Well, it’s 1 billion days into the pandemic and Thanksgiving is upon us. All the changes in 2020 have me reminiscing on the large holidays growing up when everyone and anyone would come over to eat. From family, to friends, and friends of friends, anyone that needed a “HOME” for Thanksgiving was welcome and treated like family.
My grandmother’s house filled with card tables and folding chairs. Baskets and baskets of angel rolls that I would sneak at every chance. I don’t know how many Thousands of cans of “cream of something” were used to make all the southern casseroles. Mile high meringue on the pies, corn pudding, potatoes every way and the dreaded dirty dishes for days.
The past few years I’ve cooked Thanksgiving and as much I do love to cook (my love language), I now acknowledge that I get stressed out trying to get everything ready on time, cooking the turkey to the correct temp so that it stays juicy yet doesn’t kill people, etc.
If there is one thing I’ve learned over the last few months, it’s that slowing down can be enjoyable. Learning that I don’t have to be GO GO GO and be everywhere to see everyone and that life isn’t picture perfect. This year’s theme for us is small. We don’t even need to put a leaf in the table. I’m ordering a few items like mini individual pies from my home town in KY and Whole Foods cranberry sauce. Cooking the gravy and potatoes a few days ahead of time so I can relax and enjoy my people, because that’s what it’s all about.
The Thanksgiving table will be small but mighty in 2020.
Truth- I’m not good at cooking small and probably will never be. So we will have leftovers and to go plates for porch drop offs. FaceTime and phone calls will be had, stretchy pants will be worn. I’ll be too full for desert at lunch time, so I’ll have my personal pie chocolate nest PIE QUEEN pie for dinner. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.
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