There is nothing quite like the smell of turkey roasting on Thanksgiving. Sage and onion scent the house while the oven provides warmth. It’s the essence of the holiday.
I took a cooking class as an elective in high school. The teacher was a Doris Day look-a-like, a young mother and excellent teacher. I still prepare many of the recipes we made in school. Mrs. Crum—I’m not making this up—was a stickler on measuring carefully. Since I am a direction follower, I soon felt able to take on the world of cooking, as long as there were instructions included.
When I was newly married, I never dreamed of cleaning a turkey or making our traditional family stuffing. Completely opposed to recipes without quantities, I quickly understood, if I were to carry on the family traditions based on those recipes, I needed to be more spontaneous.
Thanksgiving dinner is chock full of food made from recipes I have in my head—ingredients only. Yet, somehow, the cinnamon rolls are always edible. The quantities of cinnamon and sugar are gauged by color. I have yet to give up on a batch of homemade gravy.
Stuffing is prepared by taste. Bread, set out to dry on my antique wooden ironing board, is crumbled and mixed with chicken broth, salt, pepper, sage, poultry seasoning, celery and onion. I put the bowl under the faucet and add water until it seems the right consistency, then taste to be sure there’s enough sage to make it sufficiently pungent. Surprisingly, it’s always good!
Although Thanksgiving seems a “lost” holiday—not marketable in a commercial way and shoved between Halloween and Christmas—I’ve always trimmed my house, collecting and constructing Thanksgiving decorations through the years. My taste in décor runs the gamut from wacky to refined. The turkey vase is one of my oldest and favored ornaments.
The mantle is rather sedate this year. But I’m proud of the winter slipcovers I made for the patio furniture—the perfect backdrop for holidays right through Easter.
And finally, a glimpse of this year’s place cards—a taste of wacky with lettering and ornamentation thanks to Microsoft Word.
Our recent family cruise to Mexico gave me much to be thankful for. The trip itself was an experience I’ll always treasure. But I felt immensely grateful to have been born in our wonderful, free country. A person only needs to travel a short way from home to see what a difference a birthplace can make. I feel incredibly spoiled.
Wishing you a warm and loving day filled with family, friends and fun! Happy Thanksgiving!