With extended family mostly being out of town this year for Thanksgiving, we will not be traveling to see anyone nor will anyone be coming to our house. Just the four of us. I cant remember a Thanksgiving like that, but I think it will be good none the less. At least I know it will be a comfortable Thanksgiving which will be nice. This year my mom and I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Nothing unusual there, my mom has cooked it for many years. I have cooked a Thanksgiving meal when I lived in Alabama (everything but the turkey, so does it really count?). I’ve been more into cooking (well baking more so but leaning towards cooking) lately, so I’m looking forward to cooking with my mom. I don’t cook with her often because she doesn’t like people in her kitchen, for whatever reason. I think that might be part of the reason I have never really cooked: its my mom’s kitchen. When I lived out of the house, I still had the feeling of its my room mate’s kitchen. Wonder if I will ever feel I have a kitchen of my own? To me, and not to buy into stereo-types or anything, but it feels really feminine to cook for someone. In my mind if the husband is the one working more, providing in the money accept, then cooking is one way a women can provide. That’s how I see my life in the future, married or not, I like being a hostess. I don’t know whether or not I feel like its something I am good at (least not yet) but I enjoying doing it. I enjoy planning a time with friends or family and the food preparations that goes along with that. Thanksgiving seems to be the ultimate time for that, each year being a little different (ah the memories).

So far, my mom and I have listed foods that are pretty much a staple in my family as far as Thanksgiving meal goes. Turkey, green beans (we put roasted almonds and bacon in ours), sweet potatoes, mash pototas, gravy, stuffing (don’t even get me started on that. No its not going into the bird and no its not dressing) pumpkin pie and pears. Yes pears! Its a fancy new dish I learned how to make (on How to Boil Water. Kinda cheesy hosts, but most helpful). I’m trying to wean my family away from the traditional dishes but so far I have just got the pears oked. I wanted to do a stuffed squash too, squash seems very Thanksgivingish. But everyone thus far has turned their noses up at that idea. The bread seems to be a bit of a controversy in my family because during the whole menu planning my mom said we are going to cook biscuits. My dad and I exchanged faces at thought of biscuits instead of crescent rolls. My mom tells us that she grew up on biscuits and its a tradition for her. This is the first my dad or I have heard of this and we exchanged faces again and I whispered “I will make crescent rolls for us.”

So with a few more weeks till the blessed event I will be searching for recipes of my family’s favorite traditional dishes with a new twist on them. I am all for suggestions so don’t be shy in sharing. I love stuff like this, planning, finding the perfect thing and then getting to see an instant (well on Thanksgiving Day) result. I feel a little bit silly for getting a bit excited about this but if that surprises you, then clearly you don’t know how much I like making packing lists on index cards. This is nothing in comparison cause its just one day (but very important day).