Planning for Thanksgiving: food and family (part 3)

Thanksgiving is a great time of feasting and fellowship; one without the other would render the holiday incomplete. This year, we decided to bring you a series that covered the topics of both family and food in the hopes that it may provide you with a little help in making your Thanksgiving special.

November 21, 2011; 10:39 AM • by Matt Sadler

Thanksgiving is a great time of feasting and fellowship; one without the other would render the holiday incomplete. This year, we decided to bring you a series that covered the topics of both family and food in the hopes that it may provide you with a little help in making your Thanksgiving special.

Family

When my children were young, we lived in an ideal “Leave It to Beaver” neighborhood, complete with sidewalks and tree lined streets. I had wonderful neighbors, too. There was one family in particular that lived across the street from us who had children the same ages as my kids. One of our favorite summer activities was sharing a meal in either of our backyards.

Frequently, I would call Nancy, or Nancy would call me, and ask if we had dinner plans. If the evening was free, Nancy would tell me what she had leftover in her refrigerator, and I would tell her what was in mine. The results were usually quite the odd mixture of menu items, and often included things like two hot dogs, a slice of pizza, ½ a grilled chicken breast, a little potato salad, some macaroni and cheese, and some hamburger meat that had to be cooked that night or otherwise thrown away. We would then set the dinner hour and at the appointed time gather in a back yard, leftovers a children and husbands in hand. One of us might make a salad (if the ingredients were already in the house), while the other might bring cookies or Popsicles for the kids. We would all sit down together with our little impromptu feast and eat, talk, and laugh until dark. Those evenings were treasures and among my most favorite memories of my children’s early years.

That’s what a feast is all about–gathering of friends and family with food, conversation, and laughter. That’s what the first Thanksgiving was: a celebration of survival, a gathering of the survivors and their new friends, a good meal and conversation, all with an attitude of appreciation and gratefulness. Allow yourself the freedom to create new traditions. Allow yourself the freedom to make the day casual. Allow yourself the freedom to make it simple. Create a spirit of true thanksgiving and you can create memories that will last a lifetime for you and your children.

Food

The hard work has been done, and the meal is on the table. Aside from little details, like where to put the salt and pepper shakers, it is time to sit and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Hours or planning and preparation went into the meal, and while everyone else is going to enjoy this feast, there is injustice if you don’t. Here are a couple of quick tips in order for the chef to enjoy this time of celebration.

1. Stick to the Plan–That plan you setup to make the meal go smoothly, that will help you remember to put the White House Rolls in the oven and set out the cranberry relish. If you don’t, your mind will be racing throughout the meal, trying to remember what was forgotten.
2. Grasp Reality–Not many people get Thanksgiving dinner absolutely perfect, and there is no reason to think that you will. The breast meat may be dry, the gravy may be lumpy, and you might forget to marshmallow the sweet potatoes. Something will go wrong, and many things will go right. Ride the roller coaster.
3. Stop and Breathe–Taking stress, anxiety, or anger from the kitchen (or the game) to the table can ruin the most perfect meal. Whether it’s the tradition of telling people what makes us thankful or a family toast, a moment to step away from the stress of our preparations will help the transition.
4. Course it Out–Thanksgiving Dinner should be a long meal. It is an ordeal to make, and it should be an ordeal to eat. Start with a nice pumpkin soup, follow with a salad, and then dig into the turkey. Dessert should be several hours later–after the dishes are cleared and the kitchen is clean again.

photo by joebeone

November 21, 2011 10:39 AM 0