Thanksgiving and Cooking

When you grow up in the country... we country folk make family a priority, well, at least we used too.  My family still makes it one.  Now that I no longer live within a few miles of them, I cherish all the memories our family has made over the years.  

Some of the fondest have come at the holidays.  Thanksgiving.  When I was young, Thanksgiving was reserved for decorating our home for Christmas.  The tree would go up and we would work most of the day getting it just right.  However, when it came to the lights, my mom and I would be lucky if we were still speaking afterward.  Why do lights have to be so frustrating?  Later that evening, we would make our way to my Granny and Pa's house for dinner with our extended family.  It was one of the few times a year my Granny and her brother's families would get together.  

As our family grew larger and required more work for my Grandmother, a few of us would get up early and go help her with dinner. It got to the point that my Granny, momma, aunt, and I would each have our assigned roles.  My Granny was the "ring leader", my aunt and I were the servants to my Granny, while my momma was the official dish washer.  We did not mind the roles because those were the ones we were good at and that aligned with each our skill sets.  While crazy and hectic, it was fun.  The parades were always on in the background and I love cooking so much, I did not mind the work.  Being a guy, this is not supposed to  be my role on Thanksgiving, as most men are sequestered to the couch and watching football.  For me, my favorite place to be was in the kitchen. I loved cooking for people, especially when my food was loved and enjoyed by my family.  Helping my Granny, was more than cooking, it was learning  from her and her passing down the recipes of our family to me (a new generation).  

Now that my Granny is older, Thanksgiving has changed and become more of a potluck, as our entire family chips in and helps out.  Thanksgiving is not like it was.  Sometimes I wish it would go back to the way it was.  I know, I did not appreciate the entire experience then, but now, those memories I cherish so much.  The laughter we shared when we would mess something up.  One I remember, my aunt and I made what seemed like 30 pounds of mashed potatoes, it was a little obscene, there was so much leftover, it became the joke that year.  Then, a few years back, my Granny gave us the task of peeling the sweet potatoes.  There was a whole bag of them, probably 15.  We did as we were told and peeled the sweet potatoes.  My Granny had to go check when she came back to find all 15 peeled, all she could do was laugh.  Her intention was for us to only peel the few that we needed which was like five.  Needless to say, we had about three different sweet potato dishes that year.  

I am thankful that today, while I live by myself, starving is not one thing I will ever have to worry about experiencing.  While I do not cook as much, I enjoy it just the same today as I did then.  Many times, I try cook as my Granny would... with love, with laughter, and for the enjoyment, not the task of it all.  

No, it may not be the "country heritage" of most men of the south, but it is one that I love and cherish.  Even if it has led to my larger than average waistline!!