I’ve had a terribly exciting weekend but, frankly, I’m too tired to discuss it right now. I’ll get to it at some point but it won’t be today.
So, instead, let’s talk about Thanksgiving.
And now that I think about it, “terribly exciting” might be overselling the weekend. Let’s just say we’ve had fun.
Over the last week, Gulley and I have had several indepth conversations about Thanksgiving meals we have had throughout our lifetimes and it has made us wonder what most people have for Thanksgiving dinner.
I mean, obviously, turkey. And dressing. And probably cranberries.
And spaghetti with meat sauce.
Oh wait, that was probably just at my Me-ma and Pa-pa’s house.
As far back as I can remember, the dish that says Thanksgiving to me is Broccoli-Rice Casserole.
An old Indian legend actually recalls the tense atmosphere at the first Thanksgiving because the Pilgrims totally forgot the Broccoli-Rice casserole. They tried to make some lame excuse about the Cheez Whiz going bad on the Mayflower, but the Indians knew the Pilgrims were full of crap and the real story was they didn’t want to take the time to microwave the rice.
Anyway, my Aunt Sandra used to always be in charge of the Broccoli-Rice. Even though I have her exact recipe, mine still never tastes as good as hers did. I would pile it on my plate because I have always been a dainty eater.
Growing up, I was never really a fan of turkey and dressing. I ate it because it was there, but I never really cared for it one way or the other.
It’s kind of like how I watched “Saved by the Bell” throughout college. I never cared about Kelly Kapowski or Zack Morris or even Jessie Spano, but it was the only thing on from 3-5 p.m. and what else was I going to do with my time?
If you answered study then let me welcome you to my blog. Read the archives and see if they don’t make you change your answer.
The first Thanksgiving I spent with P’s family forever changed the way I viewed turkey and dressing. His mama makes the best dressing in the world. Seriously. She cooks it on the stove, whereas the dressing I always had growing up was baked in a 9 x 13 pan and could be cut in squares.
A bite of his mama’s dressing combined with cranberry sauce is a pretty close second to Broccoli-Rice casserole.
Everything else my family had for Thanksgiving was pretty typical. Green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, fruit salad, something congealed that nobody really wanted but somehow made it on the table, and pumpkin pie for dessert.
And speaking of dessert, P’s family also has chocolate ice box pudding for dessert. I don’t want to say that I would have married him just to get the recipe for the chocolate ice box pudding, but I might have considered it.
So, what about y’all? What food has to be on your Thanksgiving table for it to be the perfect meal?
And please, don’t say a congealed salad. I don’t think my stomach can handle it.
Especially if it’s lime green with some nuts on the top, because the only thing worse than congealed salad is a congealed salad that is a color not found in nature.
Oh, and one more question that I can’t come up with a smooth transition for; what about mashed potatoes? Do you have mashed potatoes with your Thanksgiving meal?
The mashed potatoes have been the source of much debate. I had no idea potatoes could be so controversial.
Of course that may be why people say you should never discuss religion, potatoes or politics.