There's so much to say about Thanksgiving feasts enjoyed at our house by so many, year after year.
Why?
Because as I begin to describe all of the high jinks experienced during the days preceding and following our annual feast, you'll get a bird's eye view of how my think tank figures out how to make short work of tons of preparation by turning most of what others see as work into high spirited fun shared by one and all :)
For example ... We throw a pre-Thanksgiving, cold cuts and coleslaw party for our nearest and dearest on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. And we have so much fun that our niece, her husband and three boys drive several hours from Orange County across state lines in time to help us roll dough along with Will's brother and his wife, who also drive quite a few hours across state lines to join in this family tradition that embraces quite a few cousins, who live in town, as well.
You see, over the years, our niece's first born son, who'd watched the food fight fearfully when he was three, became big brother to two younger boys, all of whom had their own stools, lined up in a row along the work island where family fun takes center stage in the middle of our kitchen. And in readiness on this island, awaiting the high spirited arrival of these boys, who tear through our front door, raring to take part in creating our holiday feast, are a trio of marble rolling pins. And if our great nephews look forward to sleeping in blow up beds all over the house, because all of our guest beds and couches are claimed by adults ... well there's sound reason as to why extended family and friends look forward to ringing our door bell, when many might deem all of the hullabaloo that takes place at our house as just plain crazy! You see, I figure it this way ... If, in order not to lose my smile, I needed help to create our traditional feast, then I'd be smart to make fun of what most others see as work, and here's why my reasoning proved as sane as sane can be ...
In the far distant past, I remember years when I'd tossed and turned at night for weeks leading up to this particular holiday, because I had no clue how to add so many additional shopping and cooking hours into a week that always demanded a super human stretch from me. I mean, what with raising three, rambunctious boys, teaching at the college, writing positively focused articles about creating sanity out of family life, sitting on boards, driving carpools to this, that and the other practice of this sport and that music lesson, and whatever doctor, dentist or orthodontist appointment had not been planned but for whatever reason, which seemed to pop up out of the blue, someone or something had needed healing, repairing or replacing, like lost retainers and the such ... while holding myself responsible for preparing a feast that guaranteed smiling guests, who'd traditionally drove or flew into town to share this deeply meaningful, heartfelt experience with our family, year after year ... well ... I was always looking to improve upon that which came too close to driving this leader of my pack of cub scouts totally out of my mind!!
You see, I actually needed my three great nephews' help with rolling dough before we'd fill 75 knishes with 5 pounds of mashed potatoes, which we'd mix into a couple of pounds of fried onions, salt and lots of pepper ... before setting two huge fry pans on the stove in which 75 knishes would sizzle in oil till all of these luscious delicacies were golden brown ... And don't even ask me some of them were filled with cotton or today's post will never end :) :) ...
During the years when I'd prepared knishes in the kitchen at night by myself! I'd spend at least an hour cleaning everything up where flour had been flying and oil had been bubbling before finally falling fully exhausted into bed at 1AM ... knowing that at the crack of dawn on the Wednesday before the gala feast, my alarm would BBRRinging at 6AM to start another non-stop day of normal family life amid endless hours of cooking up festive treats enough to serve an army, again ... And since I needed lots of positively focused, high spirited, good natured help to keep my spirit afloat ... well, I'm sure you can see why I made opening my front door on the holiday ... after setting a fabulous table, decorated with a pilgrim family and native Americans and orange pumpkins and green and golden gourds, candles lit and twinkling ... With this surprise in store for our unsuspecting guests ... Each time the bell would ring, i'd run to the front hall and call out for Will to join me before opening the door to welcome our guests, and in addition to wearing a beaming smile in answer to the shocked expressions on each person's face ... especially the faces of the kids, I'd be seen standing next to Will, who along with me had been costumed as Pilgrim host and Pilgrim hostess with the mostest ... whew!!! And if you say, we'll, Annie, you could only surprise your guests that way once, I'd laugh and reply ... Guess you don't yet have a clue as to how my think tank works ... Because each year our creative juices bubbled forth until a brainstorm ignited a stroke of lightening, highlighting an idea for a costume that never failed to get our holiday off with a heartily shared laugh ... On the other hand, no amount of Meryl making could fend off fate on that particular Thanksgiving when a slapstick pie throwing fest led to a that unforeseen fatality ...
