Say hello to the first ever Thanksgiving Grinch.
But it's Okay. "Maybe Thanksgiving doesn't come from a store. Maybe Thanksgiving...perhaps...means a little bit more!"
Let's see what it means to Me, at least, in these Thanksgiving Questions:
1. Turkey--white meat or dark?
Dark meat. Tastes better and isn't as dry.
2. Cranberries?
I insist on making cranberry sauce, plain, and I prefer it warm. Rick makes cranberry-orange relish.
3. Single most favourite food of Thanksgiving Dinner?
Turkey gravy. I do make my own, and I think turkey gravy is the best gravy. I wish I didn't have to put it ON food, but could merely eat it like a soup.
4. How do you feel about stores being open on Thanksgiving?
I'm decidedly against it and disappointed by it. I wish the employees could be at home. I wish there were one day besides Christmas that commerce could take a break. But it's disingenuous to be so lofty and idealistic, isn't it? The truth is that some people don't have Thanksgiving: they don't want to or can't be with their families; they welcome the chance to work and earn some holiday pay; or they don't celebrate the holiday, period. And if brick-and-mortar stores close their doors, they'll lose out to online retailers who never close for the holiday, and who are struggling to maintain their status in the marketplace as it is. They're serving a Need, and whether Created or Existing, if it didn't profit them to do so, they wouldn't.
5. Dog show, football, or parade?
All, in bits and pieces, but sadly, the primary focus of the TV will be football. I would prefer it be the dog show, which I find far more interesting, exciting, and fast-paced, but I will be outvoted. The parade will provide several opportunities for Rick and me to exhibit our complete lack of awareness in the areas of Broadway Musicals, Cartoon Stars, and B/C-List Celebrities as we continually turn to one another and say, "Who the hell is that?" and "What did they say he/she was in?" and "I never heard of any of them" and "What is that a balloon of, something from a movie or a video game?"
6. Pies?
I make two pumpkin, but I don't eat any. I dislike pumpkin pie, which to me is boring in the extreme. Instead, I eat a bowl of whipped cream with chocolate syrup and chopped nuts. Perhaps this year I will eat some of my Hagen Dazs coffee ice cream.
7. Are pets invited?
Zydrunas (the granddog) will be here for the holiday, which means Piper and Marlowe (resident cats) will be safely tucked away in the upper stories of the Dept. While Z is a guest here, he is not a Full Participant in the actual meal, except to be with us in the dining room until he has tired considerably of (usually) Jared's comments, at which point he leaves with a huff and retires to his chair in the living room. And yes, I do have a recent photo:
8. Do you have a dress code?
Oh, my. That would be the day.
I await your 8 and more in Comments.
Original Grinch Image
Okay, let's do this. 1) Dark; 2) Rick's cranberry sauce; 3) Turkey; 4) Close them a half day; 5) No TV or media in my family, never has been; 6) Pumpkin; 7) Grand-dogs only and 8) No dress code. Now, get your red pen out and correct my punctuation because I'm never sure what I'm doing with lists like this. LOL
ReplyDeleteJean--When you say "no media in my family", do you mean that for the entire day, no one watches any television? That is impressive. We don't have anything on during the actual dinner, and phones are not in the room, either. But the parade starts early in the morning, and football is on THE ENTIRE DAY AND NIGHT, so the family can easily watch the game as well as nap, chat, and play with/walk Zydrunas. And, of course, flip back and forth to the dog show, which is much better.
Delete(I think that when I finally feel like NOT making Thanksgiving is when I will institute a Formal Dress Code. Hee hee.)
Yes, that's exactly what I mean. In my entire life of going to holiday parties with my family there has never been any media on past or present. We're just not a "sports" family. All our Thanksgivings and Christmases have been in the country where there are other things to do outside, especially Christmas which includes ice skating, snowmobiling, and sledding.
DeleteTed has to work on Thanksgiving, which sucks, BUT he will work early and get home at around 1, and he gets double pay for it, so that's good. He doesn't work in retail, he works in radio, which never closes. I remember working Thanksgising at the hotel many a time. People are generally nice, they feel bad that you're working. Tips are good if you're serving food. Retail, though, since it's the Black Friday mentality that I abhor, I wish they were closed. Just so no one has to deal with that crap for at least one more day.
ReplyDeleteJ@jj--Yes, there are lots of Things Which Never Close On Holidays. Radio is active, hospitals, restaurants, turnpikes, hotels--they all have to be able to serve their clientele. It's true.
DeleteI agree that the Mentality is part of the problem. It's that Avarice, that mode of a Charging Herd Out To Spend, Spend, Spend that is disheartening. The stores made Black Friday such a big honking deal, but it wasn't enough; they had to have Thanksgiving, too. :-(
We still watch the parade, but complain most of the time because we want to see the bands and the Rockettes, not lip-synched performers we don't know. Then I need to go on my yearly rant about how I hate that they stopped having the Rockettes lead Santa and the sleigh in at the end. Yep, I'm a laff riot on Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteBridget--I'm usually in the kitchen for part of the parade, and Rick flips around, preferring to catch local news or whatnot. But when I come in, we put the parade on and marvel at how awful it has become. It does provide some opportunity for us to riff on the canned commentary, though, and that's always fun.
