Thanks for the Memories

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I like that it’s all about food and family. No need to worry about gift buying for a few days yet. At least, there’s no need to worry about gifts in my world. I recognize that there is an ensuing controversy about stores opening on Thanksgiving. I’m not going to weigh in. I would never choose to shop on Thanksgiving, and never have been one to shop on Black Friday. I would rather watch football any day.

This week I’m going to reminisce about three Thanksgiving memories. I will be taking the remainder of the week off to spend with family and football!

The week of Thanksgiving was always a really busy time at the bakery when I was growing up – probably the busiest time of the year. I can’t even begin to think how many dozens of Parker House rolls we sold the Tuesday and Wednesday before the holiday. And bread. And pumpkin pies. And sweet rolls to munch on for breakfast before the great feast.

So Mom and Dad were very tired by time Thanksgiving Day hit. Nevertheless, my mother put on one heck of a spread each year, and set a beautiful table. If we ever ate elsewhere, it was only once or twice throughout my entire childhood.

Our home was small – probably 1,200 square feet. It had three bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen with room for a small table, a living room and a dining room. The dining room was formally used three times a year – Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Informally, that’s often where I did my homework.

My mom and dad earned a modest living. They ably supported their family, but I doubt there was a lot left over. Nevertheless, I recall my mom had nice dining room furniture, all a light colored wood. She had a table that had several leaves which would come out on holidays, and a matching buffet. The room was pretty, with a big window that faced our back yard, and a blonde spinet piano on which each of the girls learned to play (some better than others – sigh). The piano stool had a secondary use as a spare chair on holidays.

Mom didn’t have fancy china. However, one of the grocery stores in town, as part of a promotional effort, offered pretty Currier & Ives dishware. Spend a certain amount and you earn a dinner plate, or a cup and saucer, or a salad plate, and so forth. Over a long period of time, Mom completed a set of 12, and that became our “good china.” She used it only on those same three holidays. One of my sisters has the set. It’s funny; I have a lovely set of Royal Doulton china, but I’m ever so happy when I go to my sister’s house for a holiday and see the Currier & Ives laid out.

We had no surprises as part of our Thanksgiving meal. The feature item was an oven roasted turkey, with traditional sides of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower in a cheese sauce, and her delicious dressing, with the recipe below. Every family has their favorite. For my family, it’s not Thanksgiving without Mom’s sausage dressing. No fancy cranberry salad – just sliced jellied cranberries from the can, and Mom smeared hers with mayo. Yuck. For dessert, pumpkin pie and freshly whipped cream. (By the way, we always used granulated sugar – and lots of it – for our whipped cream. To this day, if I can’t feel a little bit of sugar between my teeth when I eat whipped cream, I’m disappointed. No powdered sugar for me!)

And no Thanksgiving memory is complete without mentioning that the Nebraska v. Oklahoma game back in those days was almost always held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Man, now that was a rivalry.

As I recall Thanksgivings over the next couple of days, I would love to hear from some of you about your Thanksgiving memories.

Mom’s Sausage Dressing (exactly as written on the recipe card)

Ingredients
1 lb. pork sausage (not hot)
½ c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery (some leaves)
7 c. dry bread cubes
½ c. milk
1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
1 T. parsley (dry will do)
½ scant t. salt
¾ t. poultry seasoning
½ t. leaf sage

Process
Brown sausage. Add onions and celery. Cook until tender. Add 3 c. bread cubes. Cook until moistened. Stir frequently. Combine soup and milk. Heat, do not boil. Stir until smooth. Add seasonings to remaining bread cubes. Combine mixtures.

Nana’s Notes: That’s how my mother’s recipe ends. However, I place the mixture in a large aluminum pan and put it in the oven for 30 to 45 min., depending on the amount of dressing and whether or not it was prepared earlier and refrigerated. If that’s the case, you might want to bring it to room temperature before putting it in the oven. Remember, it is completely cooked, so you only are aiming to heat it through. I think my mother ended her recipe where she did because for many years she would then stuff the turkey with the dressing, leaving a bit for a separate casserole dish. She stopped doing that when they began warning about the possibility of food poisoning.