THANKSGIVING REPORT

I slept later than I intended Thanksgiving morning, but the turkey was thawed, the bread stuffing was ready, and Clint helped me with the final wrestling – helping me slip the bird into the Reynold's roasting bag. Fortunately, the turkey was done by noon for our immediate departure to my sister's home in a rural setting near Troy, Idaho, where twenty-four of us gathered.

Years ago, when tradition ruled our holidays, my dad roasted the turkey. I don't believe I had ever roasted a turkey prior to his passing in 1987, but I bravely took it on when no one else wanted to. Dressing has been difficult for me to make because I feel there's a certain expectation. My dad made dressing that people loved, but when he left us, he took his recipe with him. I know just one thing – he started with a pan-ful of butter, and when I took over the project of roasting the turkey for our extended family gatherings, I decided to cut back on that troublesome ingredient, a.k.a. fat. To compensate, I added extra celery and onion. One of my nieces let me know that this was not Grandpa's dressing. So, I've always been self-conscious about my dressing and when this year someone else offered to bring it, I was glad enough to be relieved. And – I felt free to do my own thing: I made mine with apple and raisins and then I left what wasn't in the turkey here at the house. I couldn't help but be amused as the dinner-table conversation turned to the dressing. "The recipe called for two cups of butter, and I just couldn't do it," said the one who brought it. "So I used far less and added more vegetables, apples, and dried cranberries." It was very good and everyone said so. No one said it wasn't like Grandpa's – but it wasn't.

I was responsible to provide only the turkey – and the Dr. Pepper Salad. Now there's a recipe that's a little on the strange side. I think Mike's mother developed it based on a Coca Cola salad recipe. The ingredients are Black Cherry Jell-O, crushed pineapple, maraschino cherries, pecans, cream cheese, and, of course, Dr. Pepper. If I follow the recipe proportions, there's hardly enough liquid to dissolve the Jell-O. The method isn't clear, so every year I do it a little differently. You know what I've said about recipes: sometimes the originator just isn't clear or writes something down incorrectly.

And despite the large gathering, plenty of sliced turkey remained to be shared for turkey sandwiches. We also served ham.

"You never need more than two dozen rolls, no matter what size the group," advised my sister Harriet. "If you get more rolls, they will just be left over. Not everyone takes a roll. Why fill up on bread when you have so much delicious food available."

It was the usual carbohydrate feast, including pumpkin pie, apple pie, and coffee ice cream pie (one of my personal favorites) for dessert. My philosophy is to eat a bite of everything and not to over-eat.

My two sisters feel the stress of holiday gatherings in their homes. My town house is too small and the country home too far out for winter gatherings. Younger family members are not stepping up to the challenge, pointing to busy schedules. "Why not look into a restaurant for next year?" I suggested. "And let someone else provide the ambiance and wait on us." We'll see.

So – how did your feast go? KW