More Thanksgiving please
Thanksgiving is a fantastic holiday. If you stick to the four “F’s:” family, friends, feasting, and football, you can’t go wrong. I’d imagine most of us will be filling our bellies with yummy food and tasty treats on November 28. Turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, potatoes, cranberries, topping it all off with a slice of delicious pie, you’ll have yourself a delightful holiday.
Have you ever paused and wondered why we limit this meal to one day out of 365? With Thanksgiving dinner being such a treat for many Americans, why don’t we eat these foods more often? We consume other foods on a regular basis, like chicken and hamburger, but why not turkey? Is turkey all that different from chicken? They’re both birds after all.
The unfortunate reality is that Thanksgiving happens only once per year. On the bright side, turkey, that often-forgotten foul steals the spotlight. It’s the star of the show, with bright lights shining down and all eyes on the prize. People drool when the golden-brown bird is pulled from the oven and guests gather round. A warmth fills the kitchen with a rich inviting aroma that stirs the stomach. Turkeys can be done a variety of ways, baked, smoked, and even deep fried. Why do we only cook them on the fourth Thursday of November?
Let’s not forget the sides. Stuffing can be a diva, like a star athlete who doesn’t get the ball, it demands attention and believes it’s meant for greatness. In reality, most folks don’t spend a minute of thought on eating stuffing outside the realm of Thanksgiving. Why not? Why not give this magnificent delight the attention it deserves? I too believe that stuffing was meant for greatness and was built for so much more than just a one-day feast.
Green bean casserole doesn’t get the love it deserves, enjoyed one day and forgotten the next. Alone, green beans are healthy, provided by the creator, they nourish the body with vitamins and minerals. Bring human free will into the equation, and they get smothered in savory cream of mushroom soup and topped with salty onion strings. I guess we can’t be perfect all the time. Thankfully, the grand supreme being is known for its loving and forgiving nature. I don’t think the Big Guy would mind if we enjoyed it on a more frequent basis.
Mashed potatoes are possibly the most comforting and safe of all the side dishes. Never threatening, they can be enjoyed with gravy on top or drenched in butter and salt, I prefer the latter. These guys may be the only traditional Thanksgiving food that gets the respect it deserves. I’m grateful we consume this starch more than once a year.
Perhaps the most polarizing of all traditional Thanksgiving side dishes is the cranberry sauce. Sometimes it comes shaped like a can, other times it’s full of berries swimming in a sea of red. Some folks can’t get enough of this stuff, they put it on top of turkey or eat it plain. Others will turn their nose, casting a cold shoulder to this controversial subject which has a motto of, “Love me or leave me be.”
Lastly, there’s the pie. I may be in the minority when I say this, but I’m not a big fan of pumpkin pie. My family has a tradition where my mother bakes both pumpkin and pecan. Give me the nuts soaked in sugary syrup any day of the week. The sweet taste topped with whipped cream should be devoured more than just on Thanksgiving.
Whatever your position regarding this debate, I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing, and enjoyable Thanksgiving Day.