Thursday, November 20, 2008

Next Thursday ;)

I'm almost done with my first week at the new job, and I'll post about that this weekend. But today, before I toddle off to work, I've been thinking quite a bit about Thanksgiving. Food is such a huge part of family traditions, and my life in general, that I'm insanely curious about what other people eat. Almost everyone serves the same basic menu on Thanksgiving, but every family has a traditional dish that *isn't* sweet potatoes or stuffing or cranberry sauce. From Matt's family we get our Broccoli Rice Casserole, and Mom and I love Brussel Sprouts. So, my question to you all is, what *else* are you having on Turkey Day? And if you're not having turkey, tell me about that too!






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We had a laminated copy of this Norman Rockwell painting in my art room in High School. I've stared at this painting a million times, and always wondered what this guy in the corner was up to.

10 comments:

Becky Swann said...

Me and my sister's in law are each making our favorite side and our husband's favorite tomorrow for an early celebration with my mother in law! It should be exciting to see what we all bring! (my confession is I haven't even decided yet!)

KatieKate said...

I'm ricking my brain here, but I cannot think of a different dish that we eat! Everything's really RILLY normal. Green Bean bake, pumpkin pie, turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing. Hmmmmm.

KatieKate said...

And you're killin' me on the job thing here.

amy said...

well, we eat all the normal stuff, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, apple pie, pecan pie, collards (we ARE in the south)! But in my immediate family we eat what we affectionately call "the mound". Its a well seasoned tofu shell that i fill with homeade stuffing and bake basting with veg broth. It is REALLY good. We eat it with vegetarian gravy. I. Can't. Wait....the rest of the extended family has learned to cope, although they make sure to have some "real" turkey too :)
LOVE Thanksgiving!!

Debbie said...

The one thing we always had growing up was my father's favorite cake. It was a canasta cake from Roselyn Bakery. I wish I could find a picture or recipe of that cake to recreate for him again. I remember it being amazingly good...might be my beginning love of chocolate!

Hannah and Kelvin said...

Yeah, we don't really do anything out of the "norm" although we don't have green bean casserole. And only recently we started having sweet potato casserole but i cant remember what we had before...all i know is that it is thanksgiving deliciousness and i all this talking about it making me salivate! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Hannah and Kelvin said...

Yeah, we don't really do anything out of the "norm" although we don't have green bean casserole. And only recently we started having sweet potato casserole but i cant remember what we had before...all i know is that it is thanksgiving deliciousness and i all this talking about it making me salivate! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Sunday Grant Photography said...

Well I am trying to different things but stay in the family of normal. Worth's mom makes loads of casseroles and I am trying to get away from that a bit although that is what Worth loves. I was not made in a casserole family. We are of course having turkey with white wine gravy. I will also be making glazed squashes and sweet potato, greens with goat cheese and dried cranberries, pumpkin ice cream pie with maple whipped cream and for Worth cranberry apple casserole. So there you go!

christy said...

Not really any side dishes out of the norm, but traditionally, we always have an apple stack cake (they are oh-so-good with coffee for breakfast the day after the holiday!). My great-grandmother taught me how to make it, and I've seen versions of it in grocery stores around the holidays, but I don't know if it's a common item.

CortneyTree said...

Thanks guys! My curiosity is positively insatiable when it comes to this stuff ;)

Becky--what did you end up making??

Katie--Mashed potatoes always seem weird to me, we always just did sweet potatoes (although my gramma's green beans had boiled white potatoes in them, but I don't think I've ever eaten one...) so I'm going to count that as your out of the ordinary side ;)

Amy--collards, that's awesome! I can't believe with all the very southern relatives I have we've never thought of collards! Enjoy your Mound!

Debbie--I never realized until working in the bakery this time of year how many people have cake for Thanksgiving instead of pies. I totally understand it, but it was still surprising!

Han--we never had green bean casserole either. My gramma always made her green beans, which cook for about a week (at least it seemed that way!), but no casseroles. She always made Mac and Cheese too, which doesn't seem Thanksgiving-y at all to me, but we certainly enjoyed it.

Sunday--Your Thanksgiving menu sounds fabulous! I used to do a pre-Thanksgiving meal with friends and used that to try out new spins on traditional dishes, like a sweet potato salad tossed with a vinagrette and mango chutney, but for the actual Turkey day, I go for the old faves. Feel free to save me some glazed squash!

Christy--I think Apple Stack cake is actually a regional Knoxville thing. I had never even heard of it until years after I moved here. You are welcome to share that recipe with me, by the way ;) Great-grandmother recipes are the best!