I’ve been preparing for Thanksgiving Day for over a week. We won’t have family at our house but will join everyone at my mother-in-law’s house. As I was doing this, I began to remember the Thanksgiving Dinners I have hosted or attended over the years. My first memories are when I was a little girl. Both of my grandmothers had a swinging door from the kitchen to the dining room. I thought that was so cool that I now have the same setup.
Once we married, we have had Thanksgiving with my in-laws every year. Most of the celebrations have been at their home, but occasionally they have gathered at our house. At my in-laws, we all seem to have our own assigned places. Grandchildren eat in the game room. The menu is fairly routine every year. The menu is about the same at our house, but we eat in the dining room with the swinging door.
I found an article on the internet lately about Thanksgiving dinners in the South. And I was not at all surprised how Southern we are in foods, and other ways for that matter.
See how you rate.
First, there are always nibbles before the meal. In my husband’s opinion all that is needed is pimiento cheese and celery sticks. Our gourmet son tells me that various cheeses could be substituted for the ones found in our local grocery store. I try not to eat any as I am “saving myself” for the real good stuff.
The next Southern item was Green Bean Casserole. Plain green beans just don’t reach the mark. They should have that true Southern ingredient, Duke’s Mayo. We have a cousin who loved it so much, that was all he ate when a little kid. His grandmother made a bowl especially for him.
The article mentioned that most Southern home have at least one dish somebody hunted, fished or grew in the backyard. I can’t remember fish or deer or wild turkey, even though my father and brother were hunters. I do know that even today we raise vegetables. Many we preserved by canning and those are the one we serve. Over the years we have had corn, pinto beans, green beans, squash, and homemade pickles.
Pies are a must-have at the Taylor household. And everybody has a favorite. So, there are pecan (my mother-in-law is the pro here), cherry, lemon, chocolate, pumpkin, and chess pies. Personally, a Texas sheet cake does the job, but that would not be acceptable, so I eat pumpkin pie.
No self-respecting Southern will turn down sweet potato casserole. Sweet potatoes are better for you than Irish potatoes, but not the sweet potatoes baked with a hearty pour of molasses and a heaping dash of cinnamon sugar. Lastly, they are covered with toasted miniature marshmallows.
In the South we have turkey dressing, not stuffing. We cook it in a pan, not in the turkey. My take on that is the stuffing might spoil in our warmer climates while it stays in the turkey. Besides, you can get all the dressing you want instead of the little dab stuffed in the turkey.
Heaven forbid, don’t forget Sweet Tea. Ugh! My mother was very sugar conscious; it was not healthy to eat sugar. It has stuck with me in several foods. So, I drink tap water with meals.
Last, but surely not least is the timing of the meal. Ninety-nine percent of Texans are absolutely addicted to football on television on Thanksgiving. And children want to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The solution: form a committee of football fans to set the time for the food. Maybe we’ll be able to eat before midnight!
Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving whenever you celebrate.