Thanksgiving is an excuse to cook!

Thanksgiving is an excuse to cook. It is the day we celebrate the bounty of the harvest. Okay very few of us are really involved in the harvest but we love to celebrate... For those of us who love to cook it's a day to go crazy. For me it's a day to pull out all the family recipes and remember those who are no longer with us. I am so lucky to have inherited all the recipes, cookbooks and note's written on little pieces of paper. If I'm honest inherit might be defined as I scooped them up while no one was looking! I am the oldest of three sisters so I pretty much get to do what I want. I fear what will happen as I age because my sisters are 10+ yrs younger than me, God help me if they are my caregivers!

One Thanksgiving I went outside the traditional box and no one was very happy with me. I wasn't happy with me. We never go very far from the traditional because it's what makes Thanksgiving. Our biggest departure this year will be the smoked turkey, although I will do a traditional one also. We are cornbread dressing people, totally southern thing. My Grandmother's dressing used cornbread and toasted bread so that's my favorite. My Granny's dressing was cornbread only with lots and lots of sage, I love it but my Mom always made her Mom's so that's what I make. My husband's Grandmother made bread stuffing which was a shocker to me the first time I ate it. Nannie was a fabulous cook from Maine who could make pie's that would bring you to your knees. Her stuffing became one of my favorite things but I still make Grandma's because that is what we all remember as Thanksgiving. I'll make Nannie's Date Squares for my husband because he loves them and...I love him!

Simply put, Thanksgiving is the day we give thanks for all those things we hold closest to our hearts. The best part is that we can loosen our belts, throw the diet away ,rest up for Black Friday sales, watch football all weekend and pray that someone helps clean the kitchen! Hmmm...I wonder what would happen if I served a spicy Deep Fried Cajun Turkey and Andouille Dressing???....wait that's what I did the year every one cried!!!!