Why?
Because as I begin to describe all of the high jinks experienced during the days preceding and following our annual feast, you'll get a bird's eye view of how my think tank figures out how to make short work of tons of preparation by turning most of what others see as work into high spirited fun shared by one and all :)
For example ... We throw a pre-Thanksgiving, cold cuts and coleslaw party for our nearest and dearest on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. And we have so much fun that our niece, her husband and three boys drive several hours from Orange County across state lines in time to help us roll dough along with Will's brother and his wife, who also drive quite a few hours across state lines to join in this family tradition that embraces quite a few cousins, who live in town, as well.
You see, over the years, our niece's first born son, who'd watched the food fight fearfully when he was three, became big brother to two younger boys, all of whom had their own stools, lined up in a row along the work island where family fun takes center stage in the middle of our kitchen. And in readiness on this island, awaiting the high spirited arrival of these boys, who tear through our front door, raring to take part in creating our holiday feast, are a trio of marble rolling pins. And if our great nephews look forward to sleeping in blow up beds all over the house, because all of our guest beds and couches are claimed by adults ... well there's sound reason as to why extended family and friends look forward to ringing our door bell, when many might deem all of the hullabaloo that takes place at our house as just plain crazy! You see, I figure it this way ... If, in order not to lose my smile, I needed help to create our traditional feast, then I'd be smart to make fun of what most others see as work, and here's why my reasoning proved as sane as sane can be ...
In the far distant past, I remember years when I'd tossed and turned at night for weeks leading up to this particular holiday, because I had no clue how to add so many additional shopping and cooking hours into a week that always demanded a super human stretch from me. I mean, what with raising three, rambunctious boys, teaching at the college, writing positively focused articles about creating sanity out of family life, sitting on boards, driving carpools to this, that and the other practice of this sport and that music lesson, and whatever doctor, dentist or orthodontist appointment had not been planned but for whatever reason, which seemed to pop up out of the blue, someone or something had needed healing, repairing or replacing, like lost retainers and the such ... while holding myself responsible for preparing a feast that guaranteed smiling guests, who'd traditionally drove or flew into town to share this deeply meaningful, heartfelt experience with our family, year after year ... well ... I was always looking to improve upon that which came too close to driving this leader of my pack of cub scouts totally out of my mind!!
You see, I actually needed my three great nephews' help with rolling dough before we'd fill 75 knishes with 5 pounds of mashed potatoes, which we'd mix into a couple of pounds of fried onions, salt and lots of pepper ... before setting two huge fry pans on the stove in which 75 knishes would sizzle in oil till all of these luscious delicacies were golden brown ... And don't even ask me some of them were filled with cotton or today's post will never end :) :) ...
During the years when I'd prepared knishes in the kitchen at night by myself! I'd spend at least an hour cleaning everything up where flour had been flying and oil had been bubbling before finally falling fully exhausted into bed at 1AM ... knowing that at the crack of dawn on the Wednesday before the gala feast, my alarm would BBRRinging at 6AM to start another non-stop day of normal family life amid endless hours of cooking up festive treats enough to serve an army, again ... And since I needed lots of positively focused, high spirited, good natured help to keep my spirit afloat ... well, I'm sure you can see why I made opening my front door on the holiday ... after setting a fabulous table, decorated with a pilgrim family and native Americans and orange pumpkins and green and golden gourds, candles lit and twinkling ... With this surprise in store for our unsuspecting guests ... Each time the bell would ring, i'd run to the front hall and call out for Will to join me before opening the door to welcome our guests, and in addition to wearing a beaming smile in answer to the shocked expressions on each person's face ... especially the faces of the kids, I'd be seen standing next to Will, who along with me had been costumed as Pilgrim host and Pilgrim hostess with the mostest ... whew!!! And if you say, we'll, Annie, you could only surprise your guests that way once, I'd laugh and reply ... Guess you don't yet have a clue as to how my think tank works ... Because each year our creative juices bubbled forth until a brainstorm ignited a stroke of lightening, highlighting an idea for a costume that never failed to get our holiday off with a heartily shared laugh ... On the other hand, no amount of Meryl making could fend off fate on that particular Thanksgiving when a slapstick pie throwing fest led to a that unforeseen fatality ...
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