As I'm waiting for the gluten free/dairy free pumpkin pie to finish baking, and hoping it will be OK made with coconut milk, I started thinking about Thanksgivings we celebrated when I was a kid. My Dad was an only child, so my Mom's family, which was a large one, just added my Grandparents to the fold and we all celebrated the holiday together. They weren't the only ones adopted into this huge, extended family.
Thanksgiving was the one time the entire clan got together with the location rotating from year to year, and everyone who could drive the distance came. The house was filled with aunts and uncles and cousins galore, and since my Mom was an aunt twice before she was born, my cousins ranged from younger than me to older than my Mom.
The weather was unpredictable, at best. It could be a balmy 70 degree day or it could be snowing. We had a time or two when it even had to be postponed due to a blizzard. It was a day we all looked forward to, and the adults in our lives worked to prepare the goodies we considered traditional. Each family had certain things they always brought, no matter what. My aunt made the best popcorn balls anywhere. She had big canisters she used each year to carry them in and we loved to help her bring them in from the car. My Mom's treat was always fudge, and I mean multiple batches of fudge. She'd make fudge early and freeze it, and of course once we figured out where it was in the freezer and get into it, she'd have to make more. I think my chocolate loving Dad probably helped us make it disappear, but he never admitted to it. Another aunt made the red velvet cake--mouthwatering. One of my cousins brought a raspberry jello salad with a cream cheese-marshmallow topping. Having the sweet tooth I still possess, but try to control, you can see what traditions I remember best. :)
Whoever hosted the event got to fix the turkey, or sometimes two. If it was at your house you got to help clean to get ready for the event, and then Mom would prepare the stuffing and get the bird in the oven in the wee hours of the morning so the 25+ lb bird would be fully cooked for our noon-ish celebration. We had a double oven, so we could fix two or sometimes cook duck or pheasant if someone had been lucky hunting. If you traveled, you had to come two and a half to three hours to get there. Most of us were from big families so the car rides were crowded, noisy affairs. The trunk would be filled with food and suitcases, because we'd usually spend the night.
Kids ran everywhere. There was usually at least one person your age, although I had the dubious distinction of having boys who fit that category. My one girl cousin my age lived in California and rarely made it back in November. As I got older and the gender thing became more of an issue (cooties, you know), I started hanging around the kitchen more with those preparing the food. Everybody helped. You could peel potatoes, clean finger vegetables, get tables set or any number of other chores that had to be done. It was an orchestrated madness that was such a kick to be a part of. When the turkey was finished and carved, the potatoes mashed, and the gravy made we all gave thanks and then piled our plates high and stuffed ourselves till we could hardly move.
As we've all grown up, had families of our own, moved across the country and our elders have mostly gone now, those wonderful Thanksgivings are just memories. My immediate family still gets together to celebrate the holiday and with the grandchildren, our circle has grown. There's still turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry jelly and green olives, but no fudge or red velvet cake. The pie is generally sweet potato, although not this year. I've had to learn to bake gluten free, and every recipe is an adventure when you have to make substitutions for dairy, but we're still thankful on this day of Thanksgiving for our many blessings. I guess I'd have to say the traditions are evolving, but the spirit remains the same. Thanks Be to God!
