This year will be the first year that we haven’t had Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day. Maybe there were a couple years when I was real young that weren’t on Thursday, but I don’t remember them. But the kids get older, get married and you can’t all get together on the same day, so this year we are having it on Sunday. Which I’m actually fine with. (Although we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my Christmas trees up….because I ALWAYS put them up on the Friday after Thanksgiving and I’m not going to budge on that one.)
As I sat down today to make a grocery list for dinner, I got to thinking that maybe we don’t have to always have the same thing, does everyone still like what I fix? Or is there something else we should have?
I won’t budge on the stuffing. If we have turkey, we will always have stuffing. I like mine with sage, celery and white or wheat bread and that’s it. There will not be cornbread or apples or anything else in my stuffing. I can remember years and years ago when my aunts or mom would try to change it up and grandpa and I were adamant about the same one. Some things have to stay the same! (I know, I’m being a little hypocritical here, but it’s my privilege, I’m cooking!).
I sent an email to my three kids to see if they were expecting a certain dish or not. In the email I said that we were going to have turkey, gravy, and stuffing, but that the sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, pretzel salad, 7 layer salad and pumpkin pie were going to be made based on their answers. It was funny to see the different responses.
Joe wants 7 layer salad, stuffing and “that pretzel thingy” and stuffing and cranberries. (Joe was always my human garbage can)
Matt wants green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. (Matt is my meat & potatoes guy)
Sarah wants pumpkin pie, stuffing & pretzel salad.
Lauren wants potatoes, gravy & pie.
So….I guess we are having everything we normally have except sweet potatoes! I’m fine with it really. It’s easy because you don’t have to think about any of it because you have done it so many times.
I’m curious, though….What are your “must haves” for Thanksgiving dinner? Do you always have the same thing? Or do you mix it up? Is there one thing that you cannot do without?
Whatever you are fixing at your house, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
