Thanksgiving- A Prelude

It is really hard to believe Thanksgiving is just two weeks away. I have a special fondness for this holiday as it carries great nostalgia and warm memories for me. It also means Christmas is just around the corner. Thanksgiving has always been our largest celebration in terms of food and it’s hard to imagine it not being that way as we give thanks for all of the wonderful bounty and blessings bestowed upon us. Even the first Thanksgiving I celebrated with my husband was a grand affair as; a.) I hold some belief  in the idea that the path that leads to a man’s heart lies straight through his stomach and b.) I procrastinated and the only turkeys they had left at the grocer’s were almost thirty pound birds. That’s a lot of turkey for two people. Well, if you’re going to go big, go really big. We have also had small Thanksgivings during the years I worked in retail management and was stuck at the mall during the dreaded Black Friday events leaving me to miss every Longhorn/Aggie game several years running (Hook ‘Em  Horns) and falling into the couch every night wanting nothing but a foot massage and a couple of tequilas with a Bud Light back. I will cover some of my favorite recipes for occasions large and small: Mom’s Cranberries, Creamed Corn with Sage and Rosemary, Serrano Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage, Lemon Chipotle Turkey, Turkey Gravy (with Giblets for Pop), herb butter, Roasted Cornish Game Hens, Apple Tarte with Pastry Cream, and Pumpkin Pie. Half the fun is being in the kitchen with the people you love. Don’t stress over the perfect turkey, if it’s dry, throw some gravy on it. Have fun and be thankful… it could always be worse.

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