
We all have them, the recipes, the traditions, the way we celebrate Thanksgiving. I think I'll share a few of ours and I hope you'll comment and link to your blog where are have shared a few of yours.
I think a lot of what we do depends on the area we live or how our own mother's and grandmother's celebrated Thanksgiving. My large extended family always gathered together at my Aunt's home. We jammed into a small dining/kitchen area at a large dining room table, a card table and around the kitchen bar. The food was placed on the table until the table sagged and no more could fit and the rest was placed around the room, usually the desserts. We all ate together, no one was scattered around the house into other rooms when it was time to eat. It might have been a bit tricky fitting us all in there when we were all together, but it was worth it.
Over the years, the food served would vary, but you could bet there would always be fried turkey breast, cornbread dressing, chicken and dumplings, green bean casserole, candied yams, peas or butter beans (which was homegrown), corn on the cob, cornbread, homemade biscuits, sweet iced tea, and more desserts than you can shake a stick at. Two desserts that come to mind that were usually present at our fare were sweet potato roll (like a sweet potato cake filled with cream cheese filling) and red velvet cake. Yep, you guessed it, we are from the south, the deep south.
After the meal, we would all help clean up, well the women and children that is, and then the adults would gather around and converse and us children would go outside if it wasn't raining and play. Then if course it was nap time! I do miss that time in my life, it was and is so special to me.
Now that I'm married with a family of my own, I like to prepare the meal, or at least most of it. If my Mom does not go to visit my brother for Thanksgiving, which she does about every other year, she comes here and helps with some of the dishes. MJ's family, his mom, dad and his brother all come here too. Although the number of people is not as big as when I was a kid going to my aunt's, it's still a big deal and a big meal.
So exactly what do I serve at my Thanksgiving meal? Well, you'll have to come back for Part 2 to find out. I'll even share a few family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation.