My cooking skills, I will freely admit, are not the greatest. But, I do try! I watch a lot of cooking shows. My favorite is Food Network’s “Chopped” because the contestants are challenged to create an appetizer, main dish (if they survive the first round) and a dessert, all from a basketful of random, and often strange ingredients. This has taught me that you can make just about any tasty meal from the contents of your fridge and cupboards.
I also watch a lot of reels on Facebook where someone shows how to make various slow-cooker recipes. I am a very lazy cook and am all about crockpot cooking. But they lose me almost every time when they drop an entire block of cream cheese into the pot and at the end, an entire bag of shredded cheddar cheese! Can you say heart attack?
Which brings me to Thanksgiving. My late husband and I hosted many meals at our house. He was the family social director, extending all the invitations and making sure there was enough beer and friendly libation on hand. He also managed the roasting of the turkey, and I was charged with making the side dishes and other kitchen duties. There were always a dozen or more family members to feed, including our kids and, of course, Grandma.
Over the years, there were only a few missteps. Rather than peel and boil a boatload of potatoes and try to mash them into submission so all the lumps were gone (not), I decided one year that boxed instant mashed potato flakes were just fine. Took ten minutes – add a little butter and milk and the end result was creamy mashed potatoes. Epic fail! I got the side-eye all day for this lazy tactic. In later years, I made cheesy potato casserole instead and at least my kids loved it.
Grandma always made the Thanksgiving pies. One year, she decided to tease my oldest son by telling him she had made gooseberry pies instead of pumpkin. He was outraged!. Even though she was kidding and had really made pumpkin pies, he never forgot it.
For the past few years, I have tried to make one new dish for the meal. The sweet potato and marshmallow casserole bombed. But the Michigan salad with mixed greens, crumbled goat cheese, dried cherries, pine nuts, chopped apple and a vinaigrette dressing was fairly well received.
Our traditional Thanksgiving dinners are still favorites. Turkey, potatoes, green bean casserole, gravy, buttered rolls, corn, salad and more are still favorites among everyone – except me. A typical plate carries an average of about 4,000 calories – terrifying! Seeing some family members load not one, but two plates and then eat dessert is jaw-dropping.
But at the end of the day, when I am alone, I most enjoy one turkey sandwich on white bread with mayo and salt. Despite my picky food choices, I am always happy and grateful to have enjoyed the special day with the people I love.
Happy Thanksgiving!
