At 16, I announced to my family, "I'm never cooking a turkey dinner, I'll make reservations instead."
My father's face fell -- he was crushed and he came close to tears at that Thanksgiving dinner table. Little did I know, it was daddy's dream to sit-down at his daughter's home for holiday dinner.
Eight years later, having hosted Thanksgiving dinner for my parents and parents-in-law, I have realized, little did Daddy know what was involved in preparing a holiday repast.
Unveiling the Thanksgiving meal mystery
From the time I started using scissors that would snip, I had cut bread into cubes for my mother to use in stuffing. However, the making of the meal, between the bread and the blessing, was a mystery.
I soon learned, however, the magic of a beautifully browned bird and gorgeous golden gravy.
Moms who make it look easy
Thanksgiving 2000 was unlike any other for me, but before I dish-out the details, I should say: mom and mom-in-law, you make it look easy -- and it isn't.
I was off to a good start, getting my pre-stuffed butterball on sale, when I was informed, in no uncertain terms by my mother, that I would not be serving pre-stuffed poultry.
Lessons in dressings
Instead, she would share her "secret" stuffing recipe and show me how to "dress" the turkey. Since the only thing I had ever dressed (other than myself) was a Barbie, this was a good thing.
Mom and Dad sprung for the second, unstuffed, turkey which weighed in at more than 20 pounds - a big bird, but I could live with leftovers.
Which end is which?
So, on the eve of Thanksgiving, Mom showed up with a roll of paper towels in hand. These, I was told, are used to clean out the inside of the turkey. Horrified at the thought of putting my hands in either end of the turkey, and not knowing which end was which, I ushered my mother to the turkey.
The next steps, swishing salt and water and swabbing the inside of the turkey's tummy and searching for stray feathers shocked and surprised me. I wondered why this couldn't have been completed at the supermarket. There was no real reason for me to be up to my elbows in this cold, clammy creature. But there was no turning back; and before I could say "butterball," the turkey that had tormented me was roasting in tropical temperatures.
A troublesome turnip
What followed, trouble with the turnip (because I bought squash), blisters from peeling potatoes and a potential family feud over whether cornstarch or flour makes the greatest gravy, culminated in a delicious dinner. Stressed out and sweaty from the steamy kitchen, I had made my mark on everything from the bread to the blessing, at which time I was thankful the pumpkin pie had landed right side up.
Too tired to eat, I watched my new family devour the dinner. OK, so it was no longer magical, but at that moment, I was reminded that Thanksgiving dinner is about more than its ingredients. Nonetheless, someone has to make it.
I volunteered again this year...
Make your Thanksgiving one to remember with one of our 5 Thanksgiving menus and top tips for entertaining.
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