Tuesday, November 20, 2007

A Thanksgiving Conversation

A conversation last night in the car...

Me: "Do you know what happens this week, Sydney?"

Delaney: " It's Thanksgiving this week."

Me: "Do you kow what Thanksgiving is?"

Sydney: "I know! I know! It's when we give hearts to each other."

Me: "No, sweetie, that's Valentine's Day. Thanksgiving is when we talk about what we're thankful for."

Sydney: "What's thankful?"

Delaney: "That means the things we really love."

McKenna: "Like friends and boys."

Delaney: "And cheesecake and ice cream."

Sydney: "I'm thankful for my spinny toy."

Me: "And thanksgiving is also when we get together with family, and eat lots of food. I think that's my favorite part of the holiday."

Sydney: "Oh, that's what I'm talking about! I'm thankful for that!"

Just a little part of my world for you on this Tuesday-two-days-before-Thanksgiving. As Sydney so eloquently put in that conversation, "that's what I'm talking about!" I am SO excited about Thanksgiving and, especially, for the food we're gonna be enjoying!

We always do A LOT of eating during this week. The highlight of our first Thanksgiving meal on Thursday is the amazing dressing that Gary's Gan Gan makes. I was never a fan of dressing, but then I tried hers and then I was a converted fan! And then on Friday, we will have another meal at my parents' house and my Mom always outdoes herself. She always sets a beautiful, formal table covered with the most delicious food--usually smoked brisket, turkey, the most delicious pies, and all the trimmings.

(By the way, the closest I've found to anything looking like Gan Gan's dressing is THIS RECIPE from Paula Deen. Gan Gan either doesn't put sage, or puts very little sage in hers though. The Food Network site and Paula D's site are both just chock-full of all sorts of great recipes if you like her style! I do, ya'll!!)

I always like to contribute something to the cause, and have been putting some thought into what I'm preparing for this year's meals. Gan Gan called me last week and asked me to make a dessert (for some reason, I'm known as a dessert-maker and baker for the family, which is fine with me. Because I love to make cakes and pies and such!). I asked everyone what I should make and Delaney quickly answered, "Cheesecake!"

So, I will be making cheesecake! It will be a traditional cheesecake with a strawberry topping. I'm going to go with THIS recipe that I found at KraftFoods.com. It sounds just about right!

And then I really wanted to make a side dish, but what to make? A green bean or vegetable casserole? Some sort of salad? I flipped through my new December issue of Southern Living that arrived in the mail yesterday (THAT just made my day; I love looking through those gorgeous pages!) and found a potato casserole idea I liked. Then, I decided to see what other recipes I could find at the SL website. So I found THIS yummy-looking Potato Casserole. Doesn't that look good?

(And, by the way, while I was checking out Paula's newest recipes on her site, I found THIS recipe that I just could not believe!!! A bread pudding made out of Krispy Kreme doughnuts? Could there possibly be anything better? Two of my favorite things!! That may have to be done in few more weeks for the Christmas season!)

So...I am SO looking forward to doing some cooking and baking in the next couple of days. I totally anticipate waking up on Thursday morning, making me a Mimosa to get the day started, and then getting my baking-on!

And so...my questions for you today on Random Tuesday (you didn't think I'd forget what today is, did you?) are these...

~ What foods do you traditionally serve or eat on Thanskgiving? (I love to live vicariously through your experiences!)

and

~ Do you have any specific recipes you'd recommend? (I LOVE to try new recipes out!)

I will be thinking of all of you on Thanksgiving, as I stuff myself into oblivion (and then try and figure out how to lose 5 pounds before Christmas!). Nothing better than food, friends, family, and fun!!

20 comments:

Adrienne said...

Awww, that is too cute!!!
Ummm for us?
Mac and cheese
Turkey and dressing
potato salad
turnip greens
candied yams
ummm, a LOT! LOL

Jeff said...

- What foods do you traditionally serve or eat on Thanksgiving? It's a pretty traditional day of eating with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie (and usually another pie or two). We always go to a friend's place and join up with four other couples to celebrate the day and it's a potluck so it's a great day of eating :)

- Do you have any specific recipes you'd recommend? I have a great green bean casserole recipe I got from the Food Network a four years ago and it's become the staple we take to Thanksgiving because there are requests for it every year. But I can't find it there to put the link up for it :-/

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I also wanted to appeal to the commenters here to consider giving a bit to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. One of their major fund raising efforts of the year has been seriously damaged by the ongoing Broadway strike and they need help. Please hop over to my blog, read about what they do and decide if you'd like to donate. Thanks!

