Still Talking Turkey: A Thanksgiving Recap

Have you emerged from your food coma yet? I may or may not still have access to some green bean casserole and a travel mug of gravy, along with a few other treats leftover from the Turkey Day festivities. We celebrated with some of our favorite traditions, and like always, added a few new touches just to keep things interesting.

We packed our bags and hit the road early Wednesday morning, hoping to get ahead of the holiday rush. Since we were only going to be away for three nights, I managed to keep it down to two bags for myself, and two bags for the dog--becoming a senior canine greatly increases your luggage, apparently.

All packed up and on his travel pillow, headed for the great state of Georgia.

We got lucky and encountered minimal traffic, so we made it to my hometown just in time for lunch. Doesn't everyone have that one place from home that can't be duplicated? The place you have to visit whenever you are in town? Brother John's Subs is that place for me; if you say it's only a sub sandwich, then you haven't eaten at Brother John's. In anticipation of all the heavy food I would be eating over the long weekend, I went on the lighter side with a veggie sub (one of my favorites).

Getting off to a great start with a Brother John's sandwich.

We ran a few errands, including a last minute crazy dash to the grocery store, came home to unpack, and made ourselves a very festive cocktail called The Gobbler: Wild Turkey, Applejack brandy, cranberry juice, a squeeze of fresh lime, and a sprig of thyme.

I'm adding The Gobbler to the list of things for which I'm thankful. Yum.

Thanksgiving Day, I always get up whenever Mom does so I can assume my official role as sous chef in the kitchen. She does most of the work, and the rest of us kind of shuffle around in a meager attempt to help without getting in her way. We always have the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the little TV in the kitchen, and we all know our usual duties to perform. This year, I ventured out of my comfort zone and was put in charge of making the cornbread dressing. This is a high stakes venture because, other than Clint who prefers Stove Top, it is everyone's favorite Thanksgiving dish! Gulp. It only took me two tries, but my dressing was a success!

My first batch of our family's favorite cornbread dressing.

Clint is the designated turkey carver in the family. Every year, he makes Mom and I grapple over the wishbone, even though I am afraid of birds and refuse to eat any food on the bone. My usual wish is that I didn't have my hands on part of a turkey carcass, but hey, it's tradition.

That's about 17 years of turkey carving experience at work.

We traditionally have a feast, and this year was no exception. Our Thanksgiving spread included sweet potato souffle, broccoli casserole, squash casserole, green bean casserole, our beloved cranberry sauce from a can, Stove Top stuffing for Clint, and of course turkey, gravy, and dressing. (If you raised an eyebrow at all those casseroles, you may not know about Southerners and our love of combining vegetables with cream soups and toppings, but it's a real, committed relationship).

Believe me when I say, no one walked away hungry.

We had an assortment of desserts, too. Mom made a Japanese fruit pie, which is basically a pecan pie with the addition of coconut and raisins. My adoring family had fun taunting me with that pie all weekend, as I personally do not consume desserts that involve fruit (give me chocolate, give me caramel, and on Thanksgiving give me pumpkin, but do not come at me on a holiday with raisins). Years ago, on a holiday trip to New York City, we discovered Junior's "Most Fabulous" cheesecake and we have been hooked ever since. And so, I ordered a dulce de leche cheesecake and had it shipped to Mom's house for the big day.

Junior's, you never disappoint.

After some kitchen cleanup and a much needed change into stretchy pants, we even managed to take the dogs for a quick walk before we all collapsed in the family room. Mom and I read magazines while football played in the background, and it was a rare day when no one even thought about an afternoon snack! Of course, that night for dinner we got creative with our leftover turkey and made some amazing turkey pimento cheese club sandwiches. You know, just a light dinner--with pimento cheese and bacon and a loaf of nine grain bread--to finish off our day of feasting.

We don't particularly love the crowds on Black Friday, so we slept in and made our way to Clarkesville for the day while the guys played golf. It was absolutely freezing, so we bundled up and enjoyed browsing and shopping around the town square...picking up a few presents, some of which weren't even for ourselves (wink). We had been looking forward to leftovers--arguably the best part of Thanksgiving--and so we sat down to another delicious meal Friday night.

Saturday brought more football, more shopping, and suddenly it was time to pack our bags and head back to Charlotte. Another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now we are hurtling towards Christmas. I hope your Thanksgiving was as full as ours: with food, family, memories, and gratitude!

Happy holidays from this crazy bunch of turkeys!