Friday, November 25, 2016

Thanksgiving 2016

Hello friends!  We sure did have a good Thanksgiving day yesterday.  I hope you had a good one if you celebrate.  If you don't have Thanksgiving where you live, you might want to start.. LOL!  It's a day to have a feast to celebrate all the things you're thankful for.  Each of us went around the table to say what we are grateful for, it was nice.  Mainly it was for each other.  :-)


I put on a fresh tablecloth and had my tall son hand me down my turkey dishes from the cabinet above the fridge.  I found my fall napkins and set the table with candles, crystal and silverware.  I wish you could smell the house right then, the aroma of roasting turkey with sage dressing.  


For this photo I set a few things on the turkey platter, my pilgrim couple and my 2 majolica ceramic turkeys.


I saw one of these turkey plates on a blog a few years ago and thus began a search for some.. and found a set on Replacements.com.  It's called "His Majesty" by Johnson Brothers.



Dayle is our turkey chef.  He chops onions, celery and parsley and sautes it butter, then adds organic chicken stock and dried dried bread cubes, pepper, salt, poultry seasoning and lots of rubbed sage.  Then he stuffs what he can into the turkey and puts the extra in baking pans.  He had begun to carve the turkey before he remembered we hadn't taken a photo.. lol.


I put my son in charge of the green bean and french fried onion casserole.. it takes a math major to convert the ingredients by two and a half.  :-)  Plus, he needs to learn to make this stuff.  I was the "overseer".  He also peeled the fresh yams and potatoes and put them on to boil.  When the yams were almost done, we drained them and put them into one of my Dansk red enameled steel baking pans and I cut butter and dotted them with it and sprinkled that with brown sugar and shook some "cinnamon plus" over the top and then spread miniature marshmallows over that and baked it.  While those were in the oven I mashed two batches of potatoes with half-and-half and some salt.  I put those in my red Dansk pot and covered them to keep them warm.. after adding a chunk of butter on top and sprinkling them with paprika.  



I then made a slurry of water and flour, added some more broth to the turkey drippings and whisked it all together until it thickened.. and the gravy was PERFECT!  Here is our dinner all set to savor each bite.  :-)


Now it's the day after, we're watching a good movie on TV, by the fire and working up an appetite for.. LEFTOVERS!  LOL!  This scene is behind me.


I will close with a poem I wrote years ago when all my siblings and their children came to the farm for Thanksgiving.  We've all had our families grow with grandchildren and now have separate dinners - but this one will remain in my memory as one of the best times in my life.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-) 


The Heart of Autumn

Memories -- they roll through my mind.
All the years of Thanksgiving celebrations.
I remember them, with family & friends,
Different places, different faces.

Now, our home is where we gather.
It is because it is so right here.
The big old farmhouse, the barn,
The big oak tree obliges with leaves of red.

The family arrives, Dad brings ice cream.
Mom brings the pies fresh from her oven.
Robert, my only brother, brings his
Family from afar. Thank you brother.

As I open the door to our farmhouse
Welcoming Sister Roberta and her clan.
We all walk into the warm, steamy fragrant room.
Drinking in the smell of roasting turkey and sage.

Baby sister Denise brings her young ones,
What would the day be without them?
Thanksgiving day, we have always come together
The family draws tight as if by an unseen magnet.

The table is set with my finest china,
Napkins are folded like sculptures.
Goblets await cider, candles are alight.
The preparations reach a crescendo.....

Then, Dayle pulls his perfect creation,
The biggest turkey he could find,
From the oven, and the room quiets.
We all gather around, and glory in the scene...

A family, full of love and cheer.
This is the true America, our pilgrim
Ancestors would be proud, of what
Their brave adventure has wrought.
And we are filled with thanks.

Copyright 1995 by Teresa Kasner

17 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful poem Teresa, written from the heart. Looks like a wonderful celebration, your table setting and food look amazing. You are blessed with a beautiful family.

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  2. What a lovely poem Teresa, I think your family will treasure it always. I'm glad you had such a nice day, and what a wonderful feast. We should definitely have Thanksgiving here too! CJ xx

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  3. All so lovely Teresa. The food sounds and looks so delicious - how I wouldove to taste it all. Always wonderful to be with our family. The poem is beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Hugs Anne x

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  4. Nice poem and a nice feast you and your family had on thanksgiving. For some reason I didn't get the green bean casserole done this year. Oops...that's what happens when I have a cold and 2 of us were watching the Macys' day parade!!

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  5. Love the photo of your family sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner!

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  6. While we were a day behind you, we celebrated Thanksgiving today with a menu similar to yours, although we had a carrot casserole instead of sweet potatoes this year. The loving family gathering and traditions your poem celebrates beautifully describes the gratitude I feel for our Thanksgiving celebration as well. Thanks for sharing the pretty setting and some of the details about your family celebration, Teresa. This year our friend, Grantie, was here to enjoy dinner with us. Before we ate she recited some Scripture verses about thankfulness and we sang a praise song before Tim offered thanks for our meal. Jason took four little girlies out to cut some holly to make wreaths soon, and this evening we put up the Christmas tree in my room with some Christmas music playing in the background. I have a Christmas movie on as I'm typing to you. I'm glad you had a happy Thanksgiving and hope you all have a good weekend and that those of you who have been ill will quickly heal completely. xx

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  7. What a yummy meal you enjoyed. Your poem is very beautiful of times past..enjoy your present too dear Teresa. Hugs xx

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  8. IT sounds like your day was wonderful Teresa. The food looks delicious, I am so glad you were with family, enjoying time together. We had a great day, so much to be thankful for.

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  9. Your meal looks wonderful! It is so nice that everyone chipped in to make the meal. We had about 22 people here. We don't do turkey so I made 20 pounds of chicken. I also made the stuffing and everyone else made part of the meal and brought it over. Works out good for us. I also love your table setting. I hope Dayle and Kristi feel better.

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  10. Teresa, Good to see Kristi up dressed and enjoying the family Thanksgiving. I love your turkey china! I want to eat everything on your plate! Our holiday was lovely and filling and quiet. Yesterday, Friday , a day with Fireman's cousins and aunt....a wonderful group...an amazing assortment of sides and turkey and desserts. Today Fireman and his sister buried a hatchet and we had a wonderful lunch together. Im so thrilled for him that they worked things out. So very thankful

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  11. Sounds like a wonderful day! Didn't know that you are a poet as well as a master crocheter.

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  12. Absolutely fabulous Teresa! What a spread! I love family get togethers!
    I think thanksgiving should be Worldwide!!!

    keep well

    Amanda x

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  13. How lovely to see your happy pictures of your family Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings! It looks delicious! Your poem is so touching, a wonderful evocation of special family gatherings.
    Helen xox

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  14. I see Kristi is at the table. I hope she is doing okay. Looks like you had a lovely day despite there being fewer people than last year. Everything changes, that's for sure.

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  15. Your table is just perfection! Looks like a great time with family :)

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  16. Good food and family....it doesn't get any better than that! :-)

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  17. It looks like your holiday was a lovely one too. I'm glad Kristi was well enough to join you all. Lots of cooks in your kitchen!
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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