It's been a week of Thanksgiving and that's okay with me because Thanksgiving was never meant to be closed up in a single day.
As always there are many things to be thankful for and it's so important to count every blessing. I still remember a prayer that one of Jay's basketball teammates said at our house years ago when they played middle school ball. Thomas was over to visit and we were about to eat lunch. I noticed that he was waiting for the blessing and I asked him if he would like to say one. He bowed his head and softly prayed, "Dear Lord. Thank you for these clothes on my back, this food on the table and this roof over my head."
As Oprah would say that was a defining moment in being thankful. Leave no stone unturned when counting blessings.
Thanksgiving week started out with David III following Jay and the GWU Basketball team to Indiana for games first at Indiana University and then at Butler University. For basketball fanatics both of these places are something like mecca. There was a lot of talk about past ballgames, the Hoosier Movie, Bobby Knight, and which was the infamous thrown chair.
I kept up thru text messaging, email, internet and even plain old newspaper and radio. I didn't make the trip to Indiana because on Thanksgiving morning the team was flying home and we had invited them to Lattimore for Thanksgiving lunch at the Cabin. So with our family and friends we were planning lunch for close to 60 people.
Everyone had their normal assigned duties like Sister's Layered Salad and Coconut Cake, Cindy's pecan pies, Judy's oyster casserole and ham, Penny's Sweet Potato Casseroles, Libby's Broccoli Casseroles, Mama and Daddy's Sage Dressing and Gravy, and of course Silver Queen corn and Little White Half Runner Green Beans from the Lattimore garden.
In addition to the normal assigned duties we doubled up on some things and added a few more things. Jamey and David co-ordinated brining and smoking a turkey in the big cooker. That was a big hit. I fixed two huge turkeys in Oven bags and took one out to Jackson's house since we were running out of oven space. I added mashed potato casseroles and more mac and cheese because I was pretty sure the basketball team would show up hungry after a five day road trip.
And then I mentioned to Dad that I was planning to make an extra run of their Sage Dressing for 60. Well that opened up a competition much like Mama Crowder and Aunt Veva C used to have at the Spangler reunion. Daddy and Mama each made their own runs of Sage Dressing and I made a run as well. As folks moved through the buffet line at the cabin, Daddy lobbied everyone to eat from each pan and then decide whose was the best. He not so quietly pointed and whispered, "This one is mine and I think it's the best."
I'm not sure whose Sage Dressing really was the best but it's safe to say mine did not make the cut. It looked right and had the right seasonings but was way too dry. I blogged the recipe with instructions from Daddy in November 2010. If you are using that recipe I think you may want to go overboard when it says "add about 3 cups of chicken broth and then add milk to the right consistency".
Penny and Libby put up a piece of poster paper so that anyone could write something that they were thankful for. As the day went on the list grew and included food, family, friends, tennis, skeet shooting, train rides, the cabin, and Jack and Ruby. Someone wrote they were "thankful that we didn't burn the food".
For some time Daddy has had yellow legal pads by his couch at home to write down things he wants to do or things he is thankful for. He leaves no stone unturned on his list of blessings. My all time personal favorite was one he wrote years ago that said, "I am thankful that I can still put on my pants standing up."
Thanksgiving at the Cabin turned out great with one of the most beautiful sunny days in November. We had a very diverse crowd including people from Sweden, Norway, Turkey, New York, Indiana, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma and even Idaho. It was a busy and fun day and then a really good afternoon for a nap.
We did miss sharing lunch with David IV who was working at the Cowboys game on Thanksgiving Day. And we missed lunch with Paul, Amy, Melia, Kai, Dan and Elizabeth, but we won't close Thanksgiving up in a single day. We'll be thankful for our blessings wherever they are.
Turkey Boudini
Sis taught me how to make Turkey Boudini and she learned it from Ann Corn. We always laughed when we said the name because it sounded like something Mrs. Corn would make up. Recently I googled it and believe it or not there is a recipe on Cooks.com that is named Boudini. So I don't know where Mrs. Corn learned this but it's really good for leftover turkey.
We didn't have any leftover turkey from Thanksgiving lunch. Out of 3 turkeys that added up to about 57 pounds, there was nothing left but here is the recipe anyway.
Layer in a pyrex dish:
Turkey or Chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 Can Drained English Peas
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
Grated Cheese
Bake at 350 degrees till bubbly and cheese is melted.
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