Get Your Turkey On

LisaW was bemoaning her Thanksgiving dilemma: She is happy with the traditional Thanksgiving menu, daughter wants macaroni and cheese. Daughter will bring mac and cheese but Lisa is having Thanksgiving away from home and has only a camp stove to warm up all the sides. Traffic jam in the food prep area! MathMom came through with a great solution: bake the side dish at home, wrap in a couple of bath towels and transport in an insulated cooler. Tailgater tactic.

The mac and cheese vs. non-mac and cheese Thanksgiving controversy reminded me of the history of Thanksgiving with Raj’s family, which I relayed to Lisa the other day:

My first Thanksgiving,1972, with Raj’s  family at his Mom and Dad’s house was nearly identical to my family’s menu except for the stuffing, everybody’s stuffing is a bit different.  But as the years went by and the kids grew up (Raj is the oldest of 9) everyone brought their favorite side dish that wasn’t part of the original menu: broccoli-rice casserole, funeral potatoes, spinach balls, sausage balls, 7 layer salad, corn casserole, noodles and crumbs, baked squash, brussel sprouts (yech!), Oreo pie, cheesecake, cupcakes and on and on. I’m not making this up. Not in place of anything but along with the traditional spread.

Once someone brought something it became a new tradition and they brought it every year. The buffet spread started in the kitchen and eventually  encroached on the dining room where the huge table turned into another buffet station and the 2 sideboards became a dessert display. The immediate family eventually numbered 34 counting spouses and grandkids. And then the grandkids started to get married and have their own families. Many of them still come to “grandpa’s house” – now Uncle Bill’s – for Thanksgiving and Christmas and now they’re bringing their own contribution.

But in all those years, with all those people and all that food, no one has ever brought mac and cheese. Odd.

It’s nice that everyone wants to contribute but honestly, somebody does have to orchestrate the menu and who brings what. Otherwise you end up with total anarchy and before you know it someone forgets to make the turkey and gravy.

“Where’s the meat?”

…and it’s replaced with enchiladas, lasagna and butter chicken. Or worse, a charcuterie board.

So let’s be careful out there with the Thanksgiving menu. Grab control and rein it in. The next generation depends on it.