdown Begins...

Ok, gals, we are three full days away from the biggest food fest of the year...at least at my house. This morning I took the turkey out of the freezer to start thawing in the fridge. There are years I had to float him in the bathtub all night Wednesday, but this won't be one of them. I'm making a sweep of my cupboards and checking for missing ingredients. So far I've discovered that I have three bottles of pumpkin pie spice but no poultry seasoning or sage. The can of whipped cream I bought last week has somehow gotten used up already...

I have started making lists of what can be done ahead of time. For me, Tuesday is the day to get the house cleaned up, including making sure the serving plates I'll use are ready to go. Sometimes that means trying to remember where I put them last year. Wednesday is the big day of food prep. I get all the veggies chopped, desserts made, and ingredients that I will need first thing Thursday morning set out on the counter before bed on Wednesday. That way I can jump right in after that first cup of coffee.

I think my favorite part of the holiday is all the wonderful smells. I am a bread stuffing girl, with celery, onions, apples, raisins, sausage, and lots of sage. There is nothing like the aroma of everything sauteeing together in the big dutch oven. My biggest challenge every year is the gravy. It seems to have a mind of its own. Even using the same ingredients year after year is no guarantee that it will turn out. If that is your challenge, check out this article for some tips.

The turkey is definitely the centerpiece attraction. Remember the butterball hotline? It is still up and running, but in this computer age, help is just a mouseclick away. Here's the official butterball site if you are cooking for the first year or just have some questions. They also have some great recipes there.

Still wondering what to cook, or just need something new? I love Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade because you don't need a million ingredients that you may only use once this year. Her Thanksgiving episode had lots of yummy ideas!

What is your favorite dessert? I already know I can't choose just one. Pumpkin pie of course, but then there is my semi-famous pumpkin cake roll, apple pie, and the sort of healthy raspberry jello cranberry salad. I think I love Thanksgiving because the menu really doesn't change for us. It's all about tradition, that familiar feeling that lets you know you are home.

I hope you all have a wonderful day, and don't get bogged down in the details of making it perfect. Enjoy your family and these precious years. It won't be too long until you are fighting your daughter (or daughter-in-law!) for the right to cook Thanksgiving at your house!

The First Thanksgiving

Preparations are well underway for the big Thanksgiving dinner. Well, mentally at least. You can only work so far ahead. The groceries have been bought, mostly. I know what needs to be done when to make the day flow smoothly. This year, it will just be my family at my house, unless anyone wants to come over. Of course, when I say just my family, that still involves 5 kids, a granddaughter, and possibly a special friend or two of my adult kids. I've been cooking Thanksgiving dinners long enough that they no longer freak me out. Not like the first time...

It was 1988. My oldest child was 2 months shy of her second birthday, and my youngest child was two months old. My husband at that time was a soldier and we were stationed in Nurnberg, Germany. Because families were in short supply, we were the unofficial headquarters for all of my husband's single friends. We were expecting about 18 guys for Thanksgiving. In a one bedroom apartment. With a kitchen the size of a large bathroom. With a wife that couldn't cook. I mean I really couldn't cook. The turkey was too big to fit in the oven, so we had to do some magic with a butcher knife and cut it in half. We also had to borrow the neighbor's oven to cook a ham in. While some of the details have faded, I do remember that the meal took close to seven hours to actually cook, and that my mashed potatoes turned out gray. I'm still not sure why that happened, but they were definitely gray. My gravy was lumpy and everything was cold by the time the turkey was finally done, but in the end it didn't really matter. Not because we all had that warm cozy holiday feeling, but because most of the guys had given up and gone to McDonald's, not to mention the alcohol that had been flowing freely. It was not exactly a Martha Stewart holiday.

Even though the day was far from perfect, I do cherish the memory. It was during that time that I grew to love opening my home to friends new and old. I want to have the kind of place that people just feel comfortable in. Those years taught me that my home could be a refuge, a place to kick back and be yourself.

While I no longer get all nervous about cooking a big meal, I do like to have the details in place. Check back Monday and we'll chat about the timetable of Thanksgiving. I'll also list some resources if you need some last minute ideas. In the meantime, I'll be dreaming of love, laughter, and lots and lots of food.What are you all doing? Cooking? Travelling? Eating out? Leave a comment and share what you are up to!~Debbie