Thanksgiving is such a special time for me. It is a time with family. As a child, it meant piling into the station wagon and heading north to Albany, NY to my Aunt and Uncle's house with cousins and my Mom's family. It was football on TV, pearled onions and peas, tomato aspic, lemon tarts and turkey. Being the youngest, and relegated to the table in the hall, I did not get a choice as to turkey, it was always dark meat, which I still prefer.Turkey and its trimmings was my father's favorite meal, as we would have it on almost every holiday except Easter. We would have the grand meal, and my Dad and I would walk to his friends house after dinner to walk off the meal. We would return to to have dessert, Eskimo Pies from the freezer, and a turkey sandwich for the next day. It was a tradition that we always did.
As our families grew and moved away, schedules and distances kept us from getting together. Turkey is my favorite meal. My brother in law Bob, who owns Kitchen Kapers stores in NJ, PA and DE (www.kitchenkapers.com), couldn't get away from Black Friday. My sister Julie offered to have Thanksgiving at their house in Cherry Hill, NJ, and we have rekindled the gathering. A big table, lots of delicious food, and the old standards. It has become the central location, with our daughter Emily in DC, her boyfriend Tom in Baltimore, Justin in college at Ursinus in Collegeville, PA. We all descended on Cherry Hill. Dinner at Razz's in Marlton, NJ on Wednesday night has become a staple of the holiday.
Generations together, all bringing food. Multiple conversations all going on at once. It feels like one big hug. Without a doubt, my favorite holiday.
On this wonderful day, we give thanks that we are able to be together and enjoy the food, the fun, and the family. From our family to all, have a wonderful thanksgiving.