“Just relax, take some deep breaths and become one with the oven.”
Thanksgiving morning my alarm rings about four. There is much to do. Start turkey, check on the dressing, cut four cake layers left cooling overnight each in half to finish my eight-layer caramel cake.
Fib, fib and the last being biggest fib of all.
I do rise early on Thanksgiving morning, but to drink a pot of coffee, put on exercise wear and drive to Atlanta for the Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon. It’s my holiday tradition, sacrificing Macy’s Parade balloons and preparing all-give-thanks feast on the altar of physical exertion.
I blame my mother.
No dear Mummy, I can’t cast fault on you. It’s more my stunted maturity in entertaining. Preparing such an event takes courage and long term commitment as in learning how to turn on the stove. Or I might receive a nasty cut from the rim of a can of condensed soup. I’m into immediate gratification. Like microwaves. Can you microwave a 25 pound turkey to crispy, golden brown?
Just whisper “dinner party” in my ear and watch me break out in welts. Not dainty bumps. Mammoth blistering hives. It’s hard enough to get five eggs scrambled, six slices of bacon and half loaf of toast prepared and served warm for my teenager. A sit-down five course meal? Talk about performance anxiety.
At a smidgen beyond 45 years, I have evolved to bearer of the scared corn casserole. Two cans of corn, butter, sour cream, corn bread mix. An egg or two. Pour it in a dish and stick it in the oven till brown.
There’s no shame in it. Okay. It’s shame-filled. Alas, I am a Thanksgiving feast virgin. There. I said it. Is there a support group for this kind of thing?
Preparing a meal is the most natural thing in the world. Just relax, take deep breaths, tie on an apron, gather ancient yellowed recipes for sweet potatoes and become one with the oven.
Who am I kidding? Natural is a peanut butter sandwich. You might get a little crazy and lather jelly on fresh bread from Hunkerdowns – but coordinating a feast for 30 expectant bodies is not what nature intended.
Besides, this footrace is great fun. Thousands show up in the dark, in the cold, in the rain, 30 mile an hour wind gusts (that was a memorable year) to start in Chamblee and run 13 miles down Peachtree to the stadium.
Why can’t I do both? Honestly, because I don’t have to cook. I have a wonderful mother-in-law who loves to entertain. She requests I bring the corn casserole every year making me feel the success of the entire day depends on it. (Which of course it does.)
I shall not remain a feast virgin forever. What is your scared dish? I’d love to hear on my blog www.jamiemiles.com/blog. Anyone leaving a comment or recipe on the blog from Monday 11/16 through Monday 11/23 will be put in a drawing to receive a side of very yummy cornbread dressing courtesy of Ye Olde Colonial Restaurant.
Maybe this year I try exploring my oven…slowly, gently. Or I could place an order for dressing. Then run buy a fancy casserole decorated with turkeys and a Pilgrim or two — a dish to pass down for generations. That’s a good start to my recovery, ordering dressing and finding the perfect casserole.
Yes for me, baby steps are probably best.
Not sure this is exactly what you’re looking for Jamie, but this helps relieve pre-party anxiety and is a holiday staple in my household:
BEST HOLIDAY PUNCH EVER ( aka Old Fashioned Cider Punch)
2 cups water
1 cup lt brown sugar
2 quarts apple cider
1 (12oz) can frozen OJ
2 qts ginger ale
3 cups apple brandy (I suggest Laird’s Apple Jack..)
optional : apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon for garnish
1.) In a large pot combine water and sugar. Heat stirring until mixture boils and sugar is completely dissolved.
2.) Add apple cider and OJ concentrate and bring to boil.
3.) REMOVE from heat. (May be chilled at this point)
4.) Reheat if necessary. (I usually keep it warming on the stove or in a crockpot). Be sure things have cooled down and very careful when you add the GINGER ALE or you’ll have a fizzy overflow mess, yes, I speak from experience. Also, I’ve never gotten as far as the “optional garnish” but, so far, no one seems to have noticed
🙂 Happy Holidays!
Okay — that looks really yummy. And it’s all liquid for the most part. Kind of hard to mess up liquids. I would think. And I am all for relieving pre-party anxiety. You need to hobble over to Madtown and we can share a cup or two.
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Loved this blog!! I can relate. Once after the family feast, my brother commented that he could tell exactly what I brought by looking at the table and seeing which dish still had the most food remaining. Yes, the uneaten one!
Like your corn casserole, I have mastered a wonderful pasta salad and usually I’m slated for the green bean casserole. No specail receipe, just read the back of the French’s French Fried Onions.
I have, however, done the full spread myself – way too much energy and effort.
Have a great run
I can’t believe that about the most food remaining. Too funny. And I too am very familiar with the green bean casserole ~ but I just like to pick off the fried onions…
You are too funny! I enjoy and can relate to so many of your musings…
I come from a LONG line of really good cooks…grandmother was the head “lunchroom lady” at the primary school before I even started school and before they had frozen hamburger patties and chicken rings! She would make yeast rolls for the children and my mother-in-law said she remembers when she was in school my ‘Granny’ would say “raise your hands if you want two rolls” and she said everyone in the line would excitedly raise their little hands. She was a precious lady and passed her talents on to her daughters which they passed on, etc. We have 5 family cookbooks isnt that absurd!! Anyway here is one of the best sweet potato recipes I’ve had. It takes a little work, but not anything difficult and it’s worth it…Cook the turkey in a basting bag, buy a Honeybaked Ham … you can’t go wrong. The best to you and yours.
Sweet Potato Crunch
(we have to triple or quad this recipe for our crowd…this one will serve 4-6)
3 large sweet potatoes
1 1/3 C. milk
1/4 lb butter, melted
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. alspice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
Grate sweet potatoes. Add eggs, mlk, sugar, spices & butter. Mix well. Pour into buttered 2 qt. baking dish. Cook 350 degrees for 1 hour stirring every fifteen minutes. Remove from oven and cover w/ crunch topping (below). Cook 30 minutes more.
Crunch Topping
melt 3 T.butter. Add 1 C. brown sugar, 1/3 C. flour and 1 C chopped pecans.
That does look like a winner for sure. Just the thought of those pecans on top…yummy!! Now I am picking up a ham from the Kiwanis sale, so with this I’m ready.And thanks for sharing about the yeast rolls at the school. I bet there weren’t many bag lunches having to be packed by moms in those days.