Kingcover said...

Do you think was McKenna referring to Gary when she said she was thankful for boys??? Nahhh I didn't think so either ;-)

Nina Diane said...

Hey Cheryl
I'll email the Pumpkin Pie Cake recipe to you...it's at home. It's almost like a dump cake.

the not so "new" mom on the blog said...

Wow - All that food has gone and made me hungry!!!!!! As you probably know by now we don't do thanksgiving here in SA! We do however do the turkey thing on Christmas!!

I have missed so much around here but hopefully now I am back for a while!!!!

Take Care

Gen

Dettao said...

Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving withouth sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, pumpkin pie and my late grandma's apple salad. Yummm

Hey Cheryl, I have a puzzle project on my blog that I would love for you to participate in. Come on over and see.

Unknown said...

YUM!!! I think you should do Buffalo Wings! LOL Not traditional but would be great to eat while watching the Cowboys!!!

New Mom - You should start celebrating Thanksgiving!! It doesn't have to be an official holiday, just a day set aside to remember things you are thankful for!! How Cool, be sure to send pictures... come on you know you want to eat lots of food.....:)

Monogram Queen said...

Ooh i'm a Southern Living girl too! Enjoy your Gan Gan while you have her - i'd give anything to have my Grandparents still with me.
I tried to have a talk about Thanskgiving with Madison (who is 3 remember) but she kept getting it confused with birthdays/Chuck E Cheese so I finally gave up LOL

Anonymous said...

Such a cute conversation! :)
About the recipes....I am so the wrong person to ask, LOL. For Thanksgiving, my hubby, his mom and his grandma do all the cooking! How lucky am I? :)

Josie said...

Love this week where the focus is just family and food : )
I'll toast you on Tday morning with my mom. Our tradition is mimosas come before anything else.

Anonymous said...

Hehe. I love it that McKenna said she is thankful for boys. So funny. Well, Mark's family is from up north and mine are as southern as they come so when we converge on Thursday with our different dishes, and I mean different, we will stare at each other like the other is from another planet. hehe. It is all good though. I don't really understand alot of my mother in law's cooking.
My favortie thing to eat on Thanksgiving is the cornbread dressing and giblet gravy. I have to get my mom to make the giblet gravy though because I wouldn't eat it if I knew what it was made of. I don't know for sure to this day and I don't want to know. Let's leave it at that. Oh and I have made Paula Deens Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding and it is yummy. I love Paula Deen. She reminds me of every woman in my family. I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Stacy said...

MMMMMMMMMM!!! looks good and your little is hilarious!!! lol

camport said...

Paula Deen is my favorite! I love that every recipe starts with a stick of butter. Must be a southern thing.

:)

Unknown said...

I would be very grateful if you visited me to complete the emphasis of my message here.
I wish you and those you love a very happy Thanksgiving - I can see it is going to be a yummy one! Enjoy. xox

Mississippi Songbird said...

We are having Turkey, ham dressing , potatoes, sweet potatoe pie, pecan pie, cranberry sauce, green beans, and rolls..
yum yum..
and leftovers for days afterward..lol
God Bless you and Happy Thanksgiving!

what cute kids you have..

Dawn Bibbs said...

I just love the conversations you have with your girls. Especially Sydney. Probably because she reminds me so much of Jayla.

Let's see, what are my favs for Thanksgiving:

~Smoked turkey (preferbly from Honey Baked Ham)
~Sweet Potato Pie (my MIL's is THE best)
~Collard Greens
~Corn bread (mine is the best..hee hee)
~Cranberry sauce
~Sweet Potato casserole
~Dessert. NUFF said! :-)

Cheryl, I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Travis Erwin said...

smoked wild turkey is my fav. (the meat is so different from a Butterball)

LZ Blogger said...

Cheryl ~ After reading the first part of this post... I am personally thankful for the sweet innocence and yet WISDOM of children. Have a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ~ jb///

Kimberly said...

Kids really crack me up with there responses to things...And as for what we will be eating: Turkey, sweet potato casserole,mac and cheese(homemade), green beans, pintos, pink fluff, and many desserts.We have three different dinner to go to(divorced parents) so we will prob gain ten pounds. Happy Thanksgiving!

Edleen said...

mmmm...sounds yummy!

Happy Thankgiving! :)