DeleteI like that you are Keeping Up Your Traditions, whatever they may be.
Because our children live far away, we gather for Christmas. So Thanksgiving is quiet with only the two of us. We tried having neighbors over a couple of times, but it's just not the same as family. They never seem to know when it's time to go home.
ReplyDeleteTurkey - Must have both. Hence, a whole turkey for the two of us. For days.
Cranberry sauce - With some of the berries whole.
Favorite food - The turkey, always the star of the show.
Stores - Only the occasional pharmacy. No retail stores should be open on Thanksgiving Day. And certainly not to start "Black Friday" hours earlier.
Dog Show, Parade, Football - All of the above will be on at one time or another.
Pies - No longer. We finally realized that snacks and dinner are quite filling enough. We do keep ice cream and toppings in case we must have something sweet.
Pets - We have a dog and so far have never had anyone who wanted to bring a pet.
The one thing that cannot change is the menu. I've tried that without success. Last change came five years ago when Bon Appetit printed a pancetta gravy with a mixture of pancetta and herb butter under the turkey skin. So delicious. It was a success and now is traditional. Oldest recipe is King's Arms Tavern sweet potatoes from Colonial Williamsburg. We honeymooned there and I made the recipe for our first Thanksgiving. And for each succeeding one.
NCmountainwoman--I love whole cranberry sauce. Isn't it wonderful?
DeleteI'm always leery of detaching the skin from the turkey to slide stuff under there. Doesn't the skin shrink away and let the meat get too dry? That's the reason I have never tried it.
We cut out sweet potatoes from our menu. Everyone prefers mashed with gravy, and I was happy to let something go. So many carbs already on the menu with mashed potatoes and dressing and rolls. I'd be happy to let the rolls drop off, but they are loved and can be frozen if some remain.
Changing a traditional menu is tough. You're lucky you sneaked one through five years ago with such a resounding approval!
No, the skin does not detach. The trick is to keep the skin intact which becomes easier each time you do it (I even do it with roasted chicken). So the pancetta, sage and herb butter stays where it belongs and bastes the bird the entire time.
DeleteWe don't have rolls. Our children were totally addicted to yeast rolls and wanted to eat bread when they were small rather than the better options. Seemed simpler to eliminate them than go through the constant "no more rolls." I'd be happy to switch to mashed potatoes as well, but my better half wants rice and gravy.
I would like to give thanks for your blog. Interesting, and relatively frequent.
ReplyDeleteSilliyak--Oh, you're most welcome, and thank you for your kind words.
DeleteOur traditions are changing somewhat with our son and his girlfriend now hosting holidays meals (yay! no clean-up. boo- no leftovers). Having said that, I'm on the docket for making 3 pies (pumpkin, pecan and apple). I made chutney last weekend and I am also doing a veggie dish. Oh, and I bought wine today. It should be fun especially since my son's girlfriend's grandmother is supposed to come and she speaks no English!! HA! There will be no TV on since that is on the lower level and their kitchen and living room are on the middle level (townhouse). No media works for me.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful and tasty Thanksgiving!!
Vera--I long for the day when everyone else is hosting holidays or at least cooking them. At least, I feel that way this year. Enjoy Thanksgiving.
Delete1. white, as long as it's moist (we have deep-fried our turkeys since about 1996, so they are typically very moist.) 2. The Williams-Sonoma recipe cranberry-orange-apple sauce that I have been making since my first ever hosted Thanksgiving in 1991. I make it every year, even when we don't do a Thanksgiving. 3. my mother-in-law's sweet potato casserole, comprised of sugar, eggs, and butter (oh yes, and some sweet potatoes) baked with a topping of chopped pecans, yet more butter, and brown sugar. It is evil and carby and decadent and it is a really good thing I only have access to it twice a year. 4. I think having basic services (food, petrol, hospitals) open on Thanksgiving is a blessing for those of us who are forgetful, poor planners, or faced with sudden emergencies. What I dislike about the retail shops being open is the pressure to start the Holiday Season Shopping Scrum yet a day earlier. Let people finish with Thanksgiving before they start with Christmas. What's the everloving hurry - you can't wait one more day? 5. We're not a football family and both of us spent most of our growing-up-years Thanksgivings overseas where there was no (or little) access to any American TV, so watching TV (in general, and specifically on Thanksgiving) it wasn't a tradition either of us brought to the marriage. When we lived in the US, I mostly just listened to NPR while I was cooking and prepping. There were a few years when I had the parade on in the background, but that was certainly it. We are just not a very tv-watching family, especially when we have company. Also: I wasn't even aware there *was* a dog show on Thanksgiving. Has this always been the case?I at least knew about football and the parade, but had no idea about the dog show. Pies: there is always pumpkin and always pecan. Others are optional. Pets: We have always had at least one dog, and have had the occasional guest dog over the years. The dog/dogs are not welcome in the dining room, but he/they have their own feast: I follow my mother-in-law's example and simmer the turkey giblets and neck in a pan on the back of the stove for any resident and/or guest canines.
