When I think back to the Thanksgivings of my childhood, I remember trips to Florida, to my Nanny and Papa's house, where the kids might venture for a chilly (but not cold) dip in the pool while the moms and aunts and Nanny did the cooking and the dads and Papa did....I'm not sure what.  They carved the turkey, but I'm not sure what they did while everything else was going on.  Played lifeguard, I suppose, and tried to stay out of the way.  A tiny galley kitchen with four cooks and about 15 dishes had no room for anything else!

When all was ready, we would stand around the table, sinking under the weight of all the deliciousness, and my dad was often the one that said the blessing.  He was quite the public speaker and enjoyed the chance to have the spotlight for a few minutes, I think, but had all his attention turned toward "Our Heavenly Father," who he addressed at the start of his speech.  He gave thanks for all of our many blessings throughout the year, remembered those who couldn't be with us that particular holiday, and "especially" thanked God for his mom, "The Matriarch of Our Family," at the end.  Every year.  The blessing hasn't been the same since we lost that matriarch three Thanksgivings ago, and I think our family still feels a little lost without her, especially around the holidays.  He always finished his blessing (every day, not just on Thanksgiving), with what I understand to be a very Southern, unique phrase - "And bless the cook."  It's nice, I think.

And then we could eat.

The table was laden with all of the usual suspects - turkey, dressing (in our family we don't stuff, we dress), gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry, and rolls.  Then there were the Southern favorites - lima beans, corn casserole (you may call in corn pudding), mashed potatoes, turkey rice, homemade macaroni and cheese (yes), a jello mold (my mother's specialty), and either broccoli or green bean casserole, or both.  And deviled eggs.  And a pickle tray. 

It's a good thing the table was a large one.

After we were stuffed to the point of needing to roll each other out of the dining room, we'd stake claim on a couch or bed or a patch of floor and sleep it off for a little while.  Then, around 4:00 or 4:30 (we usually ate between one and two), we'd start wandering back into the kitchen, looking for dessert.  There, we'd have to make the choice between pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, and Aunt DeeDee's pound cake.  Always all four desserts, because how could you choose which one to cut from the menu?

After my grandfather died about 15 years ago, we sometimes had Thanksgiving at my parents' house.  The traditions and the people were all the same (Nanny, the matriarch, came up to South Carolina), and the food was mostly the same.  The only thing that changed, really, is that about 10 years ago, we started deep frying the turkey.  There's something to be said about the camaraderie of standing around the 5 gallon fryer out on the driveway, wearing coats and gloves, talking and cutting up.  The men now have a place to convene.  Many things are dropped into that fryer before the turkey gets its turn.  For my brother, there is always fried cheese.  For my children, there are always homemade french fries.  Sometimes there are fried shrimp or oysters.  When people get silly, there are things like fried candy bars and twinkies.  Then, finally, about the time people start getting full, the turkey goes in, injected with the secret sauce, to be deep fried to a golden brown.  It's deliciously moist and juicy, and the flavor is unbelievable.

This year for Thanksgiving, my brother and his new bride will be spending Thursday with her family at the beach.  My husband, children, and I will stay home and have Thanksgiving with his mother on Thursday at noon.  Then, later that day, we'll pack up the car and head to my parents' house for the long weekend.  My brother and his wife will be back on Friday.  I'm guessing that Friday afternoon (after we get back from shopping the black Friday sales), my mother's kitchen will be bustling and her table will be bowing under the weight of our traditional holiday meal, because, as my mother has often said, "It's not about the day, it's about the family."  So, whenever we're all there together, we'll celebrate our family Thanksgiving and count all of our many blessings, not the least of which are having each other to count on throughout the year.

Aunt Jen's Corn Casserole

You will need:

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

2 cans cream-style corn

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

1 stick butter or margarine, melted

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

Optional add-ins: grated cheddar cheese, 1 small can diced green chiles

To Make: 

Mix all ingredients until combines.  Pour into sprayed 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  (Excellent with turkey, but also good with any meal...we love it with pork tenderloin, grilled chicken, or just on a veggie plate.)

Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

You will need:

1 pound small pasta (elbow macaroni is traditional, my children are partial to shells, any small shape will do)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1-2 cloves minced garlic

Salt & pepper to taste

2 cups milk

2 cups grated cheese (I use a mix of colby jack & mozzarella, but cheddar, provolone, and even swiss are good)

To make:

Boil pasta according to package directions.  Drain & set aside.  In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute for a minute or two (do not brown).  Add flour, salt, and pepper and whisk until smooth.  Slowly add milk, whisking to avoid lumps.  When all milk is incorporated, turn off the heat and add the cheese, stirring until melted and smooth.  Add pasta, stir until combined.  At this point, you can serve it as is, keep it warm in the crock pot, or pour into a casserole dish, top with more cheese or buttered breadcrumbs, and bake at 350 until browned and bubbly.

(c) 2010, Lisa Kuebler