Thanksgiving

Today is Thursday, November 27, 2008. It is cloudy outside and looks like it might rain. Glen has gone off to take pictures of the Turkey Bowl Football game for Northridge Ward and I have our turkey in the oven.
There are so many things to be thankful for today. And every day. My list could fill pages. I got to thinking about past Thanksgiving days. I am trying to remember when I first ate turkey.
Growing up, Mother cooked mainly hamburger and chicken. That was all the meat we could afford. And we were both perfectly content. Some Sundays Myrtle Workman would invite us for dinner after Church. I loved it because she always had a pot roast. There was just the three of us, Mom, Myrtle, and me. And she would let me pick at that roast all afternoon. Lovely pieces of beef with a little sprinkle of salt.
When I was in Junior High I ate in the cafeteria. It was in the basement of the Memorial Building across the street from the school. If I had turkey then on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, it would have been in chunks in the gravy over mashed potatoes. (We always went to school the week of Thanksgiving. Thursday and Friday were our holiday.)
I've been trying to remember when I cooked my first turkey. I don't remember it. I do remember trying various cooking methods - the aluminum foil tent, in the bag, inside a brown paper bag. It was in Milford, Utah, where I learned to cook it the easiest way. One of the sisters in our Ward had a roasting pan she cooked her turkey in. It was the juciest, tenderest turkey I had ever tasted. She told me she had that pan for years. I looked all over for a pan like it but never could find one. One year she gave me hers. She was downsizing everything and had found a smaller roaster. I was the happiest gal in town.
I used that roaster for years and years and about fell apart when I discovered two tiny holes in the bottom. We soldered over the holes and I used it for a few years more. Then there was no repairing it. I was so excited when I found the very same roaster for sale in Sears. I snatched it right up. That roaster is about 12 years old now. And I see the same kind offered for sale every once in awhile. (I probably should buy one now, come to think of it, in case they disappear again.)
This year our diners will be few compared to some years. While we lived in Bakersfield we invited people who were not getting together with family. Some years we had 36 or even more. (I was much younger and more energetic.) Of course, there were 12 of us to begin with. Glen and I and our nine children and my mother. There were certain friends who usually shared Thanksgiving dinner with us. We had the largest house and hosted those big get togethers. Good memories of good friends and good food.
We had a tradition of putting 5 kernels of popcorn on each plate. I had read somewhere that the first Thanksgiving dinner the pilgrims had been able to harvest just a little extra corn. After the blessing we took turns around the table using our kernels to share 5 things we were thankful for. And it couldn't be a repeat of what someone else had said.
This year there will be 14 of us around the table laden with all kinds of good food. And we will all be very thankful for all kinds of blessings. The lemons hanging over our fence from the house next door. The view of the sky (usually very blue) out our kitchen window. The big pink roses in our yard. This wonderful country of America. Eachof our dear children (that includes the ones who've married into the family) and our grandchildren. The list is endless.
Traditional foods for our family include turkey; Mom's dressing made from dried homemade bread, onions, celery and sage; mashed potatoes and gravy; pumpkin pie with real whipped cream; mincemeat pie; and fruit salad. The fruit salad is a must. It is Glen's favorite for Thanksgiving. The sauce is made with a mixture of homemade orange hard sauce and freshly whipped cream. YUM! There are other dishes, too, but these are the favored ones.
There will be hot rolls and Tami's special green beans, cranberry sauce and a relish tray (lots of olives for the grandchildren), sweet potatoes and maybe Linda's special carrots. We won't be hungry that's for sure.
I am so grateful to live at this time in this wonderful country of America. One Thanksgiving time we were in India. An Indian resturant offered An American Thanksgiving Dinner as a special treat for Americans living in India. A large group of us made reservations. It was a memorable Thanksgiving dinner. Bless their hearts, they did their best, but it was not quite like "An American Thanksgiving at the Wahlquist's Home."
That's all for today.