Happy Thanksgiving & Birthday

Every year I read magazine articles or something in the food section of the newspaper around Thanksgiving to the effect of changing up the menu. Either they have recipes for new ways to make the sweet potatoes, or altering the menu even more by excluding some old standards altogether because of the calorie content or too much salt or fat. I'm always amused because when I think of Thanksgiving, it is in the context of the old familiar foods that we eat every year.

In fact, some menu items are eaten only on Thanksgiving and I do not even think of making them at any other time of year. Dressing falls into that category for me. So do candied yams. I would never make or serve them at any other event. I happen to love dressing---my mom's recipe is my favorite. Toasted white bread, sage, sauteed celery and onion, moistened with chicken broth and melted butter, then baked in a dish. It is not put into the bird. A couple of times in Maryland I put oysters into my stuffing, and while I liked it, no one else did especially, so when I wanted oyster stuffing, I always made the plain alternative as well. I didn't even make candied yams this year. I could go the rest of my life and never eat them again and be fine.

This year, CoolGuy and I stayed home alone. We've both been really sick and decided not to carry our germs over the river and through the woods. So I cooked a turkey breast, baked rolls and a pecan pie, then steamed a couple of yams in the microwave. I also made stuffing, and, after the disappointment on CoolGuy's face (which he tried to quickly conceal) I rinsed all the drippings from the turkey pan and whipped up some yummy gravy to pour on his dressing and turkey. Tomorrow I'll make mashed potatoes to go with our leftovers.

We ate, then played dominoes, and watched a video. It was classic Thanksgiving afternoon.

Another big holiday was commemorated today: our first grandchild's birthday. He is the coolest kid! I love visiting him, and it was disappointing that we were too sick to travel. He is seven, perfectly fluent in English and Spanish, and just a charming fellow. He plays several sports, and today they went bowling. I just enjoy hanging out with him. We talked on the phone and at Christmas we'd better be good and healthy because we definitely want to go and see him.