Thanksgiving

Hacking Thanksgiving

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner never gets easier. I always start with lofty culinary goals based on recipes from “The Pioneer Woman” that include truffles and capers but end up scraping scorched gravy into a dish and hoping the turkey won’t give anyone food poisoning. Because of my poor cooking skills, I’m always looking for Thanksgiving hacksContinue reading “Hacking Thanksgiving”

Don’t Forget November

Sandwiched between October and December, November is the bologna of months. Everyone pulls it out, gives it a sniff, then tosses it in the trash. Once Halloween is over, we blast into a frenzy of Christmas shopping and decorating, forgetting all about this beautiful month full of autumn leaves, crisp apples and carb overload. WeContinue reading “Don’t Forget November”

Passing the T-Day Torch

At what point does the preparation of Thanksgiving dinner get handed over to the next generation? Is there a statute explaining the process of turning the oven mitts over to the daughters/sons so they can begin their own traditions? I grew up thinking it was a law for grandmothers to make the Thanksgiving feast, withContinue reading “Passing the T-Day Torch”

Breaking Bread

I’ve never been one to follow fad diets. I like food too much to limit my choices to cabbage, grapefruit and a toxic drink of lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. I’m pretty sure that’s a mixture they use to waterproof asphalt. So when I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2016, the ideaContinue reading “Breaking Bread”

Table Talk

Thanksgiving is a day of stress, even in the best of times, but Thanksgiving 2018 could take the cake. . . er . . pie. Dinner conversations have become landmines. Relationships are as strained as my jeans after five helpings of mashed potatoes. Families haven’t been this divided since the great Toilet Paper Orientation debateContinue reading “Table Talk”

Top 5 Reasons Thanksgiving Gets No Respect

Shelved between the gory chaos of Halloween and the rabid excess of Christmas, Thanksgiving gets no respect. It’s the Rodney Dangerfield of holidays. (Google him, you young punks.) Is it because we’re not grateful? Is it because no one really likes stuffing and cranberries? Here’s my hypothesis regarding Thanksgiving’s no-respect status. We’re too busy formulating Black Friday plans. ItContinue reading “Top 5 Reasons Thanksgiving Gets No Respect”

Twelve Steps to a Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

In less than two weeks, people will enter my kitchen and demand a perfectly cooked dead turkey, smashed potatoes and chopped veggies. Sounds pretty violent. And although I STILL can’t cook a turkey so it’s done on time, I’ve found a way to make T-day cooking go a little smoother (yes, alcohol helps). Before Thanksgiving Day:Continue reading “Twelve Steps to a Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner”

I’m Grateful For . . .

In November, it is required that every person in the country make a list of things they’re grateful for. If you don’t–you’re not a true American. But along with being thankful for food, clothing, shelter and chocolate, I am grateful for so much more. I’m grateful for: Underwear that doesn’t leave panty-lines. (I think she might haveContinue reading “I’m Grateful For . . .”