Thanksgiving 2009

This morning, 6:30 am, I began cooking for the gathering at our house today. Yesterday I was in the kitchen from 5:30 to 10:30 pre-baking for the Super-bowl of dinners. I decided that I prefer Thanksgiving over all the other holidays even though I was tired of standing on that hard floor dodging every family member that came to check out the progress and beg for taste. Thanksgiving is a gathering of family and friends that expect no gifts or entertainment. A time when the simple act of saying grace with your loved ones over a carefully prepared meal is the most satisfying thing of the day for me.

Everyone has a favorite item to eat or prepare. I requested everyone bring 2 items this year to keep me out of the kitchen the whole time. Huh, that didn't work. Dennis (my brother) brought way more than anyone. He stayed up and cooked the turkey, new potatoes, creamed corn, glazed carrots and butter beans. Mom made the cranberry salad, sweet tea and pecan pie. Robin and Chynae (other brother, Mike's girlfriend and daughter) brought 2 coconut cream pies and broccoli cauliflower salad. I made a Pecan Toffee pie, Carrot cake, Sweet Potato casserole, Creamed Kale, homemade green bean casserole in a portabella mushroom sauce, (no cans!) Red and Green Cabbbage salad, 4 pans of dressing, gravy. James baked 2 fudge pies and the Ham. Papa simply taste tested every chance he got. Jessie, Chris, Haley, Arriana and Mogran came and brought a chess pie and a bag of rolls. Jennifer, Johnny, Jaylyn, Karsyn brought 3 packs of rolls and 3 boxes of boil in bag brussel sprouts uncooked. Dennis fixed them at the last minute. Bruce (my cousin) drove up from Huntsville to join us thankfully. We fixed plates for the children, said grace and fixed plates for us. After we all sit down, Amber, Barry, Blake and Tyler came in and brought 2 bowls of Mac-n-cheese, 2 platters of deviled eggs and peanut butter cookies. Thats 2 entree meats, 14 side dishes, rolls, cookies, 7 pies, 1 cake for 22 people. Too many calories, too many people in a small house, too cold to play outside, but too good food preps. Amen