~ Thanksgiving Bloopers ~

This time of year, is an interesting plethora of emotions, things we do, things we refuse to do, and tons of traditions are made and broken. Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful and offer our gratitude to the Gods and one another. We  remember the history of our forefathers breaking bread with the Native Americans, who so graciously shared their crops and game with them. We think of eating turkey, ham, collard greens, mash potatoes, sweet potato souffle, stuffing/dressing, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, Potato salad, chitlins, and an assortment of desserts. We gather together with our families and/or friends. Some people have friends-giving, some of us have made families and some of us are with our blood relatives. It doesn’t matter how your table is set or who sits at it with you. the holiday is meant to gather together those we love and stuff ourselves even more than the turkey we’ve put on the table.

We clean the house until it gleams. We tell the children to find somewhere to go play that’s not our kitchens. We clean, prepare, prep our vegetables, pick our greens, make sure there are no warms or rocks in our beans, and begin the cook off.

What we don’t tell people about are the times Mom accidently decided she was super woman and grabbed the rack in the oven without a pot holder or oven mitt. My mom has never been a sweet Southern  Bell. She has a mouth like a sailor. She’s a veteran and retired from the Army several years ago, but hearing her blare out the F word like a horn in the middle of the Thanksgiving football marathon sends everybody running for the kitchen.

Let’s not mention my cake from one year. I remember it like yesterday. I’d set up the mixer atop the washing machine, so I’d be out of Mom’s way. She was supposed to be paying attention to her own tasks, but no, she was right next to me, bothering me about how much oil I was putting in the red velvet cake. Now, I know you’re thinking I’m blaming Mom for my blooper. I’d love to, but it was all my fault. That cake has been relegated to the oil cake forever. All anyone could say about the cake was, “well, the icing is really good.” I still can’t believe we kept it after the first slice. It was awful! But we laugh about it now.

Then, there’s Mom’s flour pies. Every year, Mom used to make sweet potato pies, at least four to six of them. Everybody loved her pies. For some reason that year, Mom forgot her usual recipe. I have no clue what she was thinking. Flour does not go into sweet potato pie. That year, it did. And let me tell you, everybody that took a bite out of those pies spit it right back out. We couldn’t even get the dog to eat those pies that year. Yes, those pies will forever be called flour pies. Everybody in the family knows what we’re referring to when they come up in conversation.

Maybe, we should discuss the year Mom decided to taste the macaroni and cheese the night before Thanksgiving. We were all there that night. Of course, everyone does taste tests, we want to make sure our dishes are perfect for the big day. That night we tasted the best macaroni and cheese Mom had ever made. Let’s just say there wasn’t a crumb left for Thanksgiving. Mom had to make a small one for the day in question. Everybody was happy to have some, but a lot of people wondered why there was none left for seconds. My mother, sister, and I had eaten everybody’s portions the night before.

Over the years, we’ve racked up our share of Thanksgiving bloopers Mom has put too much of this or that in a dish. I’ve mixed up cake ingredients. We’ve had to run out for last minute items like cranberry sauce or pie crusts. We’ve decided not to have a dish one year that everybody starts asking why it’s not on the menu.

So, when you sit down with your family and friends this holiday, I wonder what your bloopers will be. Do you have some to share from Thanksgiving past s? if you’re interested in sharing them, I’d love to hear some of yours. I’d love to be able to share them with the list if you’d like. Just hit reply and respond to this email  with your own bloopers and have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with your family, made family, or friends. Remember it’s about the joy and happiness you surround yourself with on this day. Share your gratitude with those who bring love and life to you and your table this day.

 

Till next we meet, happy reading & keep creating !

Nell