ReplyDeleteMsCaroline--We don't Have Company; it is just us, so football it is. I love the dog show, as I've waxed poetic about here more than a few times. I don't think it's always been a Thanksgiving event, but it does provide a nice diversion for those of us who Dislike And Eschew Football. Had we other guests, the TV would absolutely be a nonenity.
DeleteI echo your sentiments--and have said as much--about the way one holiday barges into another. It's Seasonal Rudeness And Pushiness. I don't participate.
I save my simmered neck and giblets to add to gravy!
1. Turkey--white meat or dark?
ReplyDeleteDark meat. Hands down. I won’t even touch the white stuff.
2. Cranberries?
I have never liked them in any way, shape or form, and I really have tried. Happily, I no longer feel guilty about ignoring this tradition.
3. Single most favourite food of Thanksgiving Dinner?
Gravy: Oh, yes, yum, yum. I make my own from scratch, too, and use the turkey drippings and broth from boiling all the ‘innards.’ Could quite happily eat it on its own, but also love it on the turkey & mash. My second favorite food is the wonderful soup you can create from the turkey carcass.
4. How do you feel about stores being open on Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving should be as sacred as Christmas. Sadly, it ain't. That said, I have been eternally grateful in the past for a place that was open where I could get that one spice or other ingredient I inadvertently left off the list. Just in the morning, though.
5. Dog show, football, or parade?
None of the above. If it were real football (i.e., “soccer”, then… maybe.) But Concussion Ball? No, thanks. A sport that requires someone to dress like an astronaut, and has 50 bizillion commercials in between plays that make the damn game last for endless boring hours… Not My Thing. Parades and Dog Shows do not move me, either, sadly. I would much rather go with watching a classic movie I love and have not seen in a long time. Or even going out to the movies or... finances permitting, the theatre. :-D
6. Pies?
I actually like pumpkin pie, but not making it. If I am hosting, which I have not done for years due to dearth of family in the town where I live, I just buy it. That said, I much prefer my own humble apple crumble with some Hagen Dazs dulce de leche on top.
7. Are pets invited?
Not an issue with us, as we have none. I would have to deal with this on a person by person and pet by pet basis. Can’t see allowing a pet free-for-all, though.
8. Do you have a dress code?
Just not naked. Especially anyone in my age group.
Ortizzle--Nice to see you here.
DeleteRe: #5--I honestly feel like we can still be really good friends even though you don't understand the allure of the dog show. You're wrong, of course, but I love you anyway. We are bound by a common disdain of the mystery of (YAWN!) football.
Among other things.
#5. Ha, ha. But don't get me wrong. I *love* dogs! Just not into watching them prance around in a dog show. But maybe I should try it, lol. It wins over football for sure. Have a wonderful, peaceful Thanksgiving with your loved ones and loved pets! —Also... forgot to mention before that I adore that photo of Z; he so looks as if he is begging for someone to slip him just a little sliver of turkey under the table! :-D
DeleteOrtizzle--Thank you for the compliment re: Zydrunas. I am ridiculously fond of that big brown dog. And happily, the Feeling is mutual.
Delete1. white meat
ReplyDelete2. cranberries, any way is fine by me
3. well, I could do without the whole Thanksgiving meal so I'll abstain from answering this one
4. I could care less what stores do
5. parades, then football
6. pecan or cherry, please
7. pets? sure, why not?
8. no swimsuits, no cocktail dresses, no hunting gear
Ally Bean--With regard to #8: If I remember correctly, Gina (Dear Reader And Commenter Here At The Dept.) had Thanksgiving at the beach one year. Probably she was OK with swimsuits. ;-)
Delete1. Dark meat.
ReplyDelete2. A big Nope to cranberries (unless they’ve been turned into delicious craisins that I can put in my oatmeal).
3. My Aunt Marilyn’s Persimmon Pudding.
4. I hate shopping so very much that this actually hurts me to consider.
5. Our family thanksgiving is usually in a church fellowship hall (there are usually more than 30 of us), so no TV. If we were at home, then we might have the parade on in the background, but I’m not really a TV person. Sadly, there’s no baseball on Thanksgiving.
6. Pecan!
7. Not at the church, and we don’t have any, but there used to always be a small white dog of some variety at my parents’ house.
8. No dress code. I’m trying to figure out what to even wear this year – I’m sort of “in charge” of things this year (NOT THE COOKING! The table arranging & ordering people around) so I expect that I will be hot & bothered. Tank top it is! Except, not really. Ha!
Bug--I'm actually starting to dislike shopping, too. I hope it's a Phase.
DeleteThe day we start having any Family Holiday in a hall is the day the Dept. stops attending all Family Holidays. I understand the practicality, but...! TOO MUCH. For me.
Well, you know mine. American Black Friday imported by insensitive Canadians. And I like nasty old cranberry jelly from a can. Low taste, but what can I do. That was in October way up here.
ReplyDeleteMary--Hey, you like what you like. And sorry about Black Friday. :-(